Politicians from the four main political parties in Wales will come together at the Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre, National Museum Cardiff from 2pm on Friday 22 July 2011, to debate the impact of the 1536 Act of Union on current attitudes towards devolution.
The original 1536 Act of Union, which is currently on display at St Fagans National History Museum as part of the Creu Hanes – Making History: 1500-1700 exhibition, has been a big draw for visitors. This is the first time it has ever been on display in Wales.
Before it returns to the Parliamentary Archives on 27 July 2011, the people of Wales are being given the opportunity to join in discussions about its impact on the political landscape in Wales today with Mark Drakeford AM, Baronnes Jenny Randerson, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas AM, Suzy Davies AM and broadcaster Vaughan Hughes.
They will question what the ‘Union’ did for the individual, the community and the condition of Wales 500 years ago. Is there any point dwelling about legislation that is now over 500 years old? And was the 1536 legislation as significant as the changes we’ve seen in Wales over the past 10 years? The audience will be able to participate in the debate via twitter, using the hashtag #deddfuno.
The event will continue in the evening at St Fagans National History Museum, which is progressing its ambitious plan to create a new kind of museum that will be at the heart of cultural tourism in Wales.
From 6pm, guests will be given an exclusive opportunity to view the Act of Union at Oriel 1 – one of the last opportunities to see the original document. At 7pm, Reverend John Walters will be chairing a session at St Teilo’s Church exploring the state of Wales in 1520s – the decade in which the Museum has dressed and furnished the Church – with an historian, poet and musician.
Discussions will be held in Welsh and English at both events with simultaneous translation. Please book your space by phoning (029) 2057 3268 or emailing [email protected].
The Museum is grateful to the Parliamentary Archives for making the Act of Union accessible to the people of Wales, at a location outside Westminster, for the first time. It is an object that illustrates the great changes Wales, like many other countries, witnessed between 1500 and 1700.
