The National Library of Wales Launches a New Clip Corner in Wrexham and the People’s Collection Wales Ambassador Programme
In a special event on Friday 20 March, the National Library of Wales will open a Clip Corner in Wrexham Library and the People’s Collection Wales Ambassador Programme will be launched. The two announcements will be the culmination of an afternoon of activities celebrating Wrexham’s rich cultural heritage, which will include music, talks and workshops about local history.
Opening the Clip Corner means that the people of Wrexham and the local area will have access to almost half a million radio and television programmes from the archives of BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Wales and S4C. This is the 15th location to open across Wales as part of the wider Wales Broadcast Archive project, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Welsh Government. It includes 4 terminals in a comfortable space where anyone can search, watch and listen to over 100 years of the Wales’ broadcasting history.
The People’s Collection Wales is a national digital archive that preserves and shares the diverse histories of Wales. The Welsh People’s Collection Ambassador Programme will bring together a small group of individuals, community groups and organizations from across Wales who are committed to heritage and inclusive storytelling.
The initiative’s aim is to amplify the voices of individuals and communities, promote inclusive storytelling and broaden participation, particularly among underrepresented groups.
The ambassadors support the promotion of People’s Collection Wales within their networks through casual, light-touch engagement. In return, they receive recognition, access to training and events, and opportunities to connect within a wider heritage network.
During the afternoon in Wrexham Library, workshops on digitising and sharing collections with People’s Collection Wales and sessions to get to know the Wales Broadcast Archive will be held.
Talks will be presented by local speakers, including Huw Jones (Wrexham Miners’ Project), Nicola Sawford (Chief Executive of Stori Brymbo), and participants will enjoy live music by local musician Andy Hickie and the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir.
Rhian Gibson, Director of Communications and Engagement, The National Library of Wales said:
“The Library is delighted to provide access to the rich resources held in our care in all corners of Wales and that People’s Collection Wales continues to help people to share the history and heritage of their areas.
“Engaging with people in every town in Wales is a central pillar in our five-year engagement strategy, and having a presence in a busy and central location in Wrexham is an important part of making that goal a reality.
“We are very grateful to Wrexham Library for all of their collaboration and hope people will come to enjoy the resources and to watch some classics from broadcasting’s past.”
The Wales Broadcast Archive is the first of its kind in the UK. Spanning almost a century of broadcasting, it brings together material from BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales, S4C and the National Library of Wales screen and sound collections.
The National Library of Wales is committed to making this remarkable collection accessible to all. As well as preserving, cataloguing and digitising the material, the archive has been presented on a fully searchable website and can be accessed by visiting one of the Clip Corners located across Wales.
Establishing these Clip Corners ensures that communities beyond the National Library itself in Aberystwyth will be able to explore 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.
The Wales Broadcast Archive project was made possible by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (£4.7M), the Welsh Government (£1M) and The National Library of Wales’ private funds (£1M).
Links
Wales Broadcast Archive website
YouTube
People’s Collection Wales
