IE News

Many of our members have delivered projects under this funding – keep an eye on the website for opportunities. Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe, with an estimated budget of €26.2 billion. The 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus ...Read More

Outstanding heritage

Europa Nostra has announced this year’s winners of the European Heritage Awards. Entries for the Public Choice Award are open until 22 September. I am pleased to write to you on behalf of Europa Nostra in my capacity as Programme Manager of the European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards ...Read More

Touch the heritage

Looking at the design process to create an exhibition of Albanian and North Macedonian monuments for people with visual impairments. It was January 2024 when MuZEH Lab, a non-profit organisation, started to design an exhibition in Durres for people with visual impairment, working together with our partners from North ...Read More

Per aspera ad astra: The rebirth of Rione Sanità from neglection to rediscovery

A story of cooperation, active community involvement, and rediscovery of local beauty through the power of heritage interpretation. The Sanità district in Naples had a brilliant transformation thanks to the efforts of a local priest, Father Antonio Loffredo, and a group of young people. Starting in 2001, they reopened the ...Read More

Can we live up to what we preach about?

The challenges of environmental sustainability in exhibition planning. When it comes to exhibition planning, we have to face a very complex and often challenging task where we navigate amid the client’s needs and wants, content development, budget, design, deadlines, and so on. We are very much focused on the ...Read More

Natural Sanctuaries in the Collsacabra bioregion

Interpretation of the meanings and spiritual values of natural tourist hot spots to change the behavior of visitors and improve conservation. Collsacabra is a natural bioregion located one hour north of Barcelona. Made up of three small towns that together have a total of 2,667 inhabitants, it welcomes several ...Read More

Interpretive news from Bakar, Croatia

Bakar Tourism Board joins Interpret Europe as an institutional member – a logical step having organised three Interpret Europe courses. For years, Bakar Tourism Board has been an inspiring example of a destination management organisation that turns to heritage interpretation. This spring, they decided to underline this by joining Interpret ...Read More

Lessons from South America

Some ideas from my experience of training interpretive guides in diverse natural environments. I would like to share some of my experience of the last ten years as a trainer, and highlight some aspects that I consider relevant for the successful development and delivery of training courses for interpretive guides ...Read More

Taking you to another time and place

IE’s Module on Live Interpretation (MLI) reached a milestone when it was tested in Prague. Interpret Europe has been working on the development of training for live interpretation for years. Costumed performances immerse the visitors into another time and place. It presents an opportunity to bring a historical ...Read More

Getting familiar with interpretive planning

How a course can inspire and become a meaningful experience It was my pleasure to attend the IE Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP) course that took place recently in Athens, Greece. I work for a company with extensive experience in producing high-quality natural and cultural interpretations. Due to my completely ...Read More

Further development of IE’s training programme

Our new Training Coordinators say hello and give an insight into their thoughts for the future of IE training. After seven years of extraordinary work, Valya Stergioti stepped down from the role of Training Coordinator at the end of 2023. Her legacy is a fully working training programme, which includes ...Read More

Interpret Visegrad initiative – Regional success

The third round of projects promoting regional cooperations among the Visegrad countries has come to an end. While Interpret Europe offers invaluable continent-wide opportunities for cooperation and learning for professionals in heritage interpretation, regional cooperations present somewhat different landscapes for more specific needs and interests, with opportunities for learning ...Read More

Back to school to practice value-based heritage interpretation

Many IE trainers honed their skills together as the Lym fjord in Istria, Croatia, hosted the first ever summer school for them. Besides team-building and bonding, the primary reason for IE trainers to gather in person for a five-day long training was to acquaint themselves with the principles ...Read More

Lessons from our parents: Heritage isn’t just about the past

Parents are our first teachers, and their relationship with their children often reflects key principles of the interpretive approach to heritage. What can we learn about heritage from our parents? I’ve been reflecting on the invaluable lessons my parents imparted, particularly my father, who recently passed away. Their ...Read More

The awkwardness of being provoked

April 22, 2024

Some thoughts and reflections one year post-CIG training. Time flies. Almost one year has now passed since I attended the IE Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) course at Valdres Folk Museum in Fagernes, Norway. For me, the course was an eye-opener, and an initiation into the practice of focusing ...Read More

Erasmus+

April 22, 2024

Many of our members have delivered projects under this funding – keep an eye on the website for opportunities. Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe, with an estimated budget of €26.2 billion. The 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus ...Read More

UNESCO and IE launched Learning landscapes initiative

April 22, 2024

The first regions around UNESCO designated sites will be turned into hubs for value-based heritage interpretation by the end of 2025. Since 2020, value-based interpretation has become IE’s unique proposition to the heritage sector which is increasingly being urged to contribute to a better future. Learning landscapes ...Read More

Bridging heritage communities with interpretive frameworks

This methodology can create space to articulate and honour community-valued notions of heritage, as the heart of any interpretation strategy. When the powerful write history Normally the spoils of victory go to the winners, but not at the Battle of Little Bighorn, Wyoming, USA. In 1876 Lt. Col. George ...Read More

From military cemeteries to prehistoric burial sites

In January, 14 interpreters from the American Battle Monuments Commission met in Draguignan, France, for the commission’s first CIW training. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is an agency of the executive branch of the American government. The commission is the guardian of overseas commemorative cemeteries and memorials ...Read More

Creative course in the city on a grain of salt

The city of Tuzla hosted 12 participants from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina for an IE CIG course. Tuzla, the city on a grain of salt, is in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is one of the oldest settlements in Europe with continuity of life. The oldest stilt houses settlement in ...Read More

Impressions of iecon24

Whether you joined iecon in Koper or missed out, here is a flavour of the experience as we already look forward to meeting again in 2025. Once again IE created a meeting place for lovers of heritage interpretation in all its various forms. A place to find participants from Asia ...Read More

Finding the future of heritage interpretation within ourselves

Seeking to challenge mindsets on sustainability at the Interpret Europe conference #iecon24 held in Koper, Slovenia, on 21-24 March 2024. What can be achieved in four days of conversations, presentations, lectures, workshops, meals, bus rides and site visits, with a view to sustainable development within the heritage interpretation sector ...Read More

Provocation with a capital P

The thought-provoking power of a graffiti message that stopped me in my tracks. “We are all eco-terrorists!” The striking message in capital letters in green paint on the concrete road barrier receded in my rear-view mirror as I drove home but it stuck in my mind. The ...Read More

General Assembley results

IE’s General Assembly took place in Koper, Slovenia, on 21 March as well as online. The General Assembly was attended by members who had travelled to Slovenia for iecon24 and was also made available for members to join online if they were not able to make it in person ...Read More

Call for social media coordinator

December 20, 2023

Click, like, share – Do you like engaging on social media? IE is looking for your support! Are you keen on developing and posting content on several social media channels? If so, and if you are also good at managing a small team and could give a few hours of your ...Read More

Erasmus+ for projects and training

December 20, 2023

Consider this funding stream to support your projects – there are new calls with deadlines in February. Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe, with an estimated budget of €26.2 billion. The 2021-2027 programme places a strong focus on social ...Read More

Interpreting red hot chilli peppers and a donkey farm

Small businesses joined our training module to get inspired by heritage interpretation methods and become Interpretative Hosts! During the last weekend in September, a group of women gathered in the small city of Ivanić Grad, about 40 minutes’ drive from Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Ana Gašparović, director of the ...Read More

The first swedish CIW course – a really creative one

Nine interpreters met amongst canal locks, elk, locomotives and Saab cars to be creative in the making of CIW signs and audio guides. In September an IE Certified Interpretive Writer (CIW) course was held in Trollhättan in western Sweden. Participants from the region of Västra Götaland were the hosts and ...Read More

Transhumance

A symphony of birth, heritage, and UNESCO recognition. In the hushed allure of December’s frosty embrace, my mother’s birthday unfolds as a lyrical chapter in the ancestral tale of transhumance – a saga woven into the very fabric of our family’s history. With a ...Read More

Toy stories

Who remembers the games of their childhood, and the toys we used to play with? Inspired by the topic of childhood and the complexity of social life today, but also witnessing that childhood can be lost for many others, we chose to address this topic in the spirit of historical ...Read More

The training of trainers

An inspiring and long-awaited Certified Interpretive Trainer (CIT) course took place in the breathtaking location of Arnoga, Italy. This thought-provoking experience welcomed over 20 participants from 13 European countries, uniting them in the community of interpretive trainers. Organised by Vanessa Vaio, IE’s Country Coordinator Italy, the course ...Read More

The Wadden Sea, an unknown gem in The Netherlands

This was the setting for an IE Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP) Course. Our experience at the Wadden Sea in three words? Windy, awe and sustainability. It is certain that it was a special week in September. Not only because it was a very pleasant collaboration between Interpret Europe Belgium and ...Read More

Challenge your mindset

Join us for iecon24 to discuss and explore how heritage interpretation can change our mindset towards sustainability. You don’t want to miss it! Our conference team is working away to ensure that we are ready to welcome you to Slovenia for our next conference, Sustainability: Challenging mindsets through heritage ...Read More

Can we fit three years of interpretive training in 120 minutes?

