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15.03.2024

On the 8th of March, pupils in year 5 and 6 from Ysgol Henry Richard, Tregaron came to celebrate the first birthday of the Welsh Broadcasting Archive at the National Library of Wales.

The children were accompanied by camera man and director of photography Aled Jenkins, who has worked in over seventy countries filming all sorts of programmes from wars to sport, and experienced TV presenter Elin Llwyd, who also organises workshops for children.

During the day Aled and Elin showed the children how to present, use a camera and record good sound. Pupils learned about many elements of the programme creation process. In addition, sessions used the Broadcasting Archive's facilities such as the green screen, a visit to the 'On Air' exhibition and a tour of the Copper Room, where the Library holds a number of the film and television archives.

The Welsh Broadcasting Archive is the first of its kind in the UK, tracing almost a century of broadcasting, it brings together material from the screen and sound collections of BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales, S4C and the National Library of Wales. By preserving, cataloging and digitizing this material and presenting it on a fully searchable website, the National Library of Wales is committed to making this extraordinary collection accessible to everyone.

The Welsh Broadcasting Archive project was made possible through funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£4.7M), the Welsh Government (£1M) and the private funds of the National Library of Wales (£1M).

Dafydd Tudur, Head of Digital Services, National Library of Wales said:

"As we celebrate one year of public access to the Welsh Broadcasting Archive, it is wonderful to see the next generation of broadcasters having the opportunity to present, film and script. We have had a busy year with the innovative exhibition On the Air in the Library proving very popular, Corneli Clip opening in Carmarthen, Swansea, Llanrwst and Conwy, and many community projects and events throughout Wales."

Andrew White, Wales Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

"Heritage is about how the past is valued and preserved for future generations.  By bringing together a century of television and radio and engaging new audiences with the collection both in person and digitally,  the National Library of Wales project has ensured that iconic moments from 20th-century Welsh history and culture are accessible and kept safe for future generations. We wish them continued success in the years to come."

--End--

** Mae’r datganiad hwn hefyd ar gael yn y Gymraeg **

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

The Wales Broadcast Archive is the first national broadcast archive in the UK. It grows every day as more and more programmes are broadcast and become part of the collection.
With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Welsh Government, and in partnership with major broadcasters in Wales, the National Library of Wales has brought together the archives of BBC Wales, ITV Wales and S4C to give access more than a century of television and radio.

The archive includes materials from:

  • the early days of BBC broadcasting in Wales during the 1920s,
  • the first commercial broadcast by TWW, the establishment of Harlech Television, the age of HTV Wales and ITV Cymru Wales,
  • the launch of S4C, the first Welsh language tv channel

With over half a million clips, this archive includes digital access to material that has been preserved in various formats throughout the decades, and scripts from the period from 1932 onwards.

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

Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.

heritagefund.org.uk
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund