This presentation traces a study that began with a simple question: can we train AI to write better interpretive themes? Instead, a deeper question quickly emerged, what actually makes a strong theme, regardless of who writes it? With help from 15 international interpretation experts, the study examined theme quality directly. The results illuminated not only theme quality, but the broader question of whether we can create interpretation standards at all. The presentation begins with an audience quiz using the same themes and format presented to the expert panel. Afterward, Jon compares the audience’s results with those of the experts themselves.

In the 1990s while working as an interpreter at the Costa Rican national zoo, Jon Kohl began to leverage his background in writing with an emerging interest in interpretive themes. Through mentorship with Sam Ham, Jon eventually published the first edition of the Interpretive Theme Writer´s Field Guide: How to Write a Strong Theme from Big Idea to Presentation (NAI 2018). In 2026 NAI and Bloomsbury published the second edition with standards for interpretive theme writing designed to be upload to an AI chatbot. Consequently Jon, a Journal of Interpretation Research associate editor, joined Dr. Marc Stern, co-editor of the same journal, to test if trained AI could write stronger themes. They instead explored larger questions about theme quality and interpretation in general.  If you wish to take part in the session, please register here at least one hour before the webinar begins.  ***Please register using the same email address associated with your IE membership.***

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.***

We would like to invite you to a discussion on evaluating heritage interpretation provisions, taking place on the 29th of April at 15:00 CEST. Evaluation is an essential part of creating meaningful and effective heritage interpretation experiences. Whether you are assessing individual interpretation services, temporary programmes, or entire exhibitions, understanding what works and what could be improved helps us better fulfill our purpose. We would be very interested to hear about your approaches, methods, and findings.

Are you evaluating visitor engagement, learning outcomes, emotional impact, or overall visitor satisfaction? Do you rely on visitor surveys, interviews, observation, feedback forms, or more informal methods? How often do you carry out evaluations, and how do the results influence your future planning? Let’s make use of the expertise within our network and exchange knowledge across countries and professional fields. Learning from one another’s successes, challenges, and practical experiences is what makes our community rich and rewarding.

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.***

This presentation explores how to design an interactive exhibit focused on an endemic, endangered species. Using the African penguin as a case study, we learn how to translate conservation science into accessible, engaging experiences, integrate interactivity to drive emotional connection and balance education with marine conservation and welfare. The session will also highlight practical design decisions that encourage visitor action and long-term conservation impact. 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.***

Claire Taylor is an interactive exhibits and marine animal welfare specialist who has been creating educational experiences for 26 years. She studied multimedia design, combining creative thinking with a passion for marine animal conservation and welfare. As a mother of three children, Claire brings a unique, family-focused perspective to creating meaningful, accessible and engaging exhibits for all ages.

Samantha Duddington is a creative manager with over a decade of experience in graphic design. She is passionate about using design to connect audiences with the ocean and inspire meaningful conservation action. Through her role, she develops interactive exhibits that educate and engage visitors with a strong emphasis on endangered species like the African penguin.

The West Coast Fossil Park (WCFP) is an important centre for palaeontological research, education, and tourism. Located in a rehabilitated former phosphate mine, the Park supports ongoing fossil research and opened to the public in September 1998. It initially operated as a partnership between Iziko Museum and BHP Billiton, after which a trust was established and governance transferred to trustees appointed by Iziko Museum.

For its first 20 years, the Park operated from a small visitor centre in the Chemfos Mine building, approximately 1 km from the main dig site at E Quarry.

In 2018, a new visitor centre funded by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) opened within E Quarry, about 250 m from the main excavation site led by Professor Roger Smith. The centre was designed to accommodate up to 500 visitors per day.

This online presentation outlines the history of the Park and highlights the operational challenges that must be addressed to ensure long-term sustainability. 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.***

Pippa Haarhoff was born and educated in Zimbabwe and graduated in archaeology from the University of Cape Town. She joined the South African Museum (now Iziko Museum) in 1977, working in the Cenozoic Palaeontology department on the Langebaanweg fossil collection under Dr Brett Hendey. She played a key role in initiating the Fossil Park project in 1992 and has managed the Park since its opening in 1998.

With a lifelong interest in birds developed during childhood on a farm, Pippa later specialised in palaeo-ornithology, inspired by the richness of fossil birds at Langebaanweg. Her research has contributed to discoveries that continue to refine existing theories, and she emphasizes that fossils are essential to understanding how life on Earth has changed over time.

