House of Memories Cymru is relaunching its My House of Memories app to reach more people living with dementia across Wales – including in communities where stories aren’t always heard.
Developed by House of Memories, National Museums Liverpool’s award-winning dementia programme, the My House of Memories App contains museum objects from around the globe that can be used as prompts to facilitate conversations with people living with Dementia. The app also works as a tool for users to create their own memory tree, box or timeline.
Building on the programme’s original launch at the Senedd in 2023, House of Memories Cymru supports people living with dementia, their families and carers through a blend of workshops, training and a digital resource designed to help spark conversation and connection. For 2026, the House of Memories Cymrusection within the app is growing, with community-led themes developed in collaboration with local museums and community groups, including dedicated sections reflecting Global Majority and other underrepresented communities in Wales.
Hundreds of memory prompts have been designed to be explored using images, audio and video to evoke everyday life and shared heritage. These diverse themes emerged from collaboration between community groups and their local museums.
Working with 9 museum and heritage partners across Wales to bring this project to life, including: Conwy Culture Centre, Museum of Cardiff, Swansea Museum Services, Museum Wales, Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Llandudno Museum, Narberth Museum and Storiel Museum. These contributing museums have all worked with their local neighbourhoods to bring in community members to diversify the stories that museums tell, to support the maintenance of museum items and to use these as a way of promoting cultures of global majority within venues and virtually through the app.
A key object featured in the relaunch is a golden sari from Conwy Culture Centre, highlighting the local Indian community and the role fashion plays in cultural identity. Working with community members, the museum explored the sari’s style in detail, including the meaning of its distinctive mango-shaped motif. The sari is now displayed in the app alongside personal items shared by the community, including a handmade bag created by a community member using fabric from their own sari.
Another item selected is the Dandy from Narberth Museum. This childhood object has hidden meanings for community volunteer, Phil, who discusses in the recorded audio within the app, his memories of living in a home for people who needed shelter. Phil discusses how this object would have been used by families who had found home within his house and within Wales.
Lizzie Ward, programme manager at House of Memories, National Museums Liverpool, said: “Through the new app additions within House of Memories Cymru, we have added relevant material reflecting the Global Majority and other underrepresented communities in Wales, to allow more people to connect through stories that mean something to them.
“We have already added some amazing stories from within the LGBTQ+ community through our work with museums across Wales and England, so now we’re excited to highlight objects from even more communities in Wales that have been collected by the people who have lived those memories themselves. We hope these new additions to the app will continue making an impact through generating conversation and making genuine conversations and connections between people living with dementia and their loved ones.”
“Conwy Culture Centre is really happy to have contributed museum items and stories to the House of Memories Cymru project to support people living with dementia and represent a full picture of society. We hope the inclusive Welsh stories will spark memories and happy discussions with the app’s users.” – Rachel Evans – Museum Development Officer at Conwy Culture Centre.
