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Important items from Museum of Cardiff's collection will form part of a special app package aimed at supporting LGBTQ+ community members in Cardiff living with dementia.
Launching during LGBTQ+ History Month, LGBTQ+ in Wales will evoke memories of queer Welsh history, as Museum of Cardiff joins with other organisations across Wales to support LGBTQ+ people living with dementia in their communities.
The app package uses the real memories of community members in Cardiff and from across Wales, as well as spotlighting key items from queer culture found in Welsh museum collections.
Created alongside National Museums Liverpool's House of Memories dementia programme, Museum of Cardiff has contributed its own items and memories to create a digital archive or LGTBQ+ content.
The main aim of this project is to spark conversations between people living with dementia and their loved ones. Using items found in the app as cues and talking points, people living with dementia can have meaningful conversations, as well as personalising the app to focus on items that hold particular significance to them.
LGBTQ+ in Wales is a digital archive of memories from Wales' LGBTQ+ communities, with experiences of nightclubs, Pride marches, queer activism, drag acts and more. This new package is an addition to the House of Memories Cymru programme, which was launched at the Senedd in 2023.
Other museums across Wales have supported and contributed to the project to create a selection of memory prompts from queer culture in Wales. The museums involved are: Conwy Culture Centre, Swansea Museum, National Museum Wales, Glamorgan Archives, West Glamorgan Archives, Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery and Museum of Cardiff.
House of Memories Cymru is available through National Museums Liverpool's My House of Memories app. Alongside the dementia community, the app is co-created through the award-winning House of Memories programme and features memories from a range of community groups in the UK and further afield.
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: "The app creates a digital archive that helps capture people's lived experience of being part of the LGBTQ+ community in the past. Contributing objects and stories from the Museum of Cardiff collection will hopefully make it a helpful resource for members of the community here in Cardiff, living with dementia. We're delighted to be part of the project."
The LGBTQ+ in Wales package will contain items that relate to specific areas of Wales. Already existing items from museum collections will be brought together to showcase the country's rich and diverse queer history.
Jack Sargeant, minister for culture, said: "This LGBTQ+ in Wales app package will be such an insightful resource, celebrating the rich history and lived experiences of LGBTQ+ communities throughout our country.
"This Welsh Government-supported initiative not only helps preserve our shared heritage but also provides an invaluable support for people living with dementia and their loved ones to connect through meaningful memories. Projects like this demonstrate the power of heritage and inclusive storytelling in strengthening communities across Wales.
"Wales is striving to be the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe. Our LGBTQ+ Action Plan sets out steps to strengthen equality, challenge discrimination, and create a safer, more inclusive society."
House of Memories' LGBTQ+ in Wales app package is available now through the My House of Memories App. For more information on the project, House of Memories workshops and to find out how you can download the app, visit: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/house-of-memories.