IE News

Individual Mobility Funding: A firsthand experience. IE’s Office Manager recently participated as a grantee in the Culture Moves Europe programme — an excellent opportunity for creative practitioners, museologists, artists, and professionals working in the cultural sector. Through this funding, a study visit was organised to the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden ...Read More

Take part in Heritage in Motion 2025

Do you create digital experiences that engage and inspire audiences? Heritage in Motion Awards invites you to showcase your work. Heritage in Motion (HIM) is an international award celebrating innovative multimedia projects that interpret, preserve, and promote cultural heritage. Since 2014, it has recognised the most creative uses of technology ...Read More

A haunted house or just a national hero home-museum?

The highs and lows of introducing HI to a traditional museum setting. From building trust and moments for discussion to losing the magic. There you are, in the mausoleum of the most important politician of 20th century Greek history. His home. One of his houses. As an interpretive guide. You ...Read More

Seeing opportunities and strengthening collaboration in Scandinavia

Heritage interpretation has had a relatively slow start in Scandinavia. But recent events might heat up this exciting field in the cold north. The international field of heritage interpretation (HI) has had a fairly short history in Scandinavia compared to other countries in Europe. In the 1980-90s, the field ...Read More

Košava wind time machine

This ancient wind has witnessed many periods in history, brought to life through a new interpretive walk. Ram Fortress, located in Eastern Serbia, attracts many visitors with its rich history and stunning view of the Danube River. Constructed in the late 15th century by Ottoman sultan Bayezid II as one ...Read More

Under foot

Using a 3D mobile artwork to tell the story of a Geopark in Ireland This innovative interpretive creation became a key feature of our events throughout 2024. A mobile piece of 3D pavement art was literally rolled out at every event held within the Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark https://mournegullionstrangfordgeopark ...Read More

Layers of meaning: A journey through Kotor’s living heritage

Imagine interpreting phenomena you’ve passed by your entire life without ever acknowledging their value or significance. The main task throughout the IE Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP) course held in Kotor during the last week of March tested participants to do just that. The course was run as part of ...Read More

Learning the interpretive planning method at a pond

On a chilly morning in Den Helder the Netherlands, ten people stand next to a pond with dogs running between them. A good learning environment? That’s how the IE Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP) course I joined started. The pond we were standing next to was our heritage for that ...Read More

IE training – Solving Medway problems

Rochester, in England, has a problem. Medway Council currently has no tourism department. IE training finds ways to increase visits. Rochester, a picturesque jewel in south-east England, has a problem. In April 2024 Medway Council tourism department closed as a cost cutting measure. Businesses must now be responsible for ...Read More

We’re better together!

IE coordinators are a cornerstone for HI-People. HI-People is a key project for Interpret Europe over the next four years. It will build the capacity of our network organisation and members but also reach out to other heritage professionals, institutions and networks to promote the role of heritage ...Read More

Learning Landscapes on the move

Bringing theory to life across places, cultures, and local realities The Learning Landscapes Initiative is making steady and inspiring progress.The last time you heard about it was probably from the international workshop in Kotor, Montenegro, back in October. That gathering marked a crucial turning point, as interpretive agents from ...Read More

The Human Swan landed in Poland

It was a privilege to add a new dimension to the Interpret Europe conference programme this year in the form of a conservation cinema night. Interpret Europe’s conference on ‘Heroes, Anti-heroes and Villains’ was brilliant, inspiring, and a rare opportunity to dive into an issue where conservation often ...Read More

Heroes and villains at iecon

Some thoughts inspired by IE’s annual conference 2025 and what the theme might mean for each of us. When I was asked to do the wrap-up of this year’s conference, which took place 11-14 April in Poland, I was genuinely surprised—and I hesitated. But then ...Read More

Interpreting heroes and villains in history

Inspired by iecon25, some thoughts on the importance of non-formal education in historical memory and democratic citizenship. Non-formal education plays a crucial role in lifelong learning, especially in the context of historical memory and democratic citizenship. The Council of Europe has been a fundamental actor in promoting cultural ...Read More

IE Webinar: Interpretation: The art of listening

March 13, 2025

Monday 17 March 2025, 15:00 CET 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 ...Read More

IE Webinar: Nature guides in Sweden for environmental sustainability

February 4, 2025

Tuesday 11 February 2025, 14:00 CET 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 ...Read More

