2016-2021
1 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES 2 The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (referred to as the Act ) is about improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales. Through the Act we are asked to think more about the long-term, work better with people and communities and each other, look to prevent problems and take a more joined-up approach. This will help us, Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales, along with the other public bodies across Wales, to work in a more cohesive way to create a nation that we all want to live in, now and in the future. The Act puts in place seven well-being goals. This statement sets out how we will contribute to them, responding to the duties on Welsh Government Sponsored Bodies named in the Act. It also explains how our well-being objectives were developed and the initial steps we will take to deliver them. Inspiring people, changing lives Our Vision, Inspiring People, Changing Lives, was developed within the framework of the emerging Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and informed through engagement and consultation with staff, volunteers and stakeholders. Through this, we seek to inspire people through our museums and collections to find a sense of well-being and identity, to discover, enjoy and learn bilingually, and to understand Wales s place in the wider world. We have set out five commitment areas where we can make the most significant difference to the people of Wales over the decade ahead, and in which we are committed to focusing our work towards achieving our Vision and to contributing to the seven Well-being goals. These are: Making a difference to Wales Changing lives by working with local and national organisations to create a happier, healthier and more sustainable Wales, with access to culture for all, and a thriving economy. Museum Experience Visitors experience high quality museums, exhibitions, and public spaces for enjoyment and learning. Digital Experience Users experience a connected and accessible digital museum for engagement, creativity and learning. Learning and Creativity Everyone will have a wealth of opportunity to learn, research and create. Participation and Inclusion Individuals, families and communities throughout Wales and beyond, shape and take part in inclusive and accessible cross-cultural activities for all.
3 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES 4 Our well-being objectives Our well-being objectives cover the period 2016-2021 in line with our Strategic Plan. The details of our well-being objectives are set out for each of our five Vision commitment areas in the following sections of this statement. For each of these, the well-being goal that each well-being objective makes the greatest contribution towards is highlighted. Taking an integrated approach to the well-being goals means, however, that most of the well-being objectives contribute to the delivery of multiple goals.
5 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES 6 Making a difference to Wales In support of the outcome Wales has a strong creative economy to deliver a prosperous Wales, we will: Develop Amgueddfa Cymru s role as a leader in the creative industries in Wales Work in partnership with key stakeholders to develop the creative economy in Wales In support of the outcome Wales develops a strong knowledge-based economy to deliver a prosperous Wales, we will: Develop a Research Strategy for Amgueddfa Cymru that enables us to achieve our Vision and respond to the changing knowledge-based context Enhance, develop and improve Amgueddfa Cymru s role in delivering research for impact Attract independent research funding Maintain our status as an Independent Research Organisation In support of the outcome Wales is a nation which maintains and enhances a biodiverse natural environment to deliver a resilient Wales, we will: Develop a geodiversity and biodiversity strategy, for Amgueddfa Cymru s contribution to a biodiverse natural environment and the natural sciences and promote public understanding of biodiversity and its role in healthy functioning ecosystems In support of the outcome Wales is a society in which health and well-being are improved to deliver a healthier Wales, we will: Develop and implement a bilingual health and well-being strategy which sets out Amgueddfa Cymru s contribution to this key national initiative and promotes public understanding of health and well-being through our public programmes and partnerships In support of the outcome Wales communities have a strong identity and cultural heritage to deliver a Wales of cohesive communities, we will: Develop bilingual opportunities for national museum experiences for people in Wales who don t currently have access to one Deliver our commitments to the Welsh Government s Culture and Poverty programme In support of the outcome The museums sector in Wales is sustainable, to deliver a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh Language, we will: Contribute to implementation of the recommendations of The Expert Review of Local Museum Provision in Wales 2015 Advocate for the museums sector in Wales, in partnership with the Welsh Museums Federation and the Museums Association A PROSPEROUS WALES A RESILIENT WALES A HEALTHIER WALES A WALES OF COHESIVE COMMUNITIES A WALES OF VIBRANT CULTURE AND THRIVING WELSH LANGUAGE