The SOS Cagarro campaign was launched in the Azores in 1995 and aims to protect young Cory’s Shearwaters disoriented by artificial lights during their first night flight. The initiative, which has become one of Portugal’s oldest environmental education campaigns, mobilizes the community to rescue and release the birds. Volunteers, schools, associations and government entities all take part. Using children’s literature as a conservation tool – the case of ‘A história do Zeca Garro’ in the SOS Cory’s Shearwater Campaign. Carla has worked on this campaign since 2005 and has produced several communication products for it: a children’s music CD, a computer game and a children’s book. The book was created and produced with scientific, educational and ecological concerns that Carla will share with you, reflecting upon the 20 years that have passed since its release. 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.***

Carla Susana Goulart Martins da Silva has academic training in the fields of biology, geology and pedagogy, and has worked since 2000 in environmental awareness in the Azores archipelago, with whale watching companies, schools, environmental NGOs and later in the Azorean Government. In 2005, Carla joined the Pico Island environmental education centre and started working in the nature conservation campaign SOS Cagarro.

IE recently launched an online networking event to help connect our members who wish to find partners to collaborate with. The last event was an intimate affair, but social, interactive and interesting. Getting to know each other better means that we have more knowledge to share and more experience to offer to our clients.  

Some of our members have upcoming projects that they need help with and so they came to this networking event to see what others might have to offer. Our participants had a wide range of skills that they could share, from digital solutions, experience in social involvement and fundraising, to interpretive planning, interpretive media design and writing. We’re all a part of IE, but you never really realise how much knowledge and expertise is out there until you join an event like this. 

The projects were also interesting. We heard from Enrico about his mining heritage project where he wants to help locals to rediscover their history and to showcase the mining migrations across Europe. We heard from Vasilka about her small historic house that has been run by the same family for over 120 years which is being converted into a museum (and a museum theatre project that they would like to make interpretive and international). And we heard from Kris who makes youth documentaries about archaeology, palaeontology, heritage and history, and which he would like to expand into the rest of Europe. 

I hope that there will be many more opportunities like this, where members get to know each other better and through that, help each other out. We are a community here to support all of the professionals in the interpretive industry, so that we can all make heritage more meaningful. Let’s get to know each other, work with each other and make our heritage shine together.

Keep an eye on the IE website and your inbox for news about the next networking event and we hope to see you there!
Heidi is IE’s Webinar Officer. She can be contacted at: heidi.demaine@interpret-europe.net.

To cite this article:De Maine, Heidi (2025) ‘Why work alone when you can have a helping hand?’ in Interpret Europe Newsletter 4‑2025, p. 9.
Available online: Newsletter winter 2025

Join the next one:

Tuesday 1  July 17:00 CEST
A circular economy for exhibitions

Can we transform the way we create and reuse interpretive materials? This webinar unveils a bold initiative to make heritage interpretation more sustainable, equitable, and collaborative. By reimagining resource-sharing, museums and heritage sites can pass on surplus materials – display cases, signage, even entire exhibits -to those who need them most. This circular model doesn’t just reduce waste; it bridges the gap for institutions with limited budgets, unlocking access to high-quality interpretive resources. Join us to explore how this approach can spark real change, foster deeper collaboration, and redefine the life cycle of exhibition materials.

Eric Langham is a globally recognised museum planner and cultural strategist. He leads Barker Langham’s creative work worldwide, shaping experiences that unite story, space, and time. A published thought leader and trusted advisor, he influences major institutions and serves as a trustee and fellow across the cultural and academic landscape.

Participation is free of charge. You can register here.

A true interpretive approach is not just about telling—it’s about anticipating what visitors will hear and how they could find their own meaning in it. This webinar explores how thoughtful preparation, active listening, and engagement strategies encourage participation, foster individual meaning-making, and create immersive experiences with visitors in focus. 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.***

Max Dubravko Fijačko is a licensed Interpret Europe Trainer and an award-winning expert in creative and experiential tourism. With a background in tourism and communication, he specialises in value-based interpretation and immersive visitor experiences.

At a time when the world is confronted with growing environmental threats, better understanding of the critical connection between people and nature is key to stimulating positive action. When guiding visitors in nature, there are often opportunities to connect nature experiences to issues about environmental sustainability. During this webinar, the results of a survey will be presented, examining how nature guides in Sweden try to encourage participants to become more environmentally friendly through interpretation. 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.***

Per Sonnvik is the Project Manager at the Swedish Centre for Nature Interpretation. He has a master’s degree (MSc) in Rural Development, a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and he is a certified Interpretive Trainer. As a lecturer, trainer and guide, Per has dealt with the management of outdoor recreation and nature conservation conflicts near urban areas, communication of biological diversity and environmental impact assessments. He loves spending time in the outdoors with his family and enjoys Nordic skating.