Over £1.2m investment in local museums and libraries

More than £246,000 will support the Museum of Welsh Cricket, based in Sophia Gardens, for their project ‘Cricket has been, and still is, a game for everyone’.

The exhibition celebrates the deep culture and history of cricket, highlighting the contributions of women, LGBTQ+ people and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. The funding is being used to improve the collections’ care, add new technology and create public art murals.

The Cultural Transformation Capital Grant Programme helps organisations preserve collections for future generations, as well as improve accessibility and sustainability. More than £10.5m has been provided since the grant was launched in 2017.

Supporting local museums is a key part of the Welsh Government’s draft Priorities for Culture, a strategy which aims to ensure culture is resilient, and local heritage is supported to thrive and be sustainable for future generations to enjoy. The strategy is currently out for consultation.

The new Minister for Culture, Jack Sargeant, who visited the Museum of Welsh Cricket yesterday to hear more about the project receiving Welsh Government support, said:

“Culture and heritage are crucial to Wales. From telling the important stories of our past to celebrating the Wales we live in today and the Cultural Transformation Programme is central in helping organisations do exactly that.

“This exciting project at Museum of Welsh Cricket shows the importance of representing and engaging with everyone from different backgrounds and how people are brought together through culture.”

Mark Frost, Glamorgan Cricket Community and Development Manager, said:

"Glamorgan Cricket is striving to make sure that there is a warm welcome for everyone at Sophia Gardens and importantly every person feels at home and has all they need to make their visit a good one. As part of our Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Plan we want to make sure that the museum and stadium look like the whole community that we are reaching out to.

“We know that to further improve this experience we need to make sure that the imagery around the museum and the whole ground is more representative of the people that play cricket today. We are determined to make sure that anyone walking into the ground sees imagery, photos and designs where they can see people like themselves and therefore can believe that the welcome is authentic and that 'cricket is a game for me'.

“We are very grateful to the Welsh Government for the grant for the museum and stadium at Glamorgan Cricket which will transform the look and feel of Sophia Gardens and we are especially excited that the designs will be co-produced together with many of our community groups in particular partner schools."

Other projects receiving funding include £300,000 for the refurbishment and modernisation of Cwmbran Library, and almost £300,000 heading to the Egypt Centre at Swansea University for the redevelopment of the House of Death ground floor gallery.

Awen Cultural Trust is receiving around £130,000 for the Betws Library Modernisation Project; Ceredigion County Council will benefit from £210,000 for the development of the new Aberaeron Library, and Denbighshire Council is receiving over £82,000 improve the main exhibition room at Plas Newydd in Llangollen.

The Minister added:

“Culture and heritage play an important role in our communities, including our health and wellbeing. I’m pleased to have awarded this funding for local museums and libraries which do so much to preserve and share local heritage.”