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26.07.2023
People in Carmarthen and the surrounding areas will now have access to hundreds of thousands of radio and television programmes from the archives of BBC Cymru Wales, S4C and ITV Wales on their doorstep thanks to a new Clip Corner that is now open at Carmarthen Library. The newly fitted Clip Corner has 4 computer terminals in a comfortable area where anybody can come and view and listen to the wealth of programmes available.
As part of this project, a diverse collection of 1,500 clips from the archive will be curated and made available for anyone to view online at home. The remainder of the collection will be available to be accessed through a series of Clip Corners that will be set up throughout Wales. The formation of these Clip Corners will ensure that communities beyond Aberystwyth will able to view the archive in their local area, and engagement work has already begun with groups such as Menter Dinefwr.
The Wales Broadcast Archive is the first of its kind in the UK, tracing almost a century of broadcasting, it brings together material from BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales, S4C and The National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive collections. By preserving, cataloguing and digitising this material and presenting them on a fully searchable website, The National Library of Wales is committed to making this remarkable collection accessible to all.
The Wales Broadcast Archive project was made possible by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (£4.7M), the Welsh Government (£1M) and The National Library of Wales' private funds (£1M).
Pedr ap Llwyd, National Library of Wales Chief Executive and Librarian said:
“It's a great pleasure to see this Clip Corner opening - the first of many across Wales which will bring this innovative national archive closer to the public. The Library thanks Carmarthenshire County Council for their willing cooperation in facilitating the creation of this space which will be a big step forward for us in providing access to our collections, promoting local engagement and empowering research
Councillor Alun Lenny, Cabinet Member for Resources, Carmarthenshire County Council said:
“We are delighted that the first of the Clip Corners is opening here at Carmarthen library. Following the extensive refurbishment of the library and the £2.4m Carmarthenshire archives extension to the building, this exciting facility is very welcome as it allows residents and visitors to explore online visual archives from the BBC, S4C and ITV covering 100 years of Welsh history. It will also increase footfall to the eastern end of King Street as it further develops into a cultural area in Carmarthen town.”
Andrew White, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said:
“Broadcasting has played a major role in documenting the history of modern Wales – from heart-breaking news reports from the scene the Aberfan disaster; to inspirational lectures like Saunders Lewis’ Tynged yr Iaith, S4C’s first broadcast in 1982 and the high and lows of Wales football team at the Euros in 2016 and the World Cup in 2022.
“It has also allowed us to look back and learn about our heritage through programmes such as The Dragon Has Two Tongues: A History of the Welsh in 1985 and has put Wales on the map with popular series such as Doctor Who, Keeping Faith and Hinterland.
“It is our privilege to support this important and ground-breaking project which will preserve and share the broadcast heritage of Wales so that today’s and future generations can appreciate, enjoy and learn from it for years to come.”
--ENDS--
**Mae’r datganiad hwn hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg **
The National Library of Wales Media Contact
Rhodri ap Dyfrig, Head of Marketing and Audiences
rhodri.apdyfrig@llyfrgell.cymru / 07855362206
NOTES FOR EDITORS
About the Wales Broadcast Archive
For more information, visit the website
About the National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales is a library for Wales and the world. Located in Aberystwyth, it is the home of the story of Wales.
Opened in 1907, the Library is the centre of research into the culture and heritage of Wales and the Celtic nations.
The purpose of the Library is to make our culture and heritage accessible for everyone to learn, research and enjoy.
We are a legal deposit library, which means we are entitled to a copy of every print publication in Britain and Ireland, but our collections also include the following
- 7,000,000 feet of film
- 250,000 hours of video
- 6,000,000 books and newspapers
- 40,000 manuscripts
- 1,500,000 maps
- 150,000 hours of sound
- 950,000 photographs
- 60,000 works of art
- 1,900 cubic meters of archives
You can search the collections online. You will find further information along with a list of resources on our website
About the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales
- Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/in-your-area/wales
- Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million goes to good causes across the UK every week.
- Follow @HeritageFundCYM on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund.