The approach begins with people’s diverse relationships with heritage, one another and nature. It supports learning and openness to new insights rather than prescribed personal conclusions, while recognising interpreters’ educational and ethical responsibilities towards people, societies and the natural world.

Four interrelated elements: a code of professional ethics, defining principles, a glossary of key concepts and practical guidelines will connect the approach’s conceptual foundations with guidance for practice within and beyond IE.

Building on exchanges including the New paradigm café in Faro, development will involve a gradually widening group of contributors from within and beyond IE, working towards a coherent draft before wider consultation.

Alongside this, a New Paradigm Café on professional ethics is being planned for the second half of November as part of the GAHI webinar series, offering an opportunity to share experiences and questions that inform the FoR. Details on participation will follow once arrangements are confirmed.

The Empaths project is in its final phase, piloting an experimental training programme on participatory heritage interpretation. This began in June with three online training sessions for heritage professionals based in Greece, Italy and Austria/Slovenia on the principles of participatory heritage interpretation. Sandy Colvine delivered the online training for IE to its piloting partner, UNESCO Global Geopark Karawanken/Karavanke, which straddles part of the border between Austria and Slovenia.

The online training is complemented by on-site ‘community labs’ in the three pilot countries. These give heritage professionals the opportunity to experience participatory and facilitation techniques with local community members. 

This all sounds very logical and straightforward, but it is not! Heritage interpretation and participatory practices are two big concepts. Together, they require heritage professionals to change their mindset and way of working by loosening traditional controls over the meaning-making process.

Firstly, inviting other voices into the conversation can obviously bring unforeseen opinions and ideas, with unexpected consequences. This can be unsettling for those heritage professionals who are used to setting the agenda and directing activities towards intended objectives. These concerns came through very clearly when Empaths partners consulted experienced interpretive planning consultants last year.

Secondly, six online training sessions and a five-day community lab are not enough to make anyone fully comfortable with heritage interpretation and participatory practices. Similarly, completing a five-day IE Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) course does not instantly make you an accomplished interpreter. It is the start of a learning journey.

The community labs were, therefore, intended as ‘real-life experiments’, partly based on a design thinking process. This provided a roadmap: from empathising by understanding each other and what people value, to defining challenges, exploring deeper meanings, developing themes and narratives, and considering formats for interpretive experiences. The process ended by reflecting on what participants had learned and what had changed as a result.

Yet, no planned outcome can be guaranteed, and each step may take more or less time than expected. The aim was, therefore, to facilitate a ‘big conversation’ among participants, help them experience the power of working together and, where possible, reach a shared understanding of ideas for interpretive services that could promote shared heritage narratives. 

This was exactly the experience of the community lab in UNESCO Global Geopark Karawanken/Karavanke, run by Claudia Grünberg on behalf of IE. The lab involved Geopark staff, heritage professionals and representatives of local community institutions from both sides of the border. It was initially prepared around the topic of how Austrian and Slovenian cross-border communities relate to the heritage managed by the Geopark in which they live. 

Lesson one: Sometimes the starting point gets in the way.

A rookie mistake, perhaps, but the topic proved to be an obstacle rather than a catalyst for exchange because it framed the conversation and the actions that might follow too tightly. It did not fully match what participants felt was most important to them.

So, instead of moving on, the group prolonged the empathising stage. Participants talked at length about what their local heritage meant to them, and a topic emerged naturally from the conversation: the gap between the heritage narratives promoted by the Geopark and the interests of local people.

The catalyst emerged from the participants themselves, through Claudia’s careful facilitation.

Once this hurdle was cleared, the group’s thoughts quickly flowed towards what the Geopark meant to each person. They reviewed existing interpretive services and discussed how these could be improved to connect more closely with the meanings and values held by local people, while involving them in the process.

Lesson two: Practice changes things.

Once the group had identified a topic they could relate to, participants began experimenting with facilitation and participation techniques. They took turns facilitating parts of the discussion, drew quieter voices into the conversation, and worked together to develop ideas for future interpretive activities. At the beginning of the process they felt not at all prepared even with the theory learned from the online training.

The leap from classroom to field can be too big if the objectives of a community lab are too prescriptive. Participants may then have little sense of ownership and no grounds to facilitate exchange. So, it was a challenge for IE and the Geopark, as organisers, to keep the process ‘loose’ yet help people reach ideas for action together so they could see something tangible emerging from their efforts.

There were, for example, ideas about how the Geopark could involve people in future awareness events, plans for a large community event, and suggestions for reviewing interpretation in a visitor centre so that it relates more closely to local people. 

Lesson three: Failing to plan is planning to fail, but over-planning can fail too.

In our community lab experience, if the plan is too detailed and rigid, it may fail. However, the design thinking process did provide a necessary thread to focus comments, develop ideas and help participants identify the ingredients for interpretive experiences that could help the Geopark promote natural and cultural heritage in a way that local people can relate to.

In conclusion, the community lab proved to be a very intense but rewarding experience. The Geopark gained many insights from the community into its work and improvements it could make. It may also adopt the lab approach for a larger community event early next year.

At the start, participants were unsure about how to move from the theory of participation to facilitating it. In short, we, the organisers, tried to plan a participatory process, but our first plan got in the way. So, we changed it, allowing the participants more freedom to define the issue. That changed the dynamic and eventually led to concrete ideas for the Geopark. 

Once the participants helped define the issue themselves, they began to take more ownership of the discussion and to experiment with the techniques they had covered online.

For all participants, Geopark staff, heritage professionals and representatives of local community institutions from both sides of the border, the lab provided an opportunity to experience the power of working with people outside their usual circles of interaction. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the change in mindset and way of working needed for genuinely co-creative meaning-making.

The EMPATHS project is co-funded by the European Union Erasmus+ programme.

More details: https://empaths-project.eu

Alexander (Sandy) Colvine is IE’s Project Manager for the HI-People network grant. He can be contacted at: alexander.colvine@interpret-europe.net.

Times are changing—and with them, the work of heritage interpreters. 

Digitalisation and AI introduce entirely new challenges. At our conference in Nuremberg, we will explore and discuss from every angle the risks and new opportunities brought about by these developments. 

With its museums and other sites, the city of Nuremberg offers numerous opportunities to explore this topic in greater depth during our study visits. Modern media have arrived in many locations, while other sites are still developing ideas and plans for the future. 

We can trace how we communicate – and how we used to communicate – while considering the future direction of our field and the role the human dimension plays within it. 

Nuremberg is deeply shaped by history. It is a city of medieval life and former wealth – once a Free Imperial City, home to the Imperial Castle, and the famous painter Albrecht Dürer. Yet, it is also the city associated with the Nazi Party Rallies and the Nuremberg Trials, events that continue to have a global impact to this day. Hence its designation as the City of Peace and Human Rights. 

Nuremberg is also the birthplace of the first German railway and a hub for toys and games; not to forget its famous gingerbread, bratwurst, wine and beer of which you will surely get a taste. 

Come to Nuremberg next May and be part of another inspiring IE event!

Join the team!

Do you have ideas for future conferences? Do you see yourself getting more involved in the IE events team? We are looking for one, or several, volunteers to help take on some of the tasks involved in managing the IE annual conference. The idea would be to shadow a little this year to understand more about what is involved with a view to taking on more responsibility.

If this sounds like something you could get your teeth into, please make contact with Bettina.

Bettina Lehnes is IE’s Event Coordinator. She can be contacted at: bettina.lehnes@interpret-europe.net.

To cite this article: Lehnes, Bettina (2026) “Interpret Europe Conference 2027 – In the planning stages”, Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026, p. 33. Available online: Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026.

Last year, Interpret Europe joined the consortium of an Erasmus+ project called LRE Youth Ambassadors Network. The project kicked off at the end of 2025, and the team has been working behind the scenes to set the stage for the main project activities. After the recent launch of the recruitment for the new Youth Ambassadors Network, our work has become more tangible, so we feel it’s time to share it with you.

