Hi pawb, my name is Joe Lewis and I am a Learning Officer at St Fagans National Museum of History. I have been working for Amgueddfa Cymry - National Museum Wales for 10 years this year.

This year is also 10 years since the volunteering department was set up in National Museum Wales.

I began my career in Amgueddfa Cymru as a volunteer in the summer of 2009. I volunteered at the National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon where I spent the summer dressed as a Roman and engaging with the public. After this experience I was asked to join the pool staff to help facilitate school sessions and public events.  

Between 2009 – 2011 I did a part-time Masters in Archaeology and volunteered for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, based at National Museum Cardiff. This volunteering role gave me experience in object photography and identification. It was through this experience that I was given the opportunity to catalogue an assemblage of Roman artefacts from Brecon Gaer Roman Fort. This gave me my dissertation topic and later the opportunity to publish 2 papers on Brecon Gaer.

Before I started volunteering at National Museum Wales I had been unemployed for several months and was suffering with depression. Volunteering helped to give me vital work and academic experience that helped me get a job and out of depression.

I owe a great deal to the volunteering department for giving me the opportunities I’ve had to lead me to where I am today. A massive thanks to them and a Happy 10^th Anniversary!

4,370 pupils from across the UK have been awarded Super Scientist certificates on behalf of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, in recognition for their contribution to the Spring Bulbs for Schools Investigation.

A big congratulations to you all! Thank you for working so hard planting, observing, measuring and recording, you really are Super Scientists!

Many thanks to The Edina Trust for funding this project.

Super Scientist Winners 2019

Schools to be awarded certificates:

To be awarded certificates, pencils, sunflower seeds and surprise seeds.

Schools with special recognition:

To be awarded certificates, pencils, sunflower seeds and surprise seeds.

Highly commended schools:

To be awarded certificates, pencils, a variety seeds and gift vouchers.

A few months ago, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime. I was invited to work at Amgueddfa Cymru as an artist in residence and asked to organise a project to celebrate 10 years of the volunteer programme. The project has consisted of a series of creative workshops with volunteers at sites across the country, which have fed into the creation of a celebratory artwork.

My name’s Robin Bonar-Law, I’m a self-taught artist and graphic design graduate of Falmouth University. From the time of my graduation up until my residency, I have been working in the catering industry so my artistic outlet has been primarily restricted to latte art. The creative industries are incredibly competitive and coming from a low-income family I have often felt stifled by a lack of social mobility. I take portrait commissions and enter competitions when I can but over the coming years, I would like to make the rewarding leap into self-employment by becoming a freelance mural artist.

Early this year I applied to an artist opportunity based at St Fagan’s. After a thoroughly exciting interview process, I was asked to join the team and given an open brief, ‘Create an artwork that is inspired by the volunteers and showcases the amazing contribution they have given to the museum. The process should also include a series of creative workshops with volunteers.’ With over 900 volunteers this year alone this was no small task, nonetheless, overflowing with unbounded enthusiasm and a sense of freedom (from the coffee shop) I got to work planning.

The project is split into two main components; the workshops and the final artwork. I love drawing and wanted to run a series of ‘mark-making’ workshops that help re-introduce the volunteers to the idea of drawing as something that’s fun and relaxing. By normalising and simplifying drawing through a series of games and activities, I hoped to make it less daunting and something relaxing that they may enjoy doing brief moments of spare time.

As well as allowing me to teach the volunteers new drawing techniques the workshops served as a time for the volunteers to teach me about their roles and experiences at the museum. From the beginning of the project, I have wanted to create an authentic artwork that represents the true collaborative spirit of the volunteer workforce and the best way to do that is to meet them and get their personal input. Visiting the sites and talking to members of staff was another valuable resource.

I have met such a large number of enthusiastic and happy volunteers, they are all equally passionate and have truly enriched my experience. The workshops have been far more rewarding than I could ever have expected, I hope the volunteers enjoyed them as much as I did.

My favourite part of any project like this is the final, hands-on crafting of a design, but there’s no point rushing into it without a strong design process as a foundation. Alongside the workshops, I started amassing a large pool of research to help shape the direction of the artwork. I gathered inspiration from celebratory imagery such as friendly society banners, religious artworks, Flags, political/social murals etc. I also furthered my knowledge of Welsh craft and traditions by meeting with curators, visiting volunteers outside of workshops and making use of the information on display to the public. I wanted to create a final piece with mulitple layers of complexity; representing the wildly diverse range of roles, having that celebratory feel and being reminiscent of the traditional craft that imbues each site.

I am in the final stages of the design process and putting the finishing touches to my artwork. Once complete, the modular, hanging banner inspired artwork will be transformed into a majestic, megalithic and meaningful mural adorning the walls of Tŷ Gwyrdd (the new volunteer hub) and made into a digital print for each of the 7 museums around Wales. It will also be made into tote bags and given to each of the volunteers. From the very beginning, I have wanted to create a purposeful artwork that rejuvenates and enriches the volunteer spaces, fostering an environment that helps individuals find a sense of well-being, pride and identity. I can’t wait to show you all the finished product.

I am incredibly grateful for the museum and all the staff that have given me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Robin's placement was funded by the Hands on Heritage youth project at Amgueddfa Cymru, which is supported through the National Lottery Heritage Funds ‘Kick the Dust’

For one week only, Key Stage Two pupils enjoyed the Walking with Romans session at the National Roman Legion Museum.

