Press Releases

A lavish red sofa once owned by a British colonialist who played a key role in establishing British rule in  India, coarse Welsh fabricused to clothe victims of transatlantic slavery, and the traces of the slave trade left behind on slate from north Wales are just some of the objects being re-examined at the heart of Perspective(s), an ambitious Welsh arts programme launching this month. 

This groundbreaking initiative, which is supported by the Welsh Government as part of a collective effort to meet the culture and heritage goals of the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan,  features the work of seven ethnically and culturally diverse artists from across Wales. 

Perspective(s) aims to decolonise the national collection by reinterpreting these objects and raising critical questions about whose voices are heard in our museums and whose stories are told.

In collaboration with all seven Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales sites, the artists invite audiences to view overlooked or marginalised histories embedded within the chosen objects, and explore how understanding the past can shape a more inclusive future. 

As part of Perspective(s), each artist has been paired with a leading Welsh visual arts organisation - each of whom worked closely with the creatives to bring the project to life alongside museum curators.

Visitors are invited to explore installations like Nasia Sarwar-Skuse’s Wales Is...talking about empire at St Fagans National Museum of History. The space, a recreation of a South Asian living room, is centred around a sofa once owned by Robert Clive - known as "Clive of India" - whose command of the East India Company’s army played a major role in British colonisation of India.

Nasia partnered with the artist-led social enterprise Ways of Working as well as curators from St Fagans on this project.

The other artists and their Visual Arts Organisation and museum partners are:

• Hannan Jones, Artes Mundi and National Roman Legion Museum, using sonic and film work to ignite conversations around alternative histories and unseen narratives.
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• Jasmine Violet, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and National Slate Museum, examining the connections between the Welsh slate industry, the Caribbean, and the transatlantic slave trade.
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• Lal Davies, GS Artists and National Waterfront Museum, exploring Wales’ copper industry and its imperial links through a digital exhibition integrating film, personal archive objects, photography and text.
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• Lucille Junkere at National Wool Museum, exploring Wesh Plains, which the artist describes as “a low-quality coarse woollen cloth used to clothe enslaved Africans kidnapped to work on plantations in the Americas during the trans-Atlantic slave trade”.
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• Sadia Pineda Hameed, Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre and Big Pit National Coal Museum, tracing the South Wales coal industry and its role as an imperial fuel source that shaped lives and legacies across empires.
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• Sophie Mak-Schram, Chapter Arts Centre and National Museum Cardiff, researching the ways that power is structured in the institution, its collections and its histories of display, to collaboratively develop 'tools' that challenge or reflect on power and its effects.

These artists, representing a dynamic range of disciplines and backgrounds, are not merely curating art; they are fostering dialogue around the representation of history, power, and identity. Through their lenses, they seek to tell stories that reflect the lived experiences of diverse communities in Wales, both historically and in the present.

Quotes from the artists about why they took part in Perspective(s):

Hannan Jones said: “Perspective(s) resonates with my own diasporic background to allow navigation between histories of migration and empire. Being Welsh and North African but raised in Australia, I am deeply engaged with social and cultural migration, placemaking and storytelling.”

Jasmine Violet said: “It represents a vital step towards supporting marginalised artists and communities in Wales, and opens up essential dialogues around decolonisation, allowing diverse voices and experiences to be represented and celebrated. I hope to help create lasting projects that genuinely support communities, creating a more honest and inclusive environment for everyone in Wales.”

Lal Davies said: “My work focuses on historical objects as a portal to unlocking both personal and societal narratives and my background demonstrates how Welsh identity can be complex and nuanced. Perspective(s) is a platform to add my voice to Wales’ ambition to become an anti-racist nation by 2030, through film and visual arts work.”

Lucille Junkere said: “I applied to Perspective(s) to respond to Welsh Plains. While valuable research exists on the  material, the perspective of those forced to wear the uncomfortable, scratchy woollen cloth is  missing. I wanted to introduce an artistic and curatorial approach that does not minimise the  atrocities of the British Empire. Instead, I wanted to create compelling displays and narratives that  do not present palatable versions of history but reveal multiple stories while amplifying and  celebrating marginalised voices.”

Nasia Sawar-Skuse said: “I got involved with Perspective(s) while researching Robert Clive’s connection to Wales for my PhD, which presented an ideal opportunity to challenge traditional historical narratives by highlighting overlooked stories and connections with empire, particularly those related to the Clive family, and to foster a deeper understanding of Wales' cultural heritage.”

Sadia Pineda Hameed:  “My (project) explores strategies of resistance from the Welsh mining strikes - which fought for workers’ rights, the protection of land, culture and community - and how these can become symbols of international solidarity for mining strikes today.”

Sophie Mak-Schram “Decolonising involves the reorientation of many values and structures that currently oppress most of us. The question is, in the European context, can one decolonise from a colonial centre? I have been working on themes that relate to this question across my artistic and academic work for a long time, and am now excited to be working in the specific context of Wales, and specifically Cardiff.”

Director of Experience, Learning and Engagement at Amgueddfa Cymru, Nia Williams, said: “Perspective(s) is an innovative way of working that will bring about a much-needed step change in how Amgueddfa Cymru reflects the diversity of our society. 

“We actively support a collective effort towards an anti-racist Wales and therefore this collaboration with Arts Council of Wales, the seven creative professionals and arts organisations has been invaluable. We will take forward the relationships developed as part of Perspective(s) and build on our learnings and the new ways of working that have emerged from this initiative”.

Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Wales said: "We are so pleased to have worked with Amgueddfa Cymru, with seven incredible artists, and contemporary arts organisations from across Wales to make this programme possible. Perspective(s) has explored new ways of working that are inclusive and democratic, making sure that the arts and heritage sector reflects the histories of culturally and ethnically diverse communities that have previously been overlooked.

“We hope that the creative outputs from the projects will challenge and engage audiences from all backgrounds, highlighting our shared and complex heritage”.

Perspective(s) is a collaboration between Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales. The programme runs from now and throughout 2025. 

Ends

For further information or media enquiries, please contact:

Rebceca Spencer, ESPR: Rebecca@es-pr.co.uk, 07946102531

Eva Simpson, ESPR: eva.simpson@es-pr.co.uk, 07801184016

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About Perspective(s)

Perspective(s), is an exciting new collaboration between Arts Council of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales which seeks to bring about a change in how the visual arts and heritage sector reflects the cultural and ethnic diversity of our society. The project is supported by the Welsh Government as part of a collective effort to meet the culture and heritage goals of the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan.

Amgueddfa Cymru’s dedication to decolonising the collection

There is no single definition that explains exactly what decolonising means, so our Charter lays out what it means for Amgueddfa Cymru. It defines six areas where we will work collaboratively with communities of relevance on the journey towards decolonising the collection. 

Amgueddfa Cymru recognises that museums, their collections and cultures are often rooted in colonialism and racism.

In summer 2021, we published our charter on decolonising the national collections. The charter focuses on six key areas of work to undertaking the decolonisation process:

1. Community action research
2. Co-curating content
3. Identifying racist collections
4. Decision making about acquisitions
5. Collections access
6. Digital