About the project

Project coordination is in the hands of LRE Foundation, an international network dedicated to preserving the heritage of World War 2 and its memory, making that history relevant to everyone, especially new generations. They have a special LRE Youth Programme, which sparked the idea of creating a network of LRE youth ambassadors, and led to this project. The aim of the project is to provide a platform for young individuals aged 15-30 to deepen their historical understanding and actively contribute to the preservation and interpretation of WWII history. Other partners include: the Max Mannheimer Study Center from Germany; the Museum of the Second World War from Poland; Post Bellum from Czechia; the Tourism, Culture and Heritage Association from Belgium; Studio Globo from Belgium; and, last but not least, Interpret Europe.

Upcoming events

During the course of the project, we plan to organise various events, starting with some free online training sessions in digital storytelling. A study trip with on-site workshops in Bavaria is planned for 2027. The first in-person event is the Youth Forum in Prague, Czechia, in February 2027. Another one will take place in Bastogne, Belgium, in 2028. The final is the Youth Remembrance Summit in Gdansk, Poland.

The first activities open for participation are online training sessions. They will be conducted in several cycles, with the first starting before the end of this year. We will include a detailed programme and the application form in the next issue of the newsletter.

Interpret Europe’s role

The project involves educational activities that could benefit from heritage interpretation training. Interpret Europe’s main task is to work with the Belgian NGO Studio Globo to develop online training sessions. IE’s engagement started a few years ago, when the LRE Foundation asked Interpret Europe to join a project application. IE sent out a call to its trainers, and the joint application by two of our trainers was selected, should a project receive funding. 

The trainers are sharing their expertise and finding ways to implement it in the online setting. Our partners from Studio Globo have vast experience working with schools and teachers, and they believe in the importance of education as a lever for social change. Our close collaboration with them has been very rewarding as they are working towards openness, empathy, and values that can build a democratic, inclusive society. Towards the end of the project, we plan to put together a document that will share details of the training process, its outcomes, and, hopefully, a good model for anyone to work with.

How can you get involved?

If you’re 30 or younger, you can get involved directly by joining the Youth Ambassadors Network (see the link below). You will receive the information about the exact dates, programmes, and ways to join the upcoming project events. Your participation doesn’t have to be passive. In fact, we hope that some of you will soon take over the network.

The main target group for the online training sessions is youth, but they will be open to anyone.

If you work with people aged between 15 and 30, you can share this information and any future updates with them and help them join the network. We would love for you to contact us if you’d like more details or have any suggestions. For example, an entire class or study group can join the online training session. If we notice greater interest from a particular age group, we can adjust the content of a training cycle to better accommodate them. 

Also, if there is interest from a large number of young people who don’t speak English, we might consider organising an online workshop in their native language. 

If your institution also works on a remembrance project, this could be a good addition to your own curriculum. It doesn’t hurt to drop us a message, because there is a lot of flexibility.

We could also use help with expertise and stories. If you have special expertise in working with youth, know of other related projects, have strong practice examples, or would like to share with us works that explore WW2 and related social challenges in an interesting way, please share them with us. Also, please share examples of inspiring stories from your countries that could serve as inspiration when we ask young people to retell a historical event from their surroundings.

We will provide regular updates throughout the project. Until then, we hope this article sparked some interest. If you’re wondering how WW2 history can be relevant to youth, let us assure you that some of the project partners already have extensive experience working with young people on these difficult topics. 

The times we are living in are the closest the world has come to the situation leading to WW2. It couldn’t be more relevant for the youth, or all of us.

Find out more:

LRE Youth Ambassadors website: https://www.lre-youth.eu/ 

LRE Youth Ambassadors Network application form: https://www.lre-youth.eu/sign-up-youth-ambassadors/ 

LRE Youth Ambassadors on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lre_youth/ 

Samia Zitouni and Iva Silla are Interpret Europe trainers from Croatia. They are working with experts from Studio Globo to develop a set of interactive and reflective online sessions for the LRE Youth Ambassadors project. Contact Samia at samiaztn@gmail.com and Iva at iva@questoftales.com.

To cite this article: Zitouni, Samia and Silla, Iva (2026) “Liberation Route Europe is creating a Youth Ambassadors Network”, Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026, pp. 11–12. Available online: Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026.

The Learning Landscapes initiative’s final event brought together more than 70 partners and stakeholders online on 8 June to reflect on an inspiring journey, connecting people and heritage through learning, participation, and community engagement.

As the initiative concludes, its legacy continues: making heritage more meaningful to people, qualifying local people to share their thoughts about their heritage with visitors, and in this way making us all more mindful of our common future.

The proceedings of the online symposium held in February are available on IE’s website, so please do take a look and use this as a starting point to keep these important discussions going.

https://interpret-europe.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ie_online_symposium_2026_proceedings_2nd_ed_compressed.pdf

To cite this article: IE News Team (2026) “Online symposium proceedings”, Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026, p. 10. Available online: Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026.

In a change from previous years, when the General Assembly has been held in-person in conjunction with the annual conference, with online presence an optional extra for those not attending the conference, this year’s General Assembly was held online only.

We were invited to gather online on Monday 25 May 2026. Any member who registered beforehand held the right to vote in the following 24-hour period, regardless of attendance at the meeting – that was 50 members.

The meeting was chaired by Eva Sandberg, Chair of the Supervisory Committee, and the matters included the annual reports for 2025, the status and outlook for 2026 presented by IE Director Helena Vičič, the candidates for the Supervisory Committee elections, and any motions presented by members. The full minutes have been emailed to members and you are invited to comment or offer suggested amendments up until 31 July when the draft will be accepted as final.

The results of the member votes were included in the email to all members. In summary, all motions were unanimously accepted.

The exciting news from this is that, in addition to renewing Jurn Buisman’s standing on the Supervisory Committee for a second term, we also welcome a new member to the committee. Many of you will already know or have heard of Carol Ritchie, formerly the CEO of the EuroParc Federation, and we welcome her and look forward to having her aboard to help steer the next exciting phase of IE’s development.

Let’s find out a bit more about Carol…

IE: You grew up in Stirling, Scotland, UK – a medieval town with lots of stirring history and stories. How much has this influenced your life and career?

Carol: Yes, my grandfather was a guide at Stirling Castle, a site that holds much of our nation’s story, and I come from a family of storytellers, so I suppose interpretation is in my blood, although I didn’t realise it. The Scottish countryside definitely influenced my early career, training as an ecologist and then a teacher, and bringing nature to life as a ranger and park manager.

IE: And this led to your work with EUROPARC – Do you see any similarities with IE?

Carol: Absolutely! The EUROPARC Federation is a non-governmental member organisation, providing a forum to share professional experience, collaborate on technical projects and progress common aims, for all those working to protect Europe’s natural heritage. Apart from the obvious synergies, I hope that my 17 years’ experience working for a German Verein and all the intricacies of the German system, as well as European funding streams, will be valuable support to the IE team. 

IE: What are you most looking forward to in IE’s future?

Carol: When with EUROPARC, I had frequent contact with IE and have watched you develop and grow over the years. I hope I can offer some perspective and advice, building on the great work that has already been done, that would look at options for the infrastructure of the organisation to bring some foundational stability and strategic planning. I would also want to ensure IE retains and builds deeper connections to the natural heritage community and I will advocate and support that. 

IE: And, finally, what might we find you doing on your days off? Can we get a little insight into what interests you and keeps you occupied when you’re not working?

Carol: Currently, my work revolves around my puppy, Biscuit, but when she lets me, I am lucky to have multiple interests and hobbies that I participate in. I have for a very long time taken part in various Scottish dance traditions, and in more recent years I have married that with playing the clarsach (Scottish harp). In between, I am in the garden or cooking my home-grown fruit and vegetables or off further afield – walking in the Scottish hills with Biscuit, where I may stop and fly fish on a wee loch. I round off most days by enjoying a good malt whisky.

IE: That all sounds perfect, and very Scottish!

Welcome once again to the IE family. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us.

To cite this article: IE News Team (2026) “IE General Assembly and new Supervisory Committee member”, Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026, pp. 9–10. Available online: Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026.

You know that feeling… when you walk into a dark room and you can’t see anything? Then someone lights a small candle. Not to show you the whole room. Not to give you all the answers. Just enough light so you know you are not alone.

