Newtown Textile Museum will be joining museums from across the country for this year’s Welsh Museums Festival, which will be taking place from 27 October – 4 November.
The annual event is an opportunity for everyone who lives in Wales, or visiting over the half term, to explore some of the fantastic museums we have to offer.
As ever, this year’s event will have a varied programme to cater for all tastes, which include exhibitions, re-enactments and workshops, through to Halloween themed activities.
During the Festival, an exhibition at Newtown Textile Museum will allow people to explore how water was at the heart of the local woollen industry. New displays will capture how the river provided water for the fulling mills, whilst the canal transported materials to markets far and wide.
In collaboration with the River Severn Custodians, Open Newtown, Newtown Paddlers and a number of canal bodies an empty shop space next to Market Hall is being hired to extend the exhibition. It will present local waterways in their historical context, as well as explain their importance to current and future generations.
Janet Lewis of Newtown Textile Museum said: “We are always looking for new perspectives on an industry that was so central to Newtown’s rich heritage, and this exhibition not only explores how local waterways were integral to the success of the textile industry, but also emphasises the important role our waterways play in our lives today.
"By collaborating with other local organisations, and having a presence in the centre of town, the story of Newtown’s waterways, past and present, will reach a new audience.”
The Welsh Government’s Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Dafydd Elis-Thomas said,
“We are immensely fortunate in Wales to have such a wealth of museums that are filled with some incredibly interesting items.
"I very much see the Festival as an opportunity for museums to reach out to their local community and help people immerse themselves in their culture and heritage. Hopefully this will help inspire a new generation of people to learn more about our fascinating history.”
Victoria Rogers, President of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales added,
“The aim is to inspire visitors to learn more about some of the amazing arts and heritage stories on their doorstep through a variety of different experiences.
"With half term and Halloween coinciding with the festival it provides an opportunity to do something with all the family, so I’d urge you to check out what’s on in your local area and get exploring."
Visit https://newtowntextilemuseum.co.uk/ for more information on the week’s activities. For a full list of all events taking place as part of the the Welsh Museums Festival visit www.museums.wales.
