Monday 15 Sep 2025, 13:25

Pulling out all the stops - £3m fund breathes new life into Welsh museums, libraries and archives

Cronfa gwerth £3m yn rhoi bywyd newydd i amgueddfeydd, llyfrgelloedd ac archifau Cymru

The full restoration of a historic Pontypridd pipe organ is one of 29 local cultural projects to collectively receive over £3m in Welsh Government funding today.

The iconic 1910 Conacher Pipe Organ – the largest object on display in Pontypridd Museum - is currently in a poor state of repair and practically unplayable.

Thanks to a grant of £150,000, visitors will soon be able to hear the organ play on demand through a digitally controlled trigger which allows a recital to be recorded and then played back without an organist being present. This feature has only been installed in organs at a few of the world’s leading venues such as the Palau de la Música in Barcelona. In the UK this facility features in the famous organs of Canterbury Cathedral and York Minster.

In total, 18 local museum, five library and six archive projects will receive funding to enhance their facilities and make them more accessible for visitors. Projects include introducing a pollinator garden in Rogerstone library, lifts and braille interpretation in Dinefwr Park and digital enhancements for neurodiverse users in the Museum of Welsh Cricket.

Culture Minister, Jack Sargeant, said:

“Our local museums, libraries and archive projects are vital community assets serving as visitor attractions, valuable resources for schools, and health and wellbeing hubs for the whole community.

“This fund will help protect them into the future. And it will do so with a focus on my priorities: improving access and facilities for visitors, diverse communities, families and young people; enhancing collection care and digital access; and developing the sustainability of the local culture sector.”

Nigel Blackamore, Museum Business & Partnerships Manager at Pontypridd Museum, added:

“The Conacher Pipe Organ is more than an instrument—it’s the beating heart of our museum and a living link to Pontypridd’s rich musical heritage. Restoring it will not only revive its powerful presence but also reconnect generations through sound, memory, and innovation.

“Thanks to the generous support of Welsh Government, and the expertise of leading organ builders, we’re harnessing digital technology to ensure this iconic object doesn’t fade into silence but sings once again for our community and the world.”

Local authorities can currently bid for a share of a further £2.5m for their local museums, libraries and archives over the next 12 months.

A total of £15m in funding attached to the Welsh Government’s Priorities for Culture - an ambitious and collaborative vision for the future of culture in Wales - will be distributed to the culture sector in Wales by the end of March.

Notes to editors

Photo caption: Nigel Blackamore and the Conacher Pipe Organ, Pontypridd Museum

Full list of Grant Awards for Priorities for Culture Capital Grant Scheme 2025-2026