Heroes, anti-heroes and villains

Will you be a part of the Interpret Europe conference 2025 from 11 to 14 April in Sulejowek, Poland? Are you thinking about joining us for our next conference in April at the Józef Piłsudski Museum at Sulejówek.? Then here are many good reasons to do it! Warsaw, often described ...Read More

Creative Europe Programme

Calls open until 13 May 2025 for European Cooperation Projects. Grants are available for organisations in the cultural and creative sectors who are demonstrating cross-border cooperation. The call for proposals is split into small, medium or large scale projects. Why not take a look and see if your project ...Read More

The cultural and spiritual significance of nature

Download a free PDF giving guidance for protected and conserved area governance and management. Whilst this document is not new, it was recommended by an IE member and may be relevant to some of our members who work in natural area conservation, or interpretation of natural areas.Published in 2021 ...Read More

Culture makes us healthier

New research has assessed the monetary value of the health and wellbeing benefits from cultural engagement in the UK. What price would you put on public health and wellbeing? If governments could save money on our healthcare by investing in other areas, then why wouldn’t they do it? Recent ...Read More

Let’s continue to inspire through impactful interpretation!

Medvednica Mountain was the unique inspiration for our IE CIW upgrade course, keeping us inspired through stories. Medvednica Mountain, an iconic mountain towering over Zagreb, served as the creative hub for our Certified Interpretive Writer (CIW) trainer’s upgrade course. The nature park fuelled our inspiration and provided a powerful ...Read More

A heritage with moustaches

Enthusiastic women gathered in Kuterevo, Croatia, to explore the heritage of the Lika-Senj region, empowering their businesses and communities. An IE Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) course was organised by Guest Accommodation Butina, the Tourist Board of Otočac, and Visitor Friendly, a business specialising in heritage interpretation and training. Over ...Read More

Interpreting Kuterevo: A village of living heritage

A CIG course in Kuterevo, Croatia, brought together a vibrant community to explore heritage interpretation, sustainability, and collaboration. In the small village of Kuterevo, nestled beneath the majestic Velebit mountain and North Velebit National Park, an IE Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) course unfolded. Organised by the Butina rural household, the ...Read More

IE Management

Training team changes We start a new year with a new dynamic, looking forward to supporting members in a variety of ways in addition to training courses. Training Coordinators As you know, since Valya Stergioti stepped down from the role of Training Coordinator, which she had held from the start ...Read More

Two in one: Hands-on workshop for interpreting world heritage

A dynamic workshop exploring value-based heritage interpretation, bringing together theory and practice at the heart of Speyer’s UNESCO sites. It is not who you are, but what makes you unique! Not what I can learn about you, but what fascinates me about you – and, in a broader sense ...Read More

Europe invests in Interpret Europe!

IE enters an exciting new phase as we celebrate the start of two big projects. Are you familiar with the saying, “You wait ages for a bus and then two come along at the same time”? Well, that is basically what happened when IE engaged internal and external expertise in ...Read More

We need allies and there are allies

Impressions from the CHARTER project, which enriched my understanding of the shifting heritage paradigm. CHARTER was a 4-year European Blueprint Project for the EU’s cultural heritage sector, which recently came to an end (you can find more details below). I was invited to CHARTER’s external Expert Advisory ...Read More

Can AI enhance the museum visitor experience?

The City Museum of Aarau in Switzerland invites you to meet AI Hero to see how a modern twist can provide personal heritage experiences. Whatever your thoughts on AI, the article below by Manuel Charr is an interesting amuse-bouche ahead of our IE conference in April where we will ...Read More

IE Webinar: Ephemeral heritage – A decade of summer fieldwork and student projects on heritage sites

January 9, 2025

Tuesday 14 January 2025, 10:00 CET The webinar will focus on the work during the past decade (2013-2023) in a small village of Transylvania (Romania). The village of Călugăreni is home to an annual summer fieldwork focused mainly on the site of the former Roman auxiliary fort and ...Read More

IE Webinar: How to obtain Erasmus+ funding for IE courses: Lessons from experience

December 10, 2024

Tuesday 17 December 2024, 15:00 CET During the webinar, the process of applying successfully for Erasmus+ funding for Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) and Certified Interpretive Writer (CIW) courses programs will be presented. Insights will be shared from the experience of obtaining an Erasmus+ grant to organize CIG and CIW ...Read More

IE Webinar: Inclusivity outside the classroom

November 19, 2024

Tuesday 26 November 2024, 15:00 CET In our efforts to create more inclusive spaces, it’s essential to ask: what does true inclusivity look like? This talk will delve into the principles and practices of inclusive environmental education, with examples of both outstanding achievements and missed opportunities. Together, we ...Read More

Networking events

If you missed the first of our online events, stay tuned for details of the next and join in to further your IE professional connections. Interpret Europe’s role is to support heritage sites and individual professionals from more than 45 countries and to encourage exchange amongst them. We would ...Read More

iecon25 – Call for papers is open!

