Cardiff museum surviving each week is a miracle due to repairs needed, boss says

The survival of National Museum Cardiff each week is a "mini miracle" due to the amount of repair work needed, its boss says.

Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales chief executive Jane Richardson said while no final decision had been made, a prolonged closure was a realistic option, after rumours the site would close for four years for repairs.

The former Welsh Conservative group leader Andrew RT Davies described the situation as "unacceptable", blaming the museum for spending on "decolonising" projects.

The Welsh government said it had allocated up to £4.8m to "support the most urgent improvement works and help protect our nation's national collections" and was in talks about future requirements.

Richardson told BBC Wales they needed to consider the most efficient and cost-effective way to carry out renovation work.

"The project we have got to do here is massive and it is about every single corner and part of the museum", said Richardson, who took the reins at Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales in 2023.

Richardson did not rule out a four-year closure but said no final decision had been made.

"It's too soon to say what the preferred option is, it has to be a very realistic option because it is every single wall, every ceiling, every space of the museum needs doing, and we will be looking for investment and we'll be looking for public money to support this work," she said.

"So we have to be really responsible with the money that we're given so we need to work out which is the most efficient way to deliver a project on that scale."

Davies admitted it was a "miracle" the museum was surviving each week.

"While Plaid Cymru separatists insisted millions should be wasted on decolonising museums, building maintenance was ignored," he added.

Davies said the upkeep of the building should have been the priority instead.

A Freedom of Information request in October 2023 revealed that the museum had spent £399,946.41 on decolonising, but this figure related to work on the collections only.

The museum said its work on decolonising its collection was funded through revenue income, not capital.

A spokesperson said the museum believed "culture and heritage in Wales should reflect the lives and experiences of all its citizens and be accessible to all".

They added: "Our role is to present a range of perspectives and experiences to allow people to create a better understanding of the past, its impact on the present and how it can help us shape our futures together."

The organisation holds more than 5.3 million objects in collections across its estate, including 40,000 artworks.

The current maintenance backlog at the National Museum Cardiff is about £42.6m, of which about £13m is for repairs labelled as urgently needed.

"There hasn't been the money available to keep on top of building of this age," said Richardson, adding that money had to be spread across Museum Wales' seven sites and collection centre.

The building had to temporarily close for a few days in February last year because "immediate maintenance work" was needed.

"The building is failing, continuing to fail," she said.

"That is part of the consideration of how soon we want to do this project, we can't afford to wait years."

Meanwhile another site the organisation manages, The National Slate Museum in Llanberis, Gwynedd, closed in 2024 for a £21m redevelopment. It is due to be open in 2028.

Richardson said if the National Museum also closed, culture in Wales would not suffer as a result.

"Culture isn't about what you keep inside four walls, culture is a living dynamic thing," she said.

"What's important about this museum is the amazing collection... it doesn't have to be all about these four walls so we can take that collection out and about."

In Llanberis staff have created a "museum on the move", operating out of three other sites in partnership with organisations, while also taking parts of the collection to events.

A business case is due to be presented to the Welsh government in the autumn but the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents 188 employees, said its main concern was job security.

The PCS said its members want guarantees there will be no compulsory redundancies after rumours about the site's closure.

"Our members tell us time and again that the biggest concern is the uncertainty," Sian Boyles from the union said.

"They don't know if the museum is closing, they don't know how long the museum is going to be closed for, they don't know what that means.

"Will they have a job to come back to?"

The PCS said it had not yet seen any details on the proposals.

Richardson said there were "lots of options" being considered including new roles as a result of the ongoing work, and that "staff will always be the first to hear what's going to happen".

The Welsh government said: "The maintenance backlog at National Museum Cardiff shows the critical situation this government has inherited with regards to Wales' cultural assets.

"Any decisions about National Museum Cardiff can only be made once a full and robust business case has been developed by Amgueddfa Cymru, rigorously assessed and formally approved through the appropriate processes.

"This will ensure the proposals are deliverable, affordable and that all of the necessary funding is in place."