00:00Big Pit, the National Museum in Cardiff, the Waterfront Museum in Swansea, the National
00:06Wall Museum, National Slate Museum and the Roman Legion Museum all play a massive role
00:11in Wales' cultural landscape and give us an insight into Wales' past.
00:16They're popular for tourists and for locals and teach us about how diverse and dynamic
00:20Wales' history has been, from the Romans in Cilean to the miners here in Blenavon, but
00:25there are concerns that these museums may not be here in the future.
00:29The Welsh Government have said that they fully support the museums, but that funding
00:33from Westminster is as much as £700 million less in real terms than last period, so harsh
00:39cuts will have to come.
00:42A number of staff at museums all across the country have already been made redundant,
00:45but there is a real risk that more jobs and possibly the museums themselves' days are
00:51numbered.
00:52Just before the summer recess, members of the Senate discussed the future of museums
00:55in Wales after a petition was tabled to increase, not cut, spending on the national museums.
01:02But it is notable that there is very significant support from the people of Wales for our national
01:08institutions, iconic arts, music organisations and education programmes of Wales.
01:16They are indeed the backbone of our nation and the beating heart of our international
01:20reputation as land of song, of poetry and culture, in short, brand Wales.
01:28Culture and the arts are essential to our well-being and valuable in their own right
01:34as uniquely irreplaceable human activities.
01:38That is why protecting access to our cultural national bodies is so important.
01:45The Welsh Heritage Group has said that it would be impossible to see an operational
01:49future for the Royal Commission following such a severe cut.
01:54The genial former chief librarian at the National Library of Wales has said quite firmly and
02:01strongly why is the Welsh Government at war with culture?
02:05The Scottish Government is already well aware of this fact and have tailored their policy
02:11to reflect this reality.
02:14As has been said by other Senate members today, our national museums, our national library
02:18and the Royal Commission are the gatekeepers of our national collections and our national
02:23memory.
02:24But they not only safeguard the collections for future generations, but also bring the
02:29collections to life in the here and now.
02:32And crucially, they make them relevant and relatable to more people than ever before
02:37through fantastic outreach and education work.
02:41The Welsh Government has said that in order to help the NHS and transport all across Wales,
02:46then the difficult cuts to museum and arts funding is necessary.
02:50What this truly means is unsure at the moment, but the risk is real.
02:54Will our museums be here in years to come?
02:57Only time will tell.
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