People in Caernarfon will now have access to hundreds of thousands of radio and television programs from the archives of BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales and S4C on their doorstep thanks to a new Clip Corner which is now open in Gwynedd Archives, Caernarfon. The Clip Corner has computer terminals in comfortable places where anyone can come and see and listen to the variety of programs available.
The Welsh Broadcast Archive is the first of its kind in the UK, tracing almost a century of broadcasting. It draws together material from the screen and sound collections of BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales, S4C and the National Library of Wales. By preserving, cataloging and digitizing this material and presenting it on a fully searchable website, the National Library of Wales is committed to making this extraordinary collection accessible to everyone.
The establishment of these Clip Corners will ensure that communities beyond the National Library itself in Aberystwyth will be able to see the entire archive in their local area. Engagement work has already begun with groups across Wales, and the Clip Corners provide a space to work with community groups to explore and bring the archive to life.
As part of this project, a diverse collection of 1,500 clips will also be curated and made available for anyone to view online and on social media.
The Welsh Broadcasting Archive project was made possible through funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£4.7M), the Welsh Government (£1M) and the private funds of the National Library of Wales (£1M).
Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales said:
“Thank you to Gwynedd Council and Gwynedd Archives in Caernarfon for working together to create this new resource. We as a Library are dedicated to creating a closer link with the communities of Wales and to give people access to our collections in innovative ways. This Clip Corner will mean that we will build on the engagement work that has already been taking place with local groups in Gwynedd in order to bring people closer to their radio and television heritage.”
Andrew White, Director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales, said:
“Broadcasting has played an important role in documenting the history of modern Wales – from heartbreaking news reports from the scene of the Aberfan disaster; to inspirational lectures such as Tynged yr Iaith by Saunders Lewis, S4C’s first broadcast in 1982 and the successes and lows of the Welsh football team at the Euros in 2016 and the World Cup in 2022.
“It has also enabled us to look back and learn about our heritage through programs such as The Dragon Has Two Tongues: A History of the Welsh in 1985 and has put Wales on the map with popular series such as Doctor Who, Keeping Faith and Hinterland .
“It is our privilege to support this important and progressive project which will protect and share the broadcasting heritage of Wales so that today’s and future generations can appreciate, enjoy and learn from it for years to come.”