7 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES 8 Museum Experience In support of the outcome Wales national museums are must see destinations to deliver a prosperous Wales, we will: Develop and implement a bilingual strategy to transform the visitor experience and improve customer care standards In support of the outcome Wales national museums are well-maintained with modern facilities, to deliver a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh Language, we will: Develop new master plans for Amgueddfa Cymru museums In support of the outcome Our exhibitions and events inspire and engage, to deliver a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh Language, we will: Deliver a vibrant and sustainable exhibition and events programme for Wales Create high quality bilingual participative activities and opportunities in our museums, galleries, public spaces and online Create and implement a strategy for sustainable large scale public events at our museums Promote the work of Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales, at national events Play an active role in the masterplanning of the environs of our museums Improve the quality of Amgueddfa Cymru s catering and retail offer In support of the outcome Wales national museums redefine perceptions of museums, to deliver a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh Language, we will: Develop St Fagans to become an internationally renowned open air museum A PROSPEROUS WALES A WALES OF VIBRANT CULTURE AND THRIVING WELSH LANGUAGE A WALES OF VIBRANT CULTURE AND THRIVING WELSH LANGUAGE
9 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES 10 Digital Experience Learning and Creativity In support of the outcome Digital Users are attracted by an interactive and animated online experience, to deliver a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh Language, we will: Re-develop the Amgueddfa Cymru website in consultation with others and key stakeholders Develop partnerships and share information to enhance delivery of digital experiences Continue to develop and promote Peoples Collection Wales with partners In support of the outcome Digital Users find multiple pathways into our collections, to deliver a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh Language, we will: Develop and implement a new Amgueddfa Cymru Digital strategy Improve knowledge and skills through provocative and stimulating digital content In support of the outcome People in Wales have opportunities to develop skills through cultural learning to deliver a prosperous Wales, we will: Ensure key heritage skills are retained within Wales through a programme of training Expand volunteer development programmes across all museums Develop Amgueddfa Cymru as a hub for skills sharing programmes In support of the outcome Communities across Wales have opportunities for creative learning to deliver a Wales of cohesive communities, we will: Use partnerships to develop and shape bilingual public programmes for inspiration and creative learning In support of the outcome People in Wales have opportunities for creative and cultural learning, to deliver a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh Language, we will: Support and deliver the National Curriculum, the Welsh Baccalaureate and the Creative Learning Plan, through Amgueddfa Cymru s bilingual learning programme Continue to specialise in early years provision and pioneer how to introduce young children and families to museums Develop bilingual programmes for families, communities and individuals A WALES OF VIBRANT CULTURE AND THRIVING WELSH LANGUAGE A PROSPEROUS WALES A WALES OF COHESIVE COMMUNITIES A WALES OF VIBRANT CULTURE AND THRIVING WELSH LANGUAGE
11 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES 12 Participation and Inclusion Five ways of working In support of the outcome The skills, expertise and experience of communities shape the work of Amgueddfa Cymru to deliver a more equal Wales, we will: Place participatory ways of working at the heart of our decision making and embed the UN Rights of the Child in our work Develop and maintain key relationships with communities In support of the outcome Individuals and communities experience positive change in their lives through engagement with Amgueddfa Cymru to deliver a more equal Wales, we will: Develop partnerships to deliver to national agendas and achieve positive change for individuals in communities Develop systems to measure the impacts of cultural participation through research and evaluation with partners As an organization, we will strive to deliver our outcomes through the five ways of working in the Act: Long term Our well-being objectives are focused on delivering our long-term Vision Inspiring People, Changing Lives. Prevention Our well-being objectives have been designed to prevent problems from occurring or getting worse within our Vision commitment areas. Integration Our well-being objectives relate to each other and are our strategic objectives for delivering our Vision Inspiring People, Changing Lives. Collaboration Collaboration will be a key feature of the delivery of our well-being objectives. Involvement We have a community of some 1.7m visitors and 1.6m digital visitors. This, aligned to our commitment of participation and inclusion, will enable many people to engage with us in the delivery of our well-being objectives. We have already identified key areas of best practice in our work (see case studies in Annex) and we will pilot different ways of embedding the five ways of working as part of the Paul Hamlyn-funded More and Better initiative. A MORE EQUAL WALES
13 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES 14 Delivery Delivery against our strategic and well-being objectives will be embedded through our usual governance processes via our Planning Framework and achieved through our annual Operational Plans. These will be monitored against in-year milestones by our Board of Trustees and Welsh Government and reported on annually. Annex Five ways of working Case Studies - My Primary School is at the Museum - Youth Forums - Our Museum
15 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES My Primary School is at the Museum While the prospect of moving a class to the Museum for five weeks seemed quite a challenging one at first, it has actually been seamless and the children have clearly benefitted from the wealth of experiences offered to them. I have no doubt it will be something which the children will remember forever. Head Teacher, Russell Dwyer My Primary School is at the Museum is an action research project in partnership with King s College London s Cultural Institute. Two Foundation Phase Classes from St Thomas Primary School were based at the National Waterfront Museum for the majority of the spring and summer terms in 2016. Work and lesson plans were developed collaboratively between museum staff and teachers. Dedicated family days were also an integral part of the project and allowed for the sharing of the children s work with their families. The aim was to test the hypothesis that there could be beneficial outcomes for primary school children and their families if their education was delivered in a museum. There were far reaching results, demonstrating a significant change in the pupils ability to discuss their own learning, their aspiration and interest in learning, and an improvement in their oracy skills. Parents also felt more confident about their children s learning and more able to discuss experiences in the home. St Thomas Primary and the National Waterfront Museum have developed long-term plans for embedding this method of working. This initiative offers an example of the new curriculum for Wales in action, integrating cultural based residencies to support the learning and development of pupils and their families.
17 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES Youth Forums The future is uncertain but the choices over what we individually choose to curate will shape the perceptions of our culture in the museum displays of the future. Youth Forum member at National Museum Cardiff We have established Youth Forums at each national museum. Through the forums young people, aged between 14 and 18 years old, get involved in the work of the Museum. The aims are to: Encourage young people to be partners in decision-making and project work Explore the views of young people and address issues they think are important to them and to the Museum Provide training and work experience, social and emotional development, and the development of new and existing skills (including literacy, numeracy and creativity) Increase inclusion and provide opportunities for young people experiencing disadvantage. The 33 members have worked on 8 exhibitions, shaped and delivered 12 public programmes, written and designed 5 trails and booklets and built an Iron Age oven! Long-term collaborations with the School Youth Service providers and Llamau, a homeless charity working with young people, means that the work of the forum does not occur in isolation, but is part of the wider provision for the young people involved.
19 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES Our Museum The Our Museum model shows a big difference to how Public Sector bodies normally try to engage with us, but this seems to be more inclusive and gives us more say. Arthur Beechey, Agoriad Cyf during the workshop event at the National Slate Museum. In 2011 we had under 80 volunteers and most fitted into a traditional demographic: Caucasian, middle aged, retired, well-educated and female. Long-term active collaboration with third and public sector partners has over the past six years diversified and broadened the volunteer base and has substantially increased the numbers volunteering, to approximately 800 people. Formal partnership agreements with: the Wallich, Diverse Cymru, the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Volunteer Cardiff Services, Quest Support, New-Link Wales and others provided opportunities for strategic joint-planning across organizations. This changed our recruitment methods and allowed partners to shape and deliver key learning and development schemes to staff e.g. in supporting vulnerable volunteers with diverse needs. Accessible volunteering opportunities were jointly developed and are now established as part of our core offer. These focus on meeting the needs of volunteers rather than organizational needs, supporting them to develop their aspirations, skills and confidence to seek new life opportunities including further education and routes back to employment. This collaboration was part of the Our Museum initiative supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and has been cited as an example of best practice in action. Amguedfa Cymru has also achieved Investors in Volunteers, the national award for best practice in volunteering.
21 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES Museums For more information about our work in this area please e-mail vision@museumwales.ac.uk Published by Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales in 2017. This document is also available on our website www.museum.wales All Papers are environmentally friendly - ECF pulp, FSC certified, and EU Eco label. Green Star rating: 4 Printed by Forrest Print, Unit 4, Ash Court, Viking Way, Swansea, SA1 7DA