Interpret Europe, in conjunction with UK-based, Past Pleasures Ltd, is holding its very first Certified Live Interpretation (CLI) course, in Hungary, from 1-7 September 2018.
Those of you who attended the recent IE annual conference in Kőszeg may have witnessed Past Pleasures Ltd Managing Director, Mark Wallis, bursting in to the gala dinner playing Elizabeth the First’s Ambassador to the Sublime Porte, Sir Edward Barton. This was an exciting taste of things to come in IE’s new live interpretation course. We catch up with Mark to find out more.
IE: Mark, what makes this course a ‘must’ in equipping people to organise or perform live interpretation?
MW: This live interpretation course will be unique, as far as I am aware, so there is currently nothing with which to compare it! It will induct applicants into the philosophy and practicality of working in reproduction costume.
IE: Who are the ‘perfect’ candidates in terms of basic experience or skills?
MW: The ‘perfect’ candidate (and hence ‘perfect’ costumed Interpreter) is someone with a passion for history, energy, charm, intelligence, ability to communicate and empathy. Frankly, in basic terms, they have to be a nice person, one whom people want to spend time with! No one with too much (or too little) ego will ever become successful in this field.
IE: Is what they learn wholly transferable or does the course make allowances for different national contexts?
MW: Rest assured, the skills taught on the course are readily transferable and cut across languages and cultures, since the ‘tool kit’ is a universal fit for human beings.
IE: What have previous participants of other Past Pleasures training events gone on to do?
MW: Previous recipients of our award-winning training have (after working for me in costume for some time) gone on to such jobs in heritage as Live Interpretation Manager for Historic Royal Palaces, UK, or the Education Office, Events Manager or worked at the Royal Armouries, etc. In a nutshell, managing, organising and performing!
Live interpretation courses don’t come up very often, so this really is a unique and, most importantly, affordable opportunity for all those who want to learn from a leading company in the profession. The programme is packed with workshops, exercises and presentations, in the inspiring venue of Eger Castle in Hungary, to captivate your audiences and maximise the time and investment of costumed interpretation for truly memorable and remarkable experiences.
The course delivers an Interpret Europe Certified Live Interpreter (CLI) certificate and is split into three days of workshops, two days of study, culminating in final presentations, preparation and assessment. As with all IE courses, the learning method is progressive, moving beyond simple objects and functions to unveil the wider human story behind them. It nurtures confidence and creativity to encourage participants to unearth talents they never knew they had!
Contact kate.howard@pastpleasures.co.uk, Past Pleasures Creative Director, for a full course outline and to book your place on this highly recommended course.
Mark Wallis is founder and Managing Director of Past Pleasures, the UK’s largest freelance provider of costumed historical interpretation, working in such prestigious venues as the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, UK. You can contact Mark at mark.wallis@pastpleasures.co.uk, or go to www.pastpleasures.co.uk.
Sandy Colvine is IE’s Marketing Coordinator and a member of the Training Team while also currently studying interpretation at the University of the Highlands and Islands, in Scotland. He lives near Avignon, France, and can be contacted at: sandy.colvine@interpret-europe.net
To cite this article:
Colvine, Sandy & Wallis, Mark (2018) ‘Three, two, one, action! Interpretation goes live!’. In Interpret Europe Newsletter 1-2018, 16-17.
Available online:
www.interpret-europe.net/fileadmin/Documents/publications/Newsletters/ie-newsletter_2018-1_spring.pdf
