Interpret Europe has engaged Italian VET provider and specialist in cultural participation, Melting Pro, to run a professional mentoring and peer support programme over the next three years, starting this winter.
While principally intended for IE members, the programme will also reach out to non-member heritage professionals to join and share in this collaborative process. Participants can be freelance consultants and/or trainers, whether recently established in, or brand new to, heritage interpretation. It is also open to senior professionals with mentoring experience who would like to support early career interpreters. The programme will provide personalised guidance and support for professional development and promote sustainable business growth.
Help us by completing this online survey by Monday 22 December 2025 so we can shape the mentoring and peer support programme to your needs.
Please note that completing the survey is not conditional on you committing to participate in the mentoring programme. We simply want an accurate snapshot of professional development needs among the interpretive community so that the subjects and content of this initiative address those needs as far as possible
Heritage interpretation can sometimes feel like a solitary occupation, so this initiative aims to draw on our combined strengths to enhance and share the expertise within the interpretive community. This includes structured opportunities for dialogue, networking and practical tools to help individual interpreters make the most of the skills they have learned and drive collective growth in a fast-expanding and dynamic sector.
In addition to growing businesses, market demand, client-provider relationships and project design, etc., the focus will also be on soft skills where people can exchange ideas, develop new skills, and strengthen existing ones in a safe, collaborative space.
The programme begins this winter with (i) mapping your needs through an online survey, followed in early 2026 with (ii) annual cycles of online workshops with sector experts on the identified needs, training on mentoring, matching, and peer mentoring sessions. Each cycle includes monitoring and evaluation. Participation is free for IE members with a small charge for non-members*. Participants can stay for more than one cycle as they wish.
Why join?
Taking part in this mentoring and peer support programme means investing in your professional development and joining a community that values collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and meaningful connections around heritage. Each participant will:
- receive personