Press Releases

Tours a first for St Fagans and the British Deaf Association

St Fagans: National History Museum, together with the British Deaf Association, is offering British Sign Language (BSL) tours of the Museum with Deaf Guides – a first for museums in Wales.

This week (1-7 October 2007) the British Deaf Association is running a ‘Learn to Sign Week’ campaign throughout the United Kingdom to encourage the public to learn British Sign Language and St Fagans will be backing this initiative offering tours for the Deaf around the site.

“Held at 2 pm on 3 October and 1 pm on 6 October, the planned visit will include the Museum’s iconic Kennixton Farmhouse, Gwalia Stores and St Fagans’ latest attraction, Oriel 1 Gallery,” said Beth Thomas, the Museum’s Keeper of Social & Cultural History.

“As far as we know, no other museum in Wales offers tours using BSL and only a limited number of attractions in the UK provide this facility. We consider BSL to be one of Wales’s languages – as noted on our Wall of Languages at Oriel 1 – so if the tours are successful this month, it’s something we’d think about doing regularly.”

Entry to St Fagans – as all Amgueddfa Cymru sites – is free thanks to the Welsh Assembly Government but booking for the BSL tours is essential as places are limited. Please e-mail events officer Juli Paschalis to book your place: juli.paschalis@museumwales.ac.uk.

 

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

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For further information or interview opportunities, please contact Catrin Mears, Communications Officer on: (029) 2057 3486 or e-mail catrin.mears@museumwales.ac.uk.