Welsh Museums Festival celebrates 12th year

The Welsh Museums Festival begins on Saturday 24 October, with more than 60 venues taking part in a week-long programme of events, exhibitions and other activities.

The festival, now in its 12th year, is a legacy of the 2014 Museums Association Conference, which was held at the Wales Millennium Centre on Cardiff Bay.

The event, timed to coincide with the October half term in schools, is organised by Museums Federation Cymru and supported with Welsh Government funding. As part of the funding provided to support this year's festival, Museums Federation Cymru has awarded grants over £12,000 to 18 museums to help them take part.

The organisers are encouraging participating museums to think about greener ways to celebrate Halloween.

To mark the start of the festivities, the cabinet minister for culture and sport, Heledd Fychan, visited Porthcawl Museum and Historical Society. The independent museum, which was founded in October 1972, is located within the old Police Station building and holds a collection of more than 8,000 items documenting the history of Porthcawl, including the second largest costume collection within an independent museum in Wales.

“The Welsh Museums Festival is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the museums we have across Wales and everything they contribute to our communities,” Fychan said. “They bring our history and culture to life, provide opportunities for learning and enjoyment, support our wellbeing, and attract visitors to towns and communities across the country.

Museums Federation Cymru president Ken Griffin said: “This year, more than 60 museums are taking part, the highest number since the festival began. The festival is especially popular with families, providing free and accessible activities during a period of financial pressure.”

In other news, 17 museums, archives and libraries projects across Wales are to benefit from additional funding part of the Welsh Government’s drive to widen access to culture.

More than £550,000 is being invested in 17 projects. Projects include youth engagement in Blaenau Gwent's libraries, digitisation of historic collections in Monmouthshire and Rhondda Cynon Taff, and the development of a geocaching app bringing local history to life in Newport. There is also an archaeology and prehistory engagement programme on Anglesey designed to helping new audiences discover Wales's heritage.