Most residents of the city will recognise that culturally Newport is a shadow of its former self. You only need to look back to the 1980s and 1990s to find a city that was culturally vibrant with a hugely successful and throbbing nightlife, a global reputation for music (remember ‘Newport - The New Seattle’), and when the likes of Sir Elton John and David Bowie were performing at the Newport Centre.
The museum also used to attract major touring exhibitions. There was a time when queues formed across John Frost Square for entry to an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Gerald Scarf (the man behind the Pink Floyd ‘The Wall’ artwork and opening credits to ‘Yes Minister’). And as you walked around the town you got the feeling of a town built on a rich heritage played out on grand murals that most of Newport’s residents took for granted. That was just the way it was.
Newport was truly buzzing. All of this culture helped to bring people into the town (as it was then) and those people would spend money in our shops, pubs, clubs and restaurants. So the local economy benefitted. There were few, if any, boarded up shops and a thriving local independent retail community that gave the place identity and character.
It’s hard to think of Newport then and Newport now without being struck by the scale of the contrast.
The Labour-led Council’s long war of attrition against Newport’s history, heritage and culture stepped up a gear last year with the underhand destruction of the Chartist Mural in John Frost Square. This disastrously handled affair drew national attention and shock at just how arrogant an elected Council could be. A somewhat reluctant attempt at an apology was eventually dragged out of the Council, and promises were made by Council Leader Bob Bright that 2014 would be ‘a year in which Chartism is celebrated in diverse and imaginative ways that give their ideas a contemporary relevance.’
At the time of writing this blog we are just a few weeks away from the end of 2014. The ‘diverse and imaginative’ celebrations promised by Cllr Bright remain locked in the imagination. If it weren’t for Newport’s schools and schoolchildren recreating the Chartist march on the day of the 175th anniversary of the Chartist Uprising, we would have had virtually nothing to mark the single most momentous event in Newport’s history.
The latest assault comes with the announcement that it’s highly likely that Newport will lose its city centre museum, art gallery and library. According to a report in the South Wales Argus, ‘Proposals could see its [museum and art gallery] closure, with the collection moved out of the building and exhibited at temporary events with 13 full time jobs being lost’. This would be almost inconceivable that a city – supposedly ‘on the rise’ – would not have a city centre museum, art gallery or library. It is difficult, if not impossible to think of any other city that can make such a shameful claim.
As well as a proposal to close the museum, art gallery and library, there is also a proposal to reduce funding to the historically important Newport Medieval Ship.
The Newport Medieval Ship has been an inconvenience for the Council since the day it was discovered during the building of the Riverfront Arts Centre. As this case study from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement explains [click for link], its discovery was initially kept secret but was leaked. In one moment of inconvenience, Newport City Council’s simplest – and no doubt preferred option of quiet destruction of the remains was foiled and the Council was effectively lumbered with an albatross around its neck. The Council has never been a fan of the ship, but has had its hand forced to go along with the public, the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Friends of the Newport Ship in supporting the relic.
At the time of writing, news is breaking that Associated British Ports (ABP) have stepped forward as a hard-cash sponsor helping the Friends of the Newport Ship towards its target of £100,000 to rebuild the ship in a purpose built museum. ABP must be applauded for its vision and generosity.
Just a month earlier, a Newport City Council report [dated 3 October 2013] discusses disposal as a potential option. The negatives against destruction are listed as:
- Loss of opportunity to develop a visitor experience that tells a unique story
- Possible loss of museum’s accredited status
- Grants might be reclaimed
At the heart of the problem is the fact that the Labour-led Council really doesn’t see any value in Newport’s history, heritage and culture. Instead we have a Council that has given its unswerving loyalty to big brand retail logos. They just want Newport to be distilled down into a city of mere consumers spending what little hard-earned cash we have in the familiar retail brands of the typical clone High Street.
History, heritage and culture doesn’t really fit with multinational retail. The two tend to live in entirely different unconnected worlds. But if and when history, heritage and culture become an obstacle or an inconvenience, Newport City Council has no qualms in brushing it aside. Chartism is not as important as Next and Nandos to this Council.
The scale of this misguided devotion can be seen in the Council’s eagerness to put the city into hock for £90 million for a new shopping centre (built as a response to the popularity of Cwmbran Shopping Centre), yet it claims poverty and budget pressure as justification for closing down the museum, art gallery and library. No developers were prepared to take a gamble on funding Friars Walk, but such is the conviction to multinational retail that the Council signed OUR collective names on the loan form. So if we have to lose our history, heritage and culture to help them realise their dream of Newport as a city of shoppers, that’s the way it has to be.
This nonsense has to stop. Whatever side of the political spectrum we individually sit, we cannot let this arrogant, self-serving, misguided Council to ransack OUR city, OUR history, OUR heritage any longer.
NOTE At the time of writing neither Paul Flynn MP (Labour) or Jessica Morden MP (Labour) have stated an opinion on the proposed closure of Newport museum, art gallery and central library. One would expect a staunch criticism of the closures considering the reason behind them is apparently the Coalition's programme of austerity and budget cuts. However, in the absence of any such criticism from the MPs, this writer will assume they agree with any forthcoming closure, and by extension the austerity programme.
Well said, as usual David. Many of us have actually been working flat out (as volunteers) to try and keep the arts, culture and heritage of Newport alive...a thankless and exhausting task most of the time. Except for the Chartist Anniversary, which actually was over a week-long series of shows and events produced and run by volunteers... (the children's march was actually funded, otherwise that would not have happened either). It's been pretty obvious for well over a year that the NCC are only interested in the capitalist machine. The council's 'vision' appears to be to reduce Newport into a generic shopping area for people who work in Cardiff/Bristol but can't afford to live there. THEY MUST GO.
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