This was the spark that ignited the final session of the IE Conference 2026, where we gathered under the title, Re-interpreting heritage in the light of Faro. But this New Paradigm Cafe was much more than a traditional wrap-up. Eight groups, eight tables, one morning. It was a live, collective creation and one of the crucial first steps in a much longer journey toward building Interpret Europe’s new Framework of Reference. We didn’t come to listen to lectures. We came to talk, to argue, and most of all, to listen to each other. Anchored in the Faro Convention. Driven by its spirit.

We didn’t come to Faro to stay safe. We came to set sail. Like the Portuguese navigators: Gil Eanes, Vasco da Gama, Magalhães. No perfect map. Just a brave heart. And each other.

Under the banner of ‘The Winds of Faro’, the eight working groups actively gathered raw ideas, insights, and perspectives to feed into this new process. We learned that co-creation matters more than delivery, and that visitors want authentic experiences rather than official stories. We talked about brave environments instead of safe spaces. Safe can be too still, too quiet. Brave is alive, messy, and open to change. Disturbance, we realised, is not a problem. It is a chance to adapt. The core? Trust. Love. Respect. And gentle humour.

We drew a red line. All opinions are welcome, but when human dignity is attacked, we do not stay quiet. We take a stand. Pushing our values onto others is still colonisation, even when we mean well. We faced the heavy stuff too: guilt, lies, and difficult history. We learned to move from guilt to acceptance, and from acceptance to making things right. It’s not about whose story wins. It is about relationships.

Then came the idea of empathy as a vaccine. If 85% of people in a community truly care, the whole community becomes immune to hate. Not conflict-free, just immune to hate. And that, we agreed, is enough. This changes how we see the interpreter. Not an expert on a hill with ready-made answers or narratives, but a listener, a mediator, a host. Someone who builds trust over time, reacting to the community instead of lecturing it.

Eight winds. One direction. Stay in conversation. Build relationships. Strive for empathy.

This collective effort brought us directly back to the heart of the Faro Convention through the words of Amra Hadžimuhamedović, one of the key experts behind the Convention and one of our keynote speakers at this conference. She reminded us of a vital truth: if heritage is a resource, it is a resource for peace. Not for tourism. Not for money. Peace.

Reflecting on more than two decades since she helped shape the convention, she invited us to go a few steps further, expanding our relationship with heritage into something more holistic, balanced, and responsible. This relationship reaches its true meaning only when we also embrace the planet and the children we will never meet. All of it belongs together.

The new Framework of Reference will not be written behind closed doors. The invaluable raw material gathered in Faro is just the beginning of a broader collaborative effort that will continue through dedicated working groups and deeper analysis. But it proved that our members are ready to share the weight of this journey. Because the best heritage interpreters don’t tell you what to see. They show you where to look.

Dubravko (Max) Fijacko is Interpret Europe’s Outreach Coordinator and is an active Interpret Europe trainer. He can be contacted at: dubravko.fijacko@interpret-europe.net. 

To cite this article: Fijacko, Dubravko (Max) (2026) “iecon26 wrap-up”, Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026, pp. 7–8. Available online: Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026.

In April I attended the Interpret Europe conference wearing my Association for Heritage Interpretation (AHI) hat, as I am the current Chair of AHI. It was my first IE conference and what an inspiring few days I had! This year, this major event in the Interpret Europe calendar was built around The Faro Convention, created in 2005 by the Council of Europe. Discussion throughout focussed on how the ‘Spirit of Faro’ operates now, 21 years after its creation, and whether it still matters in contemporary European heritage interpretation. 

To be honest, I had never heard of The Faro Convention, as the UK Government did not ratify it. However, it is a very important document as it emphasises co-creative shared values and community-led interpretation. At its core is the belief that heritage is not just about objects, places or traditions, but about the meaning and value communities attach to them. These connections linking past, present, and future are central to people’s sense of identity and wellbeing. This perspective aligns closely with the principles we champion within AHI.

The conference programme offered a rich blend of thought-provoking presentations, hands-on workshops, and engaging site visits. The keynote speakers were particularly inspiring. Guilherme d’Oliveira Martins, who chaired the Council of Europe’s steering committee that shaped the Faro Convention, opened the event. He was followed by Amra Hadzimuhamedovic, President and CEO of the House of International Dialogue and the Research Centre for Peace and Heritage in Sarajevo. Her work integrating cultural heritage into post-conflict recovery efforts brought a powerful and deeply human dimension to the discussions. Notably, she also contributed to drafting the Faro Convention.

