Mentoring can be described as a process – both formal and informal – of passing on knowledge and values through a structured, trust-based relationship between people. Typically, mentors provide guidance and support to help others develop their potential, strengthen knowledge and skills, and become more aware of their aspirations and strengths.
Mentoring creates a special space for personal and professional development, offering supportive guidance while ensuring the mentee remains in charge of the direction and decisions. Care and trust nurture a relationship that can make a real difference for those who choose to engage in an open and authentic exchange. Mentoring can support people at any age – whether they are starting out, changing direction, or building on long experience.
Mentoring is more than a set of skills; it is a movement of generous individuals who share their knowledge, experience, and time to support others through meaningful professional and personal growth. David Clutterbuck describes mentoring as “off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work, or thinking.”

The programme is designed for heritage interpretation freelancers and trainers at different career stages:

• early-career interpreters who are starting out or consolidating their practice;
• experienced trainers and consultants who want to expand or reposition their work;
• senior professionals who want to act as mentors and support earlier-career colleagues.
  

It is primarily intended for Interpret Europe members, and also open to a limited number of non-member professionals each year.

You can apply either as a mentor if you have experience to share, would like to grow through reflection, and want to support peers who are at an earlier stage of their journey – or as a mentee if you are looking to develop specific skills, clarify professional goals, grow your practice, or enter (or re-enter) the job market in heritage interpretation. Melting Pro will then follow up with a more detailed email explaining how the programme works and helping you decide which role best fits your profile and expectations.

Mentees can expect:

• a supportive, confidential space to clarify goals and next steps;
• practical help to grow a freelance or training practice (including confidence, positioning, and client work);
• feedback on ideas and projects from someone with relevant experience;
• international connections and peer exchange within the Interpret Europe community.

Mentors benefit through:

• access to the programme’s expert workshop(s) and updated tools and methods;
• structured reflection on their own practice and professional positioning;
• expanded professional network in a European community of peers;
• the satisfaction of supporting colleagues and strengthening the field.

The survey mainly focuses on mapping the needs of early-career professionals and potential mentees, because this information is essential to design the workshops and support offer.

However, senior interpreters who are interested in becoming mentors are very welcome to fill it in too – their answers help us understand the wider training and support needs in the community. A dedicated mentor call and information pack will follow, with more specific questions about mentors’ profiles, motivations and availability.

Mentors are expected to:

• attend the online mentor training session at the start of the cycle;
• agree goals, meeting rhythm, and ground rules (confidentiality, boundaries) with their mentee;
• hold a minimum of 4 online meetings (about 1 hour each);
• keep brief notes (as appropriate) to support programme learning and evaluation;
• join occasional check-ins and, where possible, group reflection moments with other mentors.

The emphasis is on mutual learning: mentors are not expected to have all the answers, but to help mentees think through options and make their own decisions.

Mentoring is conceived as a professional volunteering or pro-bono contribution. Mentors receive training, tools, access to workshops, and visibility and networking opportunities within the Interpret Europe community.

We are looking for senior or mid-career interpreters who:

• have solid experience in heritage interpretation (as freelancers, trainers, consultants or project leaders);
• are willing to share their professional journey, including challenges and lessons learned
• enjoy listening, asking questions and supporting others’ growth
• can commit to a series of regular online meetings over an agreed period.

Formal coaching qualifications are not required. Mentors will receive an introductory training on mentoring and a simple toolkit to guide their meetings.

Each year we will define a “theme of the year” based on what participants say they most need and value in the survey, and we will use those same focus areas to guide the whole cycle – including mentoring matches.

Matching is based on:

• professional profile and experience
• areas of interest and competency gaps
• language and time-zone compatibility
• any specific preferences expressed by participants.

The programme team reviews the profile and follows up with a short interview to propose pairs or small groups. If a match does not work, there will be a possibility to adjust after an initial trial phase.

The exact mix will be fine-tuned based on the needs that emerge from the online survey.

For one annual cycle (rough indication):

• Workshops: 1 online workshop per year, approx. 2 hours
• Mentoring: training of mentors (2 hours and 30 minutes),  around minimum of 4 mentoring meetings (about 1 hour each), plus short preparation / follow-up time
• Optional: brief check-ins and evaluation activities.

All workshops will be held in English but the language used in mentor–mentee pairs can be agreed directly between them.

Participants can join one or more yearly cycles, depending on their availability and interest.

The core format is one-to-one mentoring, with additional peer-to-peer moments between mentors and mentees and larger group exchange and networking during workshops) where useful. The mix can be fine-tuned based on needs emerging from the survey and ongoing evaluation.

Melting Pro is a cultural cooperative founded in Rome in 2011. It works across culture, heritage and the arts with a strong focus on empowering people and communities. As a cultural enterprise, It responds to contemporary social challenges by putting listening, experimentation and creativity at the heart of what it does. Over the years, it has grown through national and European initiatives that have enabled it to test and refine culture-based social innovation methods.

Today, one of its core activities is to design and deliver training, mentoring and capacity-building programmes for heritage professionals, working through peer learning, co-design and human-centred facilitation, with experience in audience development and international collaboration.

Melting Pro’s role is to deliver the mentoring training and organise the full mentoring pathway. It coordinates the call and orientation of participants, supports the matching of mentors and mentees, and provides a clear structure for the cycle – shared guidelines, practical tools, and light check-ins – to help participants make the most of each exchange.

Melting Pro believes that mentoring is a powerful way to strengthen practice and confidence, and ultimately to empower communities. It also matters to the Melting Pro team personally: “We know what it means to need guidance, because we have benefitted from mentoring ourselves. That experience shapes the way we design the programme – grounded, supportive, and focused on real progress”.