With the news that museum numbers have climbed to their highest since the pandemic, we’re taking a deep dive into the numbers, and looking at what the Welsh government are doing to help our museums, as they say that some may have to close in the future.
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00:00Museums are an incredibly important part of people's lives, they're fun, educational and helps you understand more about everything that that museum shows you.
00:11Wales is lucky to have some amazing museums and some of the best ones are free.
00:16National Museum Wales Amgueddfa Cymru is owned and operated by the Welsh Government and includes St Fagans,
00:23the National Museum in Cardiff, the Roman Legion Museum here in Killian, Big Pit, the National Slate Museum,
00:29National War Museum and Swansea's Waterfront Museum.
00:32They're all unique, offer a different insight into aspects of Welsh life and history and teaches thousands of people every year.
00:40Of course, just a few years ago, they all closed their doors through Covid and it's been a real struggle for the museums,
00:46like many other places, to claw those visitors numbers back up to where they once were.
00:52Still in 2024, they're not quite there, but National Museum Wales recently said that annual visitor numbers hit more than a million and a half for the first time since before the pandemic.
01:02As promising as that sounds, because it is promising, it certainly is not the full picture and the Welsh Government have warned that they may be forced to close some museums in the future due to funding issues relating to budget cuts.
01:14Of course, frontline services like the NHS and education needs that funding, but many people have argued that museums are an essential part of people's lives.
01:23Without them, much of our nation's history could be lost to time.
01:27Roman history in Wales by and large comes through here in Killian and this museum is an integral part of telling that story.
01:34If we didn't have the museum and the baths closed by, it would be easy to lose such a massively consequential and fascinating chapter in our nation's history.
01:43Without Big Pit, for example, in Torfaen, it could be easy to forget just how important coal has been to Wales.
01:49Clearly not that simple, though, and many within the Welsh Government will be scratching their heads at what to do and whether something can be done to help save our museums.