While I enjoyed all the content of the conference, the New Paradigm Café on the last morning was particularly stimulating. Split up into small groups, we all worked on one particular issue –  what the Faro Convention means for the future of heritage interpretation. From a variety of different perspectives related to the various winds that blow across the continent, each group representing one of these winds, we produced large posters summing up our thoughts on the way forward. Without exception, we all highlighted the importance of working within our communities and using heritage as the common denominator to begin discussion and stimulate understanding of the diverse world in which we live and the heritage that has got us to this point and is still part of every community’s culture. 

Any meeting of heritage interpreters becomes a celebration of community and friendship, and what interpretation can achieve. At a time of global uncertainty, this conference seemed particularly meaningful with its emphasis on telling the stories of diverse cultures across Europe and how, by understanding these and the value of everyone’s heritage, we can all co-exist in democratic societies.

While political decisions may set boundaries, there is no reason why we in the UK cannot continue to connect with our European colleagues, sharing ideas and enjoying good conversation and laughter together.  

Jackie Lee combines practical experience with a passion for bringing history to life. Chair of the UK’s Association for Heritage Interpretation (AHI) and founder of Artemis Scotland, she specialises in first-person costumed interpretation and wrote A Practical Guide to Costumed Interpretation (Routledge, 2023). Jackie can be contacted at: jackie@artemisscotland.com. 

To cite this article: Lee, Jackie (2026) “Faro at 21!”, Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026, pp. 5–6. Available online: Interpret Europe Newsletter Summer 2026.

In 2025, Europeana published five new walking tours in Amsterdam, Dublin, Gdansk, London and Pisa. Each tour was illustrated and interpreted with digital collections from museums, galleries, libraries and archives around Europe. In this practical webinar, you will hear from Europeana about tour best practices and ideas on how to use digitised collections in your interpretation projects.

Adrian Murphy has worked at Europeana since 2016, engaging audiences with the digitised cultural heritage collections. He works on editorial strategy, digital storytelling, participatory campaigns and developing audience communities, as well as curating features such as stories, exhibitions and walking tours. Prior to Europeana, he worked at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London, where he managed digital activities. He is a Trustee of the Stained Glass Museum, as well as a member of ICOM and a regular contributor to Wikimedia Commons.

Join us next week for an open and inspiring conversation, and let’s explore together how evaluation can strengthen heritage interpretation across Europe and beyond. If you wish to take part in the webinar, please register here at least one hour before the webinar begins. ***Please register using the same email address associated with your IE membership.***

The final event of the initiative will take place online on 8 June 2026, from 09:00 to 12:00
CEST. Interested participants can register via the following Zoom link

Implemented across four pilot areas in Greece, Montenegro, the Netherlands, and Romania, the initiative explored how the co-creation of interpretive strategies—through inclusive, multi-stakeholder engagement—can support the transformation of UNESCO sites and their wider territorial contexts into dynamic learning environments.

Activities included the application of participatory and interdisciplinary methods to develop interpretive strategies for the sites, as well as capacity-building for key actors at different levels: from strategic design and interpretive planning to the development of personal and non-personal interpretive services.

The event will offer an opportunity to reflect on the rationale, methodology, and ambitions of the initiative, while showcasing its key outcomes through the experiences of local partners and trainers involved in the four pilot areas.

The programme will feature presentations from the pilot sites, illustrating the activities undertaken and lessons learned in co-creating interpretive strategies. Particular attention will be given to positioning heritage interpretation as an integral component of the sustainable management of UNESCO-designated sites. This includes strengthening the connections between local heritage values, global challenges, and people’s everyday lives, in alignment with UNESCO’s mission and strategic objectives.

The final event will also explore how the approaches developed within the LLI contribute to education for sustainable development and global citizenship, by fostering critical thinking, empathy, and active engagement. It will highlight transferable methodologies that can support other heritage sites and territories in adopting participatory and people-centred practices, thereby reinforcing the role of heritage for more inclusive and sustainable societies.

To find the details of the tentative programme please go here.