As well as their usual facilitated session with one of our Roman teachers, they were also taken on a tour of the Amphitheatre with a Roman guide.

Under the strict instructions of their new Roman leader, they learned how to march in the centre of the Amphitheatre. Once they had perfected their pace, a couple of the pupils even got the chance to run out as gladiators with their classmates cheering them on.

Every year, the most popular part of the session proves to be when the children learn how to charge as a unit, using their teachers as the target! 

The outdoor environment of the Amphitheatre and Barracks, steeped in rich and ancient history, continues to capture children’s attention more effectively than a standard classroom session.

This is a fantastic opportunity for learners to not only see the history around them, but to experience what it was like to be a part of it.

A recent study by HAPPEN Wales found that outdoor learning sessions like these provide “a variety of benefits for both the child and the teacher and for improving health, wellbeing, education and engagement in school.” So if schools are disappointed at missing out on our Walking with Romans week, we have another outdoor session on the horizon.

Starting on Monday 1^st July and running until the end of term, schools can book in for our Roman Boot Camp. Pupils will hear about what the Romans looked for in a soldier, discover if they have what it takes to join the Roman army and even compete in teams to test their pace on the marching square! Email learning.romans@museumwales.ac.uk for booking information.

While the museum is still closed for essential maintenance, the National Roman Legion Museum’s education programme is still running successfully.

Focussing on Key Stage Two learning, the programme offers each school group a full day of activities - from exploring the ancient ruins of the Amphitheatre, Baths and Barracks, to trying on armour in our reconstructed Barrack Room and learning Latin in our iBook.

The National Roman Legion Museum will be reopening to the public in Autumn 2019 .

Hi this is the Museum Cardiff youth forum. On Tuesday the 11/06/2019 we are taking over the museum’s twitter account to remember a 100 years since the Cardiff Race Riots.

By bringing attention to the 1919 Cardiff Race Riots, we want to look at different aspects of society 100 years ago and compare it with today. The Race Riots help us to understand the history and development of segregation, the effects of war and disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and media bias. The consequences of the riots, including the casualties and deaths caused by the targeted violence affected the residents of Cardiff for two generations and scarred the families of those directly impacted.

Why is this important to remember negative history? Although it is a tough subject to talk about, reflecting on the Race Riots helps to bring light the effect of war, colonialism and prejudice on both society and the lives on individuals, and lets us reflect on what has changed, and what hasn’t.

Have the last 100 years since the riots seen racism be completely wiped out from society? Well, unfortunately not. Racism is still a very real problem that occurs daily and effects many different people from many different backgrounds. However, it is important to note that by looking at census data around the ethnic diversity of Cardiff, society is becoming more and more racially mixed and accepting of other cultures. As a nation, we are hopefully learning to redefine what it means to be Welsh.

What was the role of the press in 1919? During the days that the race riots took place within Cardiff, the aggression was fuelled by racist and biased newspapers headlines which targeted those of ethnic minorities as the culprits of violence and destruction, rather than the victims of racist, targeted attacks that they in fact were. As well as this, it has been documented that the Police dealing with the riots were also acting unfairly towards ethnic minorities. This unfair treatment is highlighted by the records of arrests during the riots; predominantly black men were taken into custody. Some were held for their own protection, but sentencing of suspects after the riots showed even more bias and harsher sentencing for people from a minority ethnic background.

Although society still has a long way to go in terms of ending racism, prejudice and media bias, remembering events such as the 1919 Cardiff Race Riots helps to bring recognition to the ongoing importance of campaigns which aim to end racism and hate crimes, such as Black Lives Matter. Society is not free from racial bias and institutional racism, but we hope that things truly are changing for the better.

The 1919 Cardiff Race Riots also highlights the horror of war and the state of society following the end of the First World War. Many returning soldiers had not only suffered physically from the disastrous effects of the war, but also mentally. Many suffered from shellshock and struggled to reintegrate into society, they were jealous of ‘foreign’ men who they felt had taken over their jobs, homes and women, which contributed towards the rioting in 1919. This is not to say that the actions of these soldiers and others is excused by shellshock but is to highlight the effects of war and importance of mental health services. When we compare it with what we have today, we can see that there have been many developments and we now have a more stable and supporting system of mental health, which recognises PTSD as an actual disorder and offers appropriate treatment for those who have fought in wars.

For Cardiff the result of the 1919 racial tensions was the creation of a deep scar on the city’s history with the mass rioting which began on the 11th of June 1919 and lasted for 3 subsequent days. However, it is hard, even today, to physically trace impact of these events which involved crowds of up to 2,000 people since no permanent markers point out any of the sites to have witnessed rioting during the summer of 1919. There is little official documentation around the riots. We think it is important to remember the Cardiff Race Riots of the 11th – 14th of June 1919 not just in the memories of the affected community but also in school lessons, through public monuments and by heritage institutions. We hope to contribute a small part with our youth forum Twitter Takeover on 11/06/19, a hundred years after the riots. To see our tweets follow @AmgueddfaCymru on Twitter or look for the hashtag #1919CardiffRaceRiots .

 Youth work at Amgueddfa Cymru is supported through the National Lottery Heritage Funds ‘Kick the Dust’ funding. Our youth forum are young people aged 14-25 who care about social justice, heritage and dinosaurs. If you want to join the youth forum get in touch at youth.forum@museumwales.ac.uk

Hands on Heritage - putting heritage into the hands of young people.