Press Releases

What makes you YOU?

New gallery at St Fagans looks at what it means to be Welsh today

From Saturday 31 March 2007, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales will be asking visitors to share stories and the secrets of their identity at Oriel 1 (Gallery 1) - a brand new gallery at St Fagans: NationalHistoryMuseum which explores the meaning of belonging.

Sponsored by Principality Building Society, Oriel 1 uses objects, photography, film, art, personal stories and experiencesto show what it means to be Welsh and to live in Wales today. Exploring the theme of Belonging, the Gallery demonstrates that there are many different ways of feeling a part of our country.

 

One of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’ major centenary projects, Oriel 1 encourages visitors from Wales and beyond to play their part and share their views on how the languages they speak, their family and friends, their roots and their beliefs influence who they are.

 

Local communities, schools, authors, artists and poets have already played a key role in the creation of Oriel 1 and will gather at 12:30pm on Thursday 29 March 2007 for the First Look at the finished Gallery.

 

 

The outcome of successful partnerships instigated by the Museum’s curators include a project led by animators Cinetig, who worked with three schools from across Wales to produce short films focusing on national symbols and traditions, Wales as a multi faith nation and on family life. Teenagers from Penyrenglyn Centre, Rhondda curated their own modern-day version of a Welsh dresser with objects that are important to them, such as a skateboard and a Nintendo Game Boy, and young Muslim women from Swansea - members of the SMYLe community group  - created a display of stained glass.

 

An integral part of the Gallery is a Wall of Languages which displays over 80 languages spoken in Wales today. Sirajul Islam moved to Cardiff from Bangladesh in 1963 and his story is featured in a special video. He has learnt Welsh and is currently studying for a Welsh degree at Cardiff University. He said:

 

“I moved to Cardiff from Bangladesh to start a new life and I now consider myself to be Welsh. Not many people read books about the history of Wales and some ask me why I waste my time reading a language which is dead. I think it’s important people learn the history of Wales and its language and I certainly don’t believe the language is dead.”  

 

Oriel 1 replaces St Fagans’ old Material Culture Gallery, which was created 35 years ago, and combines objects from the Museum’s collections with the latest technology. Visitors can study examples from the Museum’s love spoon collection and create their own emailable version on the computer, whilst learning about the significance of each symbol. A digital photo album of some of the Museum’s buildings includes photographs of the houses in their original location and of the people who lived in them, and a juke box where visitors can select and hear what music was popular in Wales through the centuries will also form an important part of the display.

 

First Minister Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan AM supports Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’ new initiative which focuses on history’s interaction with the present day in Wales:

 

“Oriel 1 is an exciting new venture for St Fagans – Wales’ No. 1 visitor attraction,” he said. “Until recently, the Museum has focused on life in Wales through the interpretation of historical buildings. I am impressed at the way the Museum is now exploring Wales in the 21st century, involving people from all over Wales in an evolving and interactive attraction accurately representing what it means to belong to and to live in the country today.”

 

The Museum will continue to work alongside visitors to develop the Gallery.

Visitors'  feedback, and the insights of people from many different backgrounds, will fuel discussions about the way Oriel 1 and the Museum present Wales through its collections in the future.

 

Visitors will also be able to view the history of Principality Building Society in pictures. The sponsors have created a special exhibition taking people back to the establishment of the Society in Cardiff in 1860 through to modern times. The Welsh building society is encouraging members of the public to get in touch if they, or their family, hold a part of Principality history – whether it’s an old passbook, a savings certificate or even an old biro – as it prepares for its 150th birthday celebrations in 2010.

 

Peter Griffiths, Chief Executive of Principality Building Society said: “Our sponsorship of this new gallery at St Fagans, which is a truly wonderful museum reflecting Welsh life through the ages, is an illustration of our commitment to Wales and its communities. We are proud to be involved in this project and to help the Museum bring Welsh history to life for future generations.”

 

Admission to Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales is free thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

 

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales operates seven national museums across Wales.  These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

 

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales celebrates its centenary in 2007.  For more details go to the 07 pages on our website – www.museumwales.ac.uk.

 

Ends

 

For further information, photographs or interview opportunities, please contact Catrin Mears, Communications Officer, on 029 2057 3486 / 07920 027067 / email catrin.mears@museumwales.ac.uk.

 

or

 

Llio Penri, Public Relations Co-ordinator, Principality Building Society on 029 2077 3208 / 07836 713343 / llio.penri@principality.co.uk.

 

Notes to Editors:

·         First Look at Oriel 1 - a launch event will be held at St Fagans: NationalHistoryMuseum at 12:30pmon29 March 2007 to thank the different groups who have been involved in the creation of Oriel 1. Format of the day:

11:00am          Press Preview of Oriel 1

12:00pm          Dawnswyr Caerdydd performing traditional Welsh folk dancing

12:30pm          Light refreshments and BBC DJ Huw Stephens playing songs from the juke box which is part of the new Gallery

1:00pm            Welcome and introduction to Oriel 1

1:20pm            Children from multi-ethnic school Ninian Park Primary will perform a combination of Indian and Welsh music and dancing

·         PrincipalityBuilding Society - Wales’ biggest building society - is the main sponsor of Oriel 1, St Fagans: NationalHistoryMuseum’s latest attraction. By investing in this new gallery, which was created in partnership with local groups, schools, authors, artists and poets, Principality Building Society is honouring its longstanding commitment to supporting the communities of Wales.

Formed in 1860, Principality Building Society now has 50 branches across the country and over 420,000 members.

For further information, please visit www.principality.co.uk.

·         WESTCO flooring, suppliers of real wood and laminate floors, are proud to sponsor a series of activity booklets for families to use in Oriel 1 and the wider museum site at St Fagans.