Press Releases

Wales' latest national museum tells the story of industry and innovation in Wales through the eyes of the people of Wales – and the world – through the ages. The museum is a partnership between National Museums & Galleries of Wales (NMGW) and The City and County of Swansea. On opening, the museum becomes the seventh national museum in Wales administered by NMGW.

It is the first national museum to open its doors since the Welsh Assembly Government introduced its free entry policy in 2001, and First Minister, Rhodri Morgan AM, says:

This is a very proud day for both Swansea and Wales. The National Waterfront Museum will be the jewel in the crown of Swansea's waterfront regeneration and a powerful magnet to draw in visitors to learn about our fascinating maritime and industrial history, as the world's first industrial country.

"This new museum brings this rich industrial and maritime heritage to life in an interactive, informative, and fun way. We will be working with both the City and County of Swansea and the National Museums & Galleries of Wales to ensure its long-term success. This museum is based on the principle of free entry to all visitors, which we introduced in April 2001, and this is the first national museum to be designed with this in mind. This is a museum which unites the past and the future. The past contribution to industrial and maritime innovation will inspire future generations of young Welsh men and women to develop new ideas, new technologies and new businesses."

The project was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £11million – the largest ever awarded in Wales. The Welsh Assembly Government is making up to £6m support available, as well as making major contributions through the WDA and the Wales Tourist Board, which has allowed additional funding to be brought in from the European Objective One programme. Liz Forgan, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, has followed the whole project with interest:

"Wales's industrial and maritime history is a crucial part of its past. This is why HLF has allocated £11 million, our biggest ever grant in Wales to bring this remarkable story to life. Many of the remarkable collections, on view for the first time, let visitors from Wales and beyond learn about the history of the world's first industrial nation. This injection of lottery cash has created a world class facility for Swansea putting the city firmly on the cultural map and acting as a catalyst for the continued regeneration of the area through tourism and jobs."

NMGW President, Paul Loveluck, is delighted with the opening of the new museum:

“Today is an incredibly proud day for the National Museums & Galleries of Wales. This is the culmination of many years of excellent work by a wide range of partners in all sectors in Wales and beyond, but in particular with the City and County of Swansea. Wales' industrial heritage is an integral part of our history, and I am delighted that we now have a national museum here in Swansea, the heart of our industrial nation, telling the story of innovation and industry in such a people-centred way.”

The National Waterfront Museum is a totally different experience for visitors. With over 100 state of the art interactive displays using the latest in computer technology, the museum makes Wales and its industrial heritage alive for visitors of all ages. Learning is fun, with interactive displays bringing objects to life. Screens respond to gestures; tabletops have inbuilt touch interfaces, and ‘old' technology is used in stunning new ways, ensuring that the visitor experience is like no other in Wales.

City and County of Swansea Leader, Chris Holley, believes that the new museum is a great boost for Swansea:

"This is wonderful for Swansea. The National Waterfront Museum will raise the profile and prosperity of Swansea by attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It will help to regenerate our waterfront and, along with the refurbished Swansea Leisure Centre, will create a modern destination and a strategic link between the city centre and the waterfront."

Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport, Alun Pugh, will open the National Waterfront Museum to the public at 2.00pm.

The National Waterfront Museum is designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and the new galleries have been developed by Land Design Studio in close cooperation with the team from NMGW. The interactive displays were developed by Land Design Studio in conjunction with New Angle.

The development of the National Waterfront Museum forms an integral part of NMGW's industrial strategy. With the support of the Welsh Assembly Government and other funding partners, £40m has being invested in Objective One areas to celebrate the industrial heritage for Wales. The strategy embraced three existing site-specific museums – the National Woollen Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, the Welsh Slate Museum at Llanberis and Big Pit, the National Mining Museum of Wales in Blaenafon, which won this year's prestigious Gulbenkian Prize – as well as the development of the new museum in Swansea.

Other NMGW museums are the National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff – currently showing Wales at Work, an exhibition exploring images of the industries that shaped Wales - the Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans and the Roman Legionary Museum, Caerleon.

Entry to all national museums in Wales is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Notes to Editors

All requests for interviews must be routed through either Fay Harris or Gwenllïan Carr (details below).

CONTACTS

National Museums & Galleries of Wales

FAY HARRIS
Press and Marketing Officer, National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
01792 638 970 / 07970 016 761
(Pre-launch enquiries and on the day press enquiries)

GWENLLIAN CARR
Head of Press and Public Relations, NMGW
07974 205 849
(Forward planning and on the day media enquiries)

SIAN JAMES
Press and Public Relations Officer, NMGW
07970 016 058
(On the day photography enquiries)

Ylva French Consultancy

YLVA FRENCH
020 7233 6789
(Pre-launch UK, specialist and international press and media)

Equinox PR

Zara Parry
Head of Public Relations
07796 274 874
(All HLF related enquiries)

Welsh Assembly Government

Non Jones
Press Officer, Welsh Assembly Government
029 2089 8683 / 07976 610 368
(All Welsh Assembly Government related enquiries)

City and County of Swansea

Patrick Fletcher
Head of News, Swansea Council
01792 636 092
(All City and County of Swansea related enquiries)