The Dylan Thomas Exhibition has been awarded a grant of nearly £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales, on October 27, 1914. This October marks the centenary of his birth and the HLF grant will be invested in a new-look exhibition and community outreach programme that will provide more people than ever with a chance to benefit from the Welsh poet's legacy.
The £935,700 HLF grant will enable Swansea's Dylan Thomas Centre to expand their facilities and display many Dylan Thomas-related items that are presently held in storage.
The present timeline of the poet's life and achievements will also be improved and a new section, concentrating on Dylan Thomas' process of writing, will be added.
The Dylan Thomas Centre was opened in 1995 by the former United States president, jimmy Carter and when Carter was told of the award on Thursday he was thrilled to hear the news.
"Dylan Thomas was one of the greatest poets of the past century and I have always felt an affinity to his poetry and literature," Carter said.
The present exhibition receives visitors from all over the world, but a revamp is long overdue and Swansea Council leader David Philips is looking forward to being more 'creative' with the numerous available Dylan Thomas artifacts.
"This grant will help create a vibrant learning space and build an exhibition space that will not only help us to display more of our collection but will also enable us to attract unique Dylan Thomas-related artifacts from across the world, making it a truly international heritage hub," Philips said.
The HLF is responsible for distributing a share of the funds raised by UK National Lottery Good Causes. HLF grants are awarded to projects designed to sustain and transform the British Heritage.
