Join our online symposium on 26-27 Feb 2026. Contribute your ideas on the role of narratives in 21st century heritage interpretation.
As part of the joint Learning Landscapes initiative, Interpret Europe and UNESCO are pleased to announce the online symposium “The role of narratives in 21st century heritage interpretation”, taking place on 26-27 February 2026.
We are now inviting proposals from interpretive planners, guides, site managers, museum professionals, researchers, educators and anyone engaged in shaping how people connect
with heritage.
Heritage interpretation is undergoing a profound transformation. Where storytelling once dominated, today’s challenges call for more inclusive and dialogic approaches. Interpretation is becoming less about transmitting a single message and more about enabling meaningful encounters, encouraging reflection, and empowering people to recognise and interpret heritage through their own lenses.
At the heart of this shift lies a crucial question: how do we navigate the many narratives that surround heritage?
Narratives are shared interpretive frames. They help us make sense of places, events and memories. They shape identities, influence public debate, and guide how communities understand their past and imagine their future. They can inspire belonging and care, but they can also divide, oversimplify, or obscure uncomfortable truths. In a world where heritage sites increasingly reflect diverse – and sometimes conflicting – interpretations, working with narratives is becoming one of the most important tasks for heritage professionals.
This symposium invites us to explore and challenge the role of narratives in our practice:
How do we honour multiple voices without losing coherence?
How can interpretation uncover suppressed or neglected narratives?
What happens when narratives clash, and how can we support dialogue?
How do contemporary issues – climate crisis, migration, identity, digitalisation – reshape the stories we tell about heritage?
A link to the list of guiding questions can be found below, along with the link to the submission form.
You do not need to be an academic to participate. We are particularly interested in practical experience, innovative approaches, and reflections on real-world challenges. Whether you wish to share a project, a question, an intuition or a method, your perspective is welcome. Please select the format in the submission form that fits your contribution best.
Proposals must be submitted by 9 January 2026.
We look forward to receiving your proposals and to meeting you online this February to explore how narratives can help us enrich, deepen and democratise heritage interpretation.
Join us in rethinking narratives for a changing world!
