National Waterfront Museum 15 Anniversary Celebration
National Waterfront Museum turns 15 on 17th October 2020
On 17th October 2005, The National Waterfront Museum in Swansea welcomed its first visitors. 15 years on it has developed in some unexpected ways. While it continues to tell the story of Wales' industrial heritage and maintain and grow a national collection based around industry, it has also spread deep community roots. It is the UK's first Museum of Sanctuary, operates an award winning community gardening and food project called GRAFT, is a base for many of Swansea's community and historic activities, and runs a busy annual programme of events that draws people of all ages from across Wales and the world. Here's a look back at this museum's story, from birth.
Building the National Waterfront Museum
Blog: Fifteen years young: the first one-and-a-half decades of the National Waterfront Museum Swansea, by Steph Mastoris
For me and the rest of the staff at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea, it seems inconceivable that 15 years have passed since we welcomed our first visitors on the 17th of October 2005. Although in human terms being 15 is well on the way to being a ‘grown-up’, for everyone at the Waterfront Museum, we still feel very young, fresh and experimental.
A Celebration of 15 Objects for 15 Years 2005-2020
As part of our celebrations we have put together a small display of fifteen things that have been donated to the industry collections of Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales.
The GRAFT garden project
The GRAFT garden project is a collaborative project between 14-18 Now, lead artist Owen Griffiths and the National Waterfront Museum.