Dawn Bowden MS, Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
The Cultural Transformation Capital Programme aims to support public libraries, local museums and archive services to transform service delivery, modernise their facilities and improve their offer to people and communities. The programme is a further investment in local cultural sectors.
The programme was launched in 2010 and initially only available to libraries. It was extended to include museums and archives in 2017 – since then more than £9m has been provided, helping to transform these vital services. The programme focuses on improving access, partnership working, decarbonisation, and the development of more sustainable services.
The 2023-24 cycle will support eight projects – four museums and four libraries – with an additional two awards to be made, pending clarification and further information. The value of this year’s programme is just over £1.7m.
From transforming spaces to be better used by their communities, enabling greater access and participation and supporting the health and well-being of users, to preserving collections for future generations, the programme is a vital lifeline to these organisations and their communities. Each of the projects aligns with and supports the delivery of the well-being goals enshrined in the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, our commitments in the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan and a Net Zero Wales.
Narberth Library is one of the projects to benefit – the grant will contribute to a significant regeneration programme to transform the Narberth Old School, a building that has been empty for over a decade, into a multi-use facility. The library will be 58% larger than the current facility, in a more visible, central, and accessible town centre location.
The Economy Minister has approved funding for Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery, in Merthyr Tydfil. This will fund an off-site storage space, specifically equipped to allow for the relocation of the museum’s art store and providing better public access to the collection.
Information on all projects funded through the recent grant window are available here: Transformation Capital Grants Programme: grants awarded 2022 to 2023 and 2024 to 2025