Editor£3m Welsh Government fund to boost museums, libraries and archives across South West Wales
The investment, part of the Priorities for Culture Capital Grant Scheme, is designed to make cultural spaces more accessible, sustainable and welcoming. Culture Minister Jack Sargeant said the aim was to protect “vital community assets” and ensure they continue to serve as visitor attractions, learning hubs and wellbeing spaces.
Swansea: lighting up the city’s heritage
Swansea Museum(Image: Swansea Museum)
In Swansea, the city’s oldest museum will be literally brighter. Swansea Museum is receiving funding for its Illuminate project, which will replace outdated lighting in the History Gallery and temporary exhibition space with modern, energy‑efficient systems. Swansea University’s cultural collections will also benefit, with new environmental monitoring and accessibility improvements to safeguard rare items and open them up to more visitors.
Neath Port Talbot: greener libraries
Baglan Library(Image: Stephen Kinnock MP)
In Neath Port Talbot, Baglan Library will undergo building improvements with new front windows to boost energy efficiency and create a more comfortable space for readers and community groups.
Bridgend: preserving and delivering culture
Porthcawl Museum will use its grant to conserve artefacts and refresh exhibitions, working alongside Glamorgan Archives. Meanwhile, the Awen Cultural Trust, which runs libraries across Bridgend county, will make its Books on Wheels service more sustainable by switching to a zero‑emission electric vehicle to deliver books to housebound residents.
Porthcawl Museum(Image: Porthcawl Museum)
Carmarthenshire: archives and museums reimagined
Carmarthenshire is seeing some of the most ambitious projects. Carmarthenshire Archives will create a new exhibition space to bring hidden collections into public view. At Carmarthenshire Museum, two projects will improve both physical and digital access: new interpretation and lighting in galleries, and a revamp of the CofGar website to make collections easier to explore online.
At Dinefwr’s Newton House, run by the National Trust, visitors will benefit from new lifts, braille interpretation and audio‑visual guides, ensuring the historic site is accessible to all.
Carmarthenshire Archives(Image: Carmarthenshire Council)
Pembrokeshire: Tenby’s new chapter
In Pembrokeshire, Tenby Museum & Art Gallery will transform a storage area into a new public gallery, creating space for fresh interpretation and exhibitions.
Tenby Museum and Art Gallery(Image: Peter Broster / CC BY-SA 4.0)
A wider vision for culture
The Welsh Government says the £3m is just the first wave of investment, with a further £2.5m available for bids over the next year and £15m in total to be distributed by March 2026.
The Priorities for Culture strategy emphasises that culture is not just about heritage, but about regeneration, inclusivity and wellbeing. From greener libraries to more accessible museums, the projects in South West Wales reflect that ambition.
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