Press Releases

It was a successful year for NMGW, with Big Pit: National Mining Museum of Wales winning the Gulbenkian Prize for the Museum of the Year. The work on completing the National Waterfront Museum continued throughout the year, and by now the Museum has opened its doors to the public.

Over 1.3 million people visited the museums during 2004/05, and the free entry policy, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, continues to be a great success.

Looking to the Future is the title of this year's annual report, and this undoubtedly describes the work undertaken by NMGW during the year. This work included consulting widely on themes and plans that will transform our national museums in the future, according to Director General, Michael Houlihan:

“2004-05 was an opportunity for us to consider the future direction of the National Museum over the next few years. It was a year of consulting internally, with the public and with our many partners to ensure that our plans for the future match the aspirations of the people of Wales. Although this is a long-term process, the first changes and developments will take place over the next year.

From November onwards, NMGW will change its name to Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Some of the museums in its care will also change their names. The official names of the seven national museums in Wales are as follows: National Museum Cardiff; St Fagans National History Museum; National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon; Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenafon; National Slate Museum, Llanberis; National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Copies of the annual report are available by contacting any of our museums.

For more details contact:

Gwenllïan Carr, Head of Press and Public Relations, NMGW
Tel: (029) 2057 3175 / (07974) 205 849