Interpretation is: making connections
HI-People is not just a project. It’s a response and an invitation…
…to reimagine heritage interpretation as a vital force for democracy, inclusion, and shared meaning in a changing Europe facing critical challenges.
HI-People is a four-year project (2025-2029), co-funded by the European Union Creative Europe programme, dedicated to strengthening value-based and people-centred approaches in heritage interpretation. It aims to empower professionals to interpret with ethics, empathy and purpose, connecting people, values and the past to shape a more democratic future.
Step-by-step, the project will reach out to professionals, institutions and networks across Europe to co-create a common understanding of value-based and people-centered heritage interpretation while offering annual capacity-building opportunities to put words into action. As such, through guiding principles and practice, HI-People will support and value the role of interpreters as agents of change in their respective communities and fields.
HI-People invites heritage professionals to rethink their role, not as gatekeepers of the past but as facilitators of meaning, dialogue and transformation in a changing Europe facing critical challenges.
What is HI-People about?
What does it really mean to interpret heritage in today’s world?
Is it about preserving facts or about challenging assumptions?
Should interpretation comfort people or invite them to question long-held beliefs? Can it be both inclusive yet critical? Empathic and transformative?
HI-People starts from the premise that all interpretation is guided by interest and values. But not all values are equal. In times marked by division, disinformation and shifting values, the way we interpret the past shapes how we live together today and what kind of futures we imagine.
That’s why HI-People supports the change underway
– from conservation messages to relevance for present-day people and societies
– from interpreting objects to engaging people and their values
– from simple answers to ambivalent stories and deeper questions
– from predefined learning objectives to meaningful co-creation that provokes genuine encounters, reflection and development.
This project opens space for exploring what value-based and people-centred interpretation can mean in practice, as a tool for empowerment, for intercultural dialogue and for the long-term resilience of democratic societies.
What will we do?
HI-People will focus on four main areas of action each comprising separate nd interrelated activities (see diagram below):
A European Framework of Reference
We will collaborate to identify common principles and an ethical foundation for value-based and people-centred heritage interpretation, clarify key concepts and draft guidelines for its use in different contexts across Europe. We will invite members and stakeholders for feedback to further improve drafts and seek a broadly accepted common understanding of the essentials of value-based and people-centred approaches. Even after its adoption in 2028, the framework of reference will remain a platform for discourse rather than a fixed standard.
Training and Professional Development
We will expand access to certified training, while providing summer schools, mentoring and peer learning for our trainers, helping interpreters grow their skills, reflect on practice and apply inclusive methods in all parts of the heritage sector.
Networking and Community Building
We will strengthen the Interpret Europe network as the go-to platform for exchange, collaboration and support in heritage interpretation, helping to connect individuals and organisations across disciplines, countries and cultures.
Advocacy and Visibility
We will work with policymakers, institutions and partners to learn from their approaches and experiences and to raise awareness of the role of value-based and people-centred interpretation in addressing today’s challenges, from sustainability to social inclusion and democratic engagement.
Why it matters and how to get involved
HI-People is for everyone who works with, or interprets, heritage on a daily basis, from guides, curators, educators, site managers to researchers, policymakers, designers, conservators, restorers, community leaders and activists.
Together, we can reflect, connect and contribute to shaping a field that is as much about people as it is about the past, present and future.
Actions will unfold over the next four years and participation will grow step by step ranging from practical applications, such as new training offers, to recommendations for policy makers.
HI-People is a space for change so stay tuned
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