The planning for our next conference is well underway and now it is over to you … Time to spend your autumn evenings planning your contribution. Call for papers If you were with us at the conference in Koper, Slovenia, you will certainly remember the warm invitation from our Polish...Read More

Culture Moves Europe

Third European Commission call for individual mobility of artists and cultural professionals. This call is open until 30 November. It provides financial support to artists and cultural professionals who wish to carry out a project in another Creative Europe country, in collaboration with an international partner (either an organisation or ...Read More

Reviving Via Egnatia: Heritage-based interpretation, storytelling and gamification

An immersive exploration of heritage through storytelling and interactive techniques aimed at preserving the ancient European landscape. From September 23-28, 2024, Durrës in Albania hosted a comprehensive training programme focused on heritage-based interpretation, storytelling, and gamification. Organised in partnership with MuZEH Lab, a nonprofit organisation and small museum ...Read More

Time Travel with Queen Maria: Innovative storytelling and cutting- edge technology

Combining real-life, hands-on activities with a captivating AR and VR journey to create a unique immersive blend of history and technology. On September 15, 2024, Skopje in North Macedonia hosted an innovative event titled, ‘Time Travel with Queen Maria – A Gamified Journey to the Middle Ages’. This immersive ...Read More

How a museum changed

After moving from West Germany to East, I was lucky that the first museum I visited in this region was the Oderbruch Museum. Little did I know, the Oderbruch is one of the best examples of successful transformations of cultural institutions in Germany. Oderbruch is a small area (920 sqkm ...Read More

The legends of Biograd came to life

Living history tours took place this summer in Biograd na Moru, Croatia, to immerse new audiences in our stories. Summer was the perfect time for guided interpretive walks, living history tours, legends, and tales. Biograd na Moru is a small city that is very much in touch with history. Living ...Read More

Co-creating interpretation from the ashes

What could happen after a mega-fire strips your natural heritage and all purpose from your interpretation? Since the ’90s, the Dadia National Park in NE Greece attracted visitors from all over Europe. The reason was simple: 428 sqkm of Mediterranean forest with an impressive variety of birds of prey ...Read More

Inspired interpretive writing in Spain – Join us for an IE CIW course

A great opportunity to practice your capacities in interpretive writing, at a beautiful venue and within an international group of participants. This five-day course for Certified Interpretive Writers (CIW), in English, was due to take place from 4 to 8 November, in Ronda, Spain, but it has been postponed ...Read More

Try telling historians to get rid of dates!

The IE CIW training shook interpretive habits as participants learned to stop using so many dates and military language. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is a Government Agency. Its mission is to maintain military cemeteries and commemorative sites and educate about their history. Most of our interpretive staff rightfully ...Read More

Training guides for innovative interpretation of cultural heritage

Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, was the setting for an IE Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) course in July 2024. During the hot days of summer, Chisinau hosted an Interpret Europe CIG course, supported by the USAID Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Project (RCRA), in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, the National ...Read More

Going Green, and Big

Interpret Europe is one of the partners in The Big Green Project – Going big to use art to promote sustainability. The Big Green Project is funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the EU. It unites 15 partners from 13 countries, among which are non-governmental organisations, universities, artistic groups ...Read More

New partnership with UNESCO WHIPIC

Interpret Europe starts a five-year collaboration to foster a new interpretive approach for World Heritage Sites. On 8 October 2024, the directors of Interpret Europe and WHIPIC, Helena Vičič and Chang-nam Hong, signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement provides a framework for collaborations in research and capacity ...Read More

Kick-off for the Learning Landscapes initiative

UNESCO sites will pilot a holistic approach to interpretive planning. Interpret Europe, in partnership with UNESCO, is embarking on an exciting initiative to develop a ground-breaking methodology that shall transform UNESCO-designated sites into hubs for participatory learning through heritage interpretation, while tackling global challenges through heritage interpretation. The ...Read More

We are shifting into fifth gear