National Slate Museum secures £3.3m Welsh Government funding for major redevelopment
National Slate Museum secures £3.3m Welsh Government funding for major redevelopment
Subscribe to the Businessin Wales daily newsletter for FREE here.
The Welsh Government has announced a £3.3 million funding boost for the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, paving the way for a large-scale redevelopment that will enhance facilities, improve accessibility, and expand its cultural offering.
The investment, revealed today, includes £3 million in capital funding alongside a £300,000 Community Facilities Programme grant. This will contribute to the construction of a new café, Learning and Volunteering Centre, and Changing Places facilities, as well as the creation of a play area and upgraded shop. The latest funding brings the Welsh Government’s total contribution to the project to £5.8 million, following an earlier £2.5 million award.
The redevelopment will also deliver new exhibitions and interpretation areas, giving visitors more opportunities to explore the history of the Welsh slate industry, which was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2021. The site will continue to function as a “living museum”, offering training and opportunities for people from all backgrounds to learn and develop traditional heritage skills.
Although the museum has closed temporarily to allow conservation and renovation work to take place, Amgueddfa Cymru – the National Museum of Wales – is running an outreach programme in the region. This includes appearances at local attractions and community events, as well as ‘pop-up’ museums at the Quarry Hospital and Penrhyn Castle.
Culture Minister Jack Sargeant, who recently visited the site to meet Amgueddfa Cymru staff and view progress, said: “As Culture Minister and a proud north Walian, it’s been an ideal summer for me – visiting one exciting development or event in the Gogledd after another. The almost-finished, new-look Theatr Clwyd; the National Slate Museum at the beginning of its own transformation journey; the Maes of the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham where I joined tens of thousands of other visitors to celebrate all things Cymraeg and was updated on the progress of the new Football Museum for Wales within Wrexham Museum.
We have increased day-to-day spend on culture by 8.5% this year and tripled investment in venues and sites compared to a decade ago. But our spend on culture goes far beyond this – it is woven into budgets across Welsh Government.
Our investment in the National Slate Museum today is an excellent example of how this works in practice with £5.5 million from my department’s budget combined with community regeneration funding to ensure the redeveloped museum offers a world class experience for visitors to the slate landscape of north-west Wales – a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2021.”
The Minister added that over £230 million has been allocated this year to cultural programmes outside the Culture portfolio, across departments including education, local government, economy, health, the Welsh language, energy and social justice.
This wider cultural investment includes funding for initiatives such as the National Music Service, the Urdd, National and Llangollen Eisteddfodau, the summer reading challenge across Wales’ libraries, as well as support for the film, TV and live music sectors. High-profile events like Tafwyl and the year-long Richard Burton Centenary programme in 2025 are also among the beneficiaries.
The Welsh Government said the National Slate Museum redevelopment is designed to create a world-class visitor experience while preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of north-west Wales.
Want more from Businessin Wales? Why not follow us on our socials
Listen to the Businessin Wales podcast
