Learning landscapes: Piloting value-based interpretive planning at UNESCO-designated sites

Learning landscapes: Piloting value-based interpretive planning at UNESCO-designated sites

Interpret Europe (IE), in collaboration with UNESCO, is embarking on an exciting new initiative: Learning Landscapes. This forward-thinking project aims to transform UNESCO- designated sites and their areas into dynamic learning environments, offering a fresh
approach to heritage interpretation. By combining principles of Education for Sustainable Development, Global Citizenship Education and value-based heritage interpretation the initiative seeks to address some of today’s most pressing global challenges.

The initiative is especially addressed to managing bodies and / or other local government agencies in charge of World Heritage properties, Biosphere Reserves, and UNESCO Global Geoparks.

A new approach to heritage interpretation

The Learning Landscapes initiative focuses on positioning UNESCO sites as platforms for participative, interdisciplinary, and context-sensitive learning. Through a series of heritage interpretation training courses, this project will equip local heritage experts, from guides to curators and planners, with necessary skills to develop a variety of interpretive plans, from the general interpretive strategy to individual exhibit and programme plans. By developing a joint vision and concrete plans, stakeholders will have a sound basis for further fundraising and implementation of the plans towards the first UNESCO designated areas in Europe with holistic and strategically planned heritage interpretation services.

The participating UNESCO designated sites

Several exceptional UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves have been confirmed as participants in the Learning Landscapes initiative, piloting the new methodology. The sites will be announced during the first in-person training of the course, taking place in Kotor (Montenegro) from 28 to 31 October next. Stay tuned!

The learning journey

The project will unfold in three phases.
1. Each region will form a local consortium and nominate two participants for an intensive Interpretive Agents training workshop, scheduled for the end of October 2024 in Kotor. Post-training, these agents will work closely with IE mentors, involving local communities, to craft interpretive strategies tailored to their regions.
2. IE-certified trainers will conduct Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP) courses, creating interpretive plans for several individual heritage sites from the region.
3. Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) and Certified Interpretive Writer (CIW) courses will help local participants develop programs and exhibits. All the plans will link to the overarching interpretive strategy.

Desired impact

With UNESCO’s commitment to peace, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue at the heart of this project, the Learning Landscapes initiative has the potential to create lasting positive change for heritage sites, their surrounding communities, and the world at large. In practice, this should be achieved through the following interpretation qualities.

• heritage sites will represent inspiring and iconic points of reference making their experience relevant;
• heritage sites will allow people to delve into a large store of underlying stories, values and frames;
• heritage experiences will include the potential for revelations encouraging people to deal with new ideas;
• sites’ informal atmosphere would provide space for people from different backgrounds to interact;
•  people will be encouraged to listen not only to experts but also to interpret on their own;
• whole interpretive experiences will hopefully result in long-lasting memories which can be tapped into much later.

Participating sites will also benefit by uniting different stakeholders around shared and future-oriented visions, including public institutions across different policy sectors (heritage, tourism, education etc.), businesses and civil society participants.

A growing collaboration

The partnership between IE and UNESCO has grown steadily since its inception in 2019, evolving through workshops and regional courses designed for World Heritage Site managers and visitor centres, led by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture
in Europe. A significant milestone in this collaboration was reached in 2023, during IE’s annual conference themed ‘Creating learning landscapes through heritage interpretation’. Drawing inspiration from this success, the Learning Landscapes initiative now builds on those foundations, aligning closely with UNESCO’s values of peace, intercultural dialogue, and sustainable development.

This initiative also ties into the upcoming UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education (2024), which advocates for heritage sites to serve as valuable learning environments, both formally and informally.

About UNESCO

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, working to promote peace, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue through education,
science, culture, and communication. Learn more at www.unesco.org.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/enhancing-unesco-designated-sites-learning-landscapes
Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on this exciting journey!