Amgueddfeydd, Arddangosfeydd a Digwyddiadau

"Lewis! Peidiwch â chyffwrdd ag unrhyw beth a byddwch yn dawel!" Dyma oedd geiriau fy athro hanes, Mr Davies, wrth i fws Ysgol Gyfun Cynffig gyrraedd Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd yn hydref 1966.

Pum-deg-tri mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, ac ers cael fy mhenodi’n Llywydd Amgueddfa Cymru yn gynharach eleni, rwyf wedi cadw cyngor Mr Davies mewn cof wrth i mi gyfarfod a siarad â’r timau gwych o staff a gwirfoddolwyr o gwmpas ein wyth lleoliad. Rwyf hefyd wedi clywed gan Ymddiriedolwyr, Noddwyr, cefnogwyr, gweinidogion a gweision sifil a rhai o’n miliynau o ymwelwyr.

Wrth siarad â phawb dros y chwe mis diwethaf, rwyf wedi profi eu hangerdd ac ymroddiad eithriadol dros waith Amgueddfa Cymru. Ac mae pawb, wrth gwrs, mor falch o gyflawniadau arbennig Amgueddfa Cymru, yn enwedig wrth i Sain Ffagan ennill y gwobr fawreddog Amgueddfa’r Flwyddyn fel y gwnaeth Big Pit yn 2005.

Mae bron i 1.9 miliwn o bobl wedi ymweld â’n saith amgueddfa dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Heb os, eiddo pobl Cymru yw ein hamgueddfeydd cenedlaethol, a diolch i Lywodraeth Cymru, mae mynediad am ddim i bob un ohonynt.

Yn ogystal, mae cefnogaeth ein Noddwyr a sefydliadau a chefnogwyr amrywiol wedi ein galluogi ni i greu cyfuniad cyfoethog o ddigwyddiadau ac arddangosfeydd, ac i brynu amrywiaeth eang o bethau hynod newydd i’r casgliadau cenedlaethol.

Rydym wedi ymrwymo i egwyddorion democratiaeth ddiwylliannol a chynhwysiad cymdeithasol. Ein nod yw ymgysylltu â chymaint o gymunedau amrywiol â phosibl, o bob cwr o Gymru, yn arbennig y rhai sydd o dan anfantais. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i wneud gwahaniaeth cadarnhaol i les pobl, a sicrhau dyfodol i’r cenedlaethau sydd i ddod yng Nghymru.

Mae ein hymrwymiad i ymdrin â’r argyfwng hinsawdd, yn seiliedig ar ein mewnwelediad gwyddonol arbennig, yn hanfodol i ni i gyd. Wrth ymgymryd â’r gwaith hwn, mae rhaglen ymchwil gadarn ac ystyriol yn llywio ein gwaith.

Mae ein gorwelion yn ymestyn tu hwnt i Gymru. Rydym yn benderfynol o wneud cyfraniad deinamig i Gymru ar draws y byd, gan chwarae ein rhan wrth greu gwlad ffyniannus i bawb.

Fel rhywun sydd wedi manteisio ar y syniad fod addysg yn hawl nid yn fraint, ac fel mab i rieni a adawodd yr ysgol yn 14 oed, teimlaf fod ymrwymiad Amgueddfa Cymru i addysg yn syfrdanol. Mae dros 200,000 o blant ysgol a myfyrwyr wedi ymweld â’n hamgueddfeydd yn 2018/19. Ni yw darparwr addysg tu allan i’r ystafell ddosbarth mwyaf Cymru – mae hyn yn eithriadol.

Heb os nac oni bai, byddai Mr Davies yn llawn edmygedd o Amgueddfa Cymru heddiw, a’n bwriad o gael gwared ar gymaint o rwystrau â phosibl, er mwyn i fwy fyth o bobl ymgolli mewn yr orielau a gofodau ysbrydoledig sy’n tanio’r dychymyg. Creadigrwydd a fydd yn cyffwrdd â’n calonnau a’n meddyliau ni i gyd.

Rydym nawr yn dechrau ar gynllun 10 mlynedd i symud ein Hamgueddfeydd ymlaen ymhellach fyth, i groesawu mwy fyth o ymwelwyr, cynnwys mwy fyth o bobl a bod yn fentrus yn ein huchelgais i ysbrydoli pobl a newid bywydau. Mae ein hawydd i ddathlu’r gorau o Gymru mewn amryw ddisgyblaethau yn ein hysbrydoli ni i gyd. Edrychaf ymlaen i weld beth ddaw dros y ddegawd nesaf.

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Hapus Iach a Heddychlon i chi gyd.

Roger Lewis

Llywydd Amgueddfa Cymru

One of the things I love about working at National Museum Cardiff (apart from the wonderful collections and exhibitions of course!) is taking a wander in the Museum gift shop. At the moment I am spoilt for choice as there is an extra shop for the Dippy exhibition filled with dino delights!

I’ve had a look at the goodies on offer at the moment, so sit back, relax and enjoy my top seven gift ideas.

1) Meet the Artists 3D Paper Folding Figures (£8.50)

These are so cute and fun, what an interesting stocking filler!

It’s the gift that keeps on giving as you have the fun of crafting your own mini artist and then can enjoy your handiwork.

2) Dippy: the tale of a museum icon (£6.99)

A really interesting little book, perfect for any dinosaur fan!

https://museum.wales/shop/item/3397/Dippy-the-tale-of-a-museum-icon/

3) Materia Rica Flower Necklace and Earrings (£28 and £20)

This earring and necklace set caught my eye because I’ve never seen anything like it.

I love the floral theme and the colours really stand out.

4) Fruits of Nature Original Remedies Bath Essence (£14.99)

A bath is the perfect way to relax after a busy day and to keep warm in this cold weather.

