A major investment of over £8.94million to strengthen Wales iconic museums, archives, libraries and cultural institutions has been announced, to grow and bolster the nation’s “essential” cultural foundations.

The Welsh Government has already increased its spend for the broader culture sector by 8.5% this year and tripled investment in venues and sites compared to a decade ago.

Today’s announcement builds upon £11million in capital grants already awarded over the past six months since launching its Priorities for Culture, alongside targeted initiatives supporting young people's access to cultural experiences.

The investment includes:

  • £1.9million for 15 projects that will help build capacity in local museums, archives and library services through additional specialist expertise including curators, librarians and archivists. Projects receiving funding will ensure improvements to public access, digitise local history collections and use technology and outreach to deepen community engagement.
  • £250,000 for the renowned National Botanic Garden of Wales to support a range of projects to improve sustainability and the visitor experience, including support to restore the Great Glass House and its collections.

A further £2.5million for the creative sector was also announced recently, building on the creative-specific British-Irish Council Summit held at the same time.

Minister for Culture, Jack Sargeant, said:“This is another significant investment in Welsh cultural institutions and reaffirms my belief that our museums, archives and libraries are not optional extras but essential cultural foundations. These projects will not only improve access to museums, archives and libraries but will foster collaboration, preserve local history and strengthen engagement, learning and participation across communities.

“This £8.94million investment will provides vital capacity for a sector that has been clear about the pressures it faces, whilst giving the support required to deliver our shared priorities and ambitions within the Priorities for Culture."

The support for local museums, archives and libraries services will also include a further £900,000 in grant funding, available for allocation until autumn 2026.