The results of the WH-Interp project were presented at an open webinar, available now on IE’s YouTube channel. Successful follow-up of a project means that its outcomes are disseminated, or even transferred into solid actions for the future. This is the case with the WH-Interp project ...Read More

Interpretation as an art of listening

Uncovering the artistry of interpretation through a different lens – the transformative power of active listening in every exchange. In the serene surroundings of the Krka National Park in Croatia, the workshop ‘Interpretation as an art of listening’ unfolded, fostering a collaborative atmosphere and shared learning experiences. Participants not only delved ...Read More

Horizon Europe Framework Programme

The window is open 4 October until 7 February 2024 for Research and innovation on cultural heritage and CCIs. The European Union should endeavour to use its cultural and creative assets to better assert its influence around the world. The arts can play an important role on building the contemporary ...Read More

New publication: The Art and Science of Food Experience

This new book (in Croatian: Znanost i umjetnost doživljaja hrane) satisfies a hunger to highlight gastronomic heritage interpretation techniques. This new book will surely pique your interest and ignite your passion for the science of food! It is with great pleasure that we announce the release of a cutting-edge ...Read More

Taking time for local cultural heritage

It’s nice to travel and explore new places, but equally good to remind ourselves sometimes what is already under our own feet. Summer is often a good time to explore, with some spare time and usually nice weather. Before autumn took a hold of the land, I took time ...Read More

Former school transformed into climate and environment hub

An Irish Group Water Scheme is challenging and supporting the next generation: Can interpretation change attitudes and inspire positive action This story started back in 2005 when the forward-thinking management of the Tydavnet Group Water Scheme in County Monaghan, Ireland, hatched a plan to invest in the next generation ...Read More

Interpreting Italy

A pilot project exploring strengths and challenges of heritage interpretation practice in the country. Heritage interpretation is being increasingly recognised worldwide as a crucial practice for effective heritage management, sustainability and impact. However, in some countries, heritage management systems still struggle to fully integrate interpretation in the heritage work practice ...Read More

Examining the Future

Looking at the building blocks of the past, present and future of an Irish town through Lego – inviting input from children and adults alike. In September, I attended a truly inspiring event in the town of Drogheda in Co Louth, Ireland, as part of Irish Heritage Week. Set in the ...Read More

Unlocking Europe’s heritage: European Heritage Days & HAEMUS initiatives

European Heritage Days (EHD) showcased the evolving landscape of heritage interpretation, highlighting its significance for our sustainable future. In Skopje, North Macedonia, a series of events underscored this pivotal role during the European Heritage Days (EHD) and signaled a new era of accessibility for both professionals and the general public ...Read More

What will IE look like in 2030?

IE’s SC invites members to take part in looking to the future of IE and informing the next five-year strategic plan. If this question is important to you, and you want to contribute to IE’s plans for the next five years, come and dream with us and ...Read More

Interpretive planners, heads up!

We follow the call of our members that want to connect, cooperate and exchange with other members dealing with interpretive planning. For some years, various interpretive planners, consultants, architects, curators, designers, and other related experts, regardless of how their business is constituted, have been expressing the need to be connected ...Read More

UNESCO Ye WH Planning course Ljubljana 2023

Towards 21st century guidelines for the development of interpretive strategies

As we develop value-based heritage interpretation and learning landscapes, we now discuss the importance of interpretive strategies. An interpretive strategy aims to connect different heritage sites within a city or region in terms of heritage interpretation. It may also refer to one larger protected area (biosphere reserve, historic city ...Read More

Interpreting our museums

A beautiful venue and warm atmosphere – perfect circumstances for talking about interpretation in the Józef Piłsudski Museum in Sulejówek. On 22-23 September, passionate interpreters and museum professionals met in Sulejówek, near Warsaw, Poland, to discuss how heritage interpretation can help museums. Some of the guests joined us online, including ...Read More

Are heritage experts challenged?