Celebrating Welsh museums as places of joy and reflection, challenge and understanding
Museums have a powerful impact on their communities. They increase our sense of wellbeing, help us feel proud of where we come from, and inspire, challenge and stimulate us. In this new series of Museums Change Lives case studies from across Wales, we share how museums of all kinds are making an impact and creating positive, lasting change.
“Culture plays a central role in Wales, through heritage, language, landscape and traditions. Traditionally, museums are spaces where people gather to enjoy an exhibition, activity or workshop, but they can also be catalysts for positive change in society, inspiring engagement, debate and reflection.
“Increasingly, museums are supporting active participation from users, serving as dynamic community hubs that bring together different viewpoints. They support collective understanding, providing opportunities for users to contribute, challenge and reflect.
“Our collections tell stories in a uniquely engaging way. It is a privilege to use them not just to educate or to entertain but also to make a positive difference in people’s lives, whether that be tackling racism, supporting people living with dementia and their carers, instilling pride in our communities, or giving a voice to marginalised groups. Museums are increasingly places of joy and reflection, of challenge and understanding.
“These case studies provide a snapshot of the wonderful work going on across Wales. We hope that they provide inspiration to others in helping to create more equitable places to live and work.”
Rachael Rogers, vice-president, Museums Association and museums and arts manager, MonLife Heritage Museums
Case studies
Bailey Hill Scheduled Ancient Monument | Men’s Shed
A unique, heritage-based Men’s Shed that uses traditional Welsh craft skills to bring men together for friendship, support and learning
MonLife Heritage | Collections, Conversation and Creativity
Using museum collections to support the wellbeing of people living with dementia and their carers
Torfaen Museum and Inside Out Cymru | Create: Community Champions
A participatory arts programme for adults facing barriers to positive wellbeing
Your Voice Advocacy and the Dylan Thomas Centre | Trysori’r Geiriau – Treasure the Words
A partnership project in Swansea that uses collections to improve representation of learning disabled people in the museum
National Slate Museum | Unlocking the living gateway to Wales’s slate story
Putting the voice of local communities at the heart of a multimillion-pound redevelopment project
Museum of Cardiff | Voices of Grangetown
An engagement project that empowers young people to collect diverse oral histories from their own communities
Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery | Bridging Cultures
A collections-scoping project that embedded anti-racist practice through collaboration