Organisation	Project title	Project description
Monmouthshire CC	The Nelson Gallery, Shire Hall Museum Project	Creation of new interpretation and an exhibition at the Nelson Gallery as part of the Shire Hall Development.
Cyfarthfa Castle (Merthyr Tydfil CBC)	Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery: Unlocking Collections and Building Capacity	Creation of a dedicated facility for collections storage, digitisation and documentation and digital access to stored collections.
Newport Libraries	Rogerstone Library Pollinator Garden Accessibility	Establishment of a pollinator garden at Rogerstone Library to be used for outdoor biodiversity information and educational sessions, story-time sessions and book clubs.
Porthcawl Museum	Always evolving, always improving.	Development of museum exhibitions and conservation of artefacts in collaboration with Glamorgan Archives.
Awen Cultural Trust	Sustainable and environmentally friendly deliveries to the housebound	Work to make Books on Wheels Service more environmentally sustainable, with a zero-emission electric vehicle for those users who are unable to access other library services.
Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC Libraries	Treorchy Cultural Hub Co-Lab	Development of co-lab space for use by local artistic communities as a place of work, research, inspiration and expression to create a venue for Library and Arts/Culture activities and events.
Carmarthenshire Archives	Between the Lines: Stories Hidden in the Archive	Development of an exhibition space, displaying stored archival collections and connecting the reference area with archives.
Cyngor Gwynedd	North West Wales Shared Museum Collections and Conservation Hub Development	Development of a shared hub supporting the strategic management of museum collections from Bangor University, Amgueddfa Cymru, CADW, the National Trust, Eryri National Park Authority and Oriel Ynys Môn.
Rhondda Heritage Park Museum	Energy past, present and future: sustainable learning at the Rhondda Heritage Park Museum	Development and installation of interactive STEM educational experiences as part of the Rhondda Heritage Park Museum and Black Gold Experience.
Museum of Welsh Cricket	Decarbonisation in the Museum and its Galleries, plus meeting the needs of neuro-diverse visitors.	Work on building to improve sustainability, energy efficiency and access through installation of solar panels and sub-meter, improved signage and digital enhancements for neurodiverse users.
National Trust, Dinefwr	Improving Access at Newton House, Dinefwr	Installation of new lighting, braille interpretation, audio visual interpretation and a lift to improve access to the building and collections.
North East Wales Archives	Preparing for Creative Archives	Development of conservation, digital and engagement resources as part of a strategic community engagement programme.
Swansea Museum	Illuminate - lighting improvements at Swansea Museum	Installation of an environmentally sustainable lighting systems for the Oriel Hanes (Swansea History Gallery) and the temporary exhibition gallery.
Neath Port Talbot CBC Libraries	Replacement of Front Windows at Baglan Library	Work on building to improve energy efficiency, sustainability and visitor experience at the library.
Vale of Glamorgan CC Libraries	Digital Discovery Hub	Creation of an inclusive and multifunctional digital spaces at Cowbridge Library, serving as a centre of excellence for immersive digital engagement and cultural participation across the Vale of Glamorgan library network.
Penmaenmawr Museum	Small Museum, Big Ambitions	Collections storage improvements, improved access to gallery space, enhanced signage and development of museum’s digital offer.
Conwy Culture Centre	Conwy Culture Centre Accessibility+	Transformation of the building to improve accessibility and inclusion to the space.
Gwasanaeth Archifau Gwynedd	Lleihau ôl troed carbon Archifau Gwynedd a gwella ein gofal casgliadau	Work to building to support sustainable development and tackle climate and nature change.
Gwasanaeth Archifau Gwynedd	Gwella mynediad a gofalu am gasgliadau yng Ngwasanaeth Archifau Gwynedd	Improvements to facilities and enhanced accessibility to the Caernarfon Record Office, enhancing on-site care for collections.
Carmarthenshire Museums	A new approach to inclusive and accessible exhibitions and interpretation at Carmarthenshire Museum	Installation of interpretation and lighting system within newly created exhibition galleries.
Carmarthenshire Museums	Reimagining the online visitor experience: a project to make the CofGar website more accessible and sustainable	Improvement of digital access and accessibility to collections via website development.
Greenfield Valley Trust	Animating Greenfield Valley	Installation of audio-visual and interactive exhibits improving on-site interpretation.
Glamorgan Archives	Digital Preservation Infrastructure – Expanding Wales’ Capacity	Collaborative partnership project to equip 10 Archives to implement digital preservation of archival material.
Glamorgan Archives	Preparing for Disasters – a collaborative approach	Collaborative partnership of four local authority archive services to create resources to be made available to local heritage organisations in the event of a disaster.
Hay Castle Trust	Bringing Hay Castle to Life for All	Development and installation of interpretation, to promote engagement with the culture of the Welsh borderlands.
Swansea University Cultural Collections	Improving accessibility and environmental monitoring for Cultural Collections at Swansea University	Installation of an environmental monitoring system and improvements to accessibility to the building.
Pontypridd Museum	Museum store and community room roof repairs	Work to the building to ensure long-term preservation and protection of the museum’s collections and community spaces.
Pontypridd Museum	Pontypridd Museum Pipe Organ Restoration	Restoration and improved interpretation of a 1910 pipe organ on permanent display in the former Welsh Baptist Tabernacl Chapel, now Pontypridd Museum.
Tenby Museum & Art Gallery	A Fine Ship to Sail: The Future of Tenby Museum & Art Gallery.	Improvements to building to renovate a storage area into a public museum space housing new interpretation.