Whether you’d like to treat yourself or a friend, you can’t go wrong with a bit of bubble bath!

5) T-Rex Travel Mug (£8.99)

Do your bit for the environment and give the gift of this eco-friendly dinosaur-themed travel mug.

https://museum.wales/shop/item/3372/T-Rex-Travel-Mug/

6) Make Your Own Pteranodon (£12.99)

Another crafty option for someone creative, you get to assemble this fun automaton and can paint it any colour you like!

https://museum.wales/shop/item/3371/Make-Your-Own-Pteranodon-Wooden-Automata-Series-/

7) Special Edition ‘Martin Parr in Wales’ Set (£300)

Bear with me, but if you have a little money to spare this is a fantastic gift for someone who loves photography! This is a unique opportunity to own a signed, limited edition print by one of the most influential photographers around - snap this up before they sell out! 

https://museum.wales/shop/item/3391/Martin-Parr-in-Wales---Special-edition/

And if you love the idea but don’t have as much spare, you can pick up the book ‘Martin Parr in Wales’ for just £19.99: https://museum.wales/shop/item/3367/Martin-Parr-in-Wales/

So that’s my top seven from National Museum Cardiff, though there are many more gift ideas to be found in our shops across Amguedddfa Cymru. Please do check out our online shop too: https://museum.wales/shop/

Nadolig Llawen! | Merry Christmas!

Hello humans! Uri Guide Dog here. I haven't written my dog blog for some time but that does not mean I haven't been visiting my favourite museums. In fact I have been to several special exhibitions at National Museum Cardiff.

One of them was full of live snakes in glass cages as well as skeletons and pieces of art from the museum's collection. Mum got a chance to take part in a special audio described handling session with the live snakes – yikes – but I took the opportunity to take one of the lovely members of staff for a little walk around the block and a bit of fresh air. Apparently the snakes wrapped themselves around mum’s arms and I don't think that was very sensible, but I’m glad I wasn’t there to see it!

We also attended the David Nash exhibition which was very interesting, particularly seeing the humans using some very doggy techniques when investigating the large chunks of wood scattered all around the large rooms. The group had special permission from the artist to touch some of the sculptures but they also stooped and sniffed as the wood all had different smells. I was a bit confused why there appeared to be full-size trees in the middle of the museum! Mum kept me well away in case I mistook them for indoor dog facilities.

We have visited St Fagans a couple of times too, including a tour of the farm and the animals. We saw some sheep being sheared which didn't look very comfortable to be honest, and I was a bit wary when mum tried to pet a cow.

I am looking forward to the next Audio Description tour on 12 December when we get to officially meet Dippy the dinosaur!

For more information on Audio Description tours at National Museum Cardiff, call (029) 2057 3240.

With light and warm days of Summer being now a sweet memory we invite Autumn in with all its glory and grandeur. The leaves of the trees turning gold, orange and red create a feeling of warmth within comforting us and adapting our minds to the colder months ahead.

This year has been particularly different to me. I have been spending more days outdoors working in the garden, going for walks and being close to nature. This lifestyle change has been so beneficial both physically and mentally that I now welcome Autumn with different eyes. I remember when I used to dread this time of the year and would close myself into my cocoon thinking why don’t humans hibernate? But Autumn has so much to offer if we only challenge ourselves to spend more time in contact with nature.

The crispness of the air, the fallen leaves on the floor, the golden hues of the trees and the soft and delicate light can be only appreciated if we venture ourselves out of our comfort zones.

St Fagans Museum is a wonderful place to visit at this time of the year. The magnificent variety of trees changing colour and creating a crunchy carpet of leaves is the perfect invitation for a long walk.

There is one garden located on the terraced path near the ponds that was specifically designed with Autumn colours in mind. There you can find the bright red Euonymus alatus known as “Winged Spindle” or “Burning Bush”, the oriental Acer palmatum, the beautiful red berries of the Cotoneaster horizontalis and other amazing varieties in a beautiful display of colour. This garden is embraced by the gigantic Fern-leaved Beech (Fagus salvatica ‘Aspleniiflora’) one of the oldest trees planted in the Museum dating back to 1872.

If you enjoy gardening there are plenty of tasks that will keep you warm and busy at this time of the year. The joys of planting bulbs with great expectations for Spring or the meditative task of sweeping leaves and gathering them to make leaf mould. Also the perfect time for planting trees as they will have plenty of moisture available to get established.

So wrap up warm, get your wellies or winter boots on and explore the wonderful natural sites that bless the Welsh land.

In the mid-1960s Play School was one of the few programmes available for pre-school children.  In the middle of every show, you were transported through one of three windows, leaving the studio for somewhere exciting in the real world. I loved the programme and remember watching it at home on our rented black and white television. One day they showed us the Natural History Museum in London and the huge skeleton of an extinct creature – a Diplodocus.  This was the first time I had ever heard of fossils or dinosaurs, and I was amazed by what I was seeing.

A year or two later, my parents took me on a trip to London and the one thing I wanted to see was the Diplodocus.  Dippy did not disappoint and I spent all my pocket money on two postcards to stick into my scrapbook.

Fifty years on those old postcards are reunited with Dippy in Cardiff.  I wish I could say that seeing Dippy inspired me to become a palaeontologist, but back then I had no idea that was even possible. However, my visit did spark a lifelong interest in the natural world which led to me eventually becoming a palaeontologist at Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales.  I work on fossil bryozoans, small colonial marine animals – less obviously spectacular than dinosaurs but (I think) equally as fascinating.   Even so, I will always have an affection for Dippy.

Dr Caroline Buttler

Head of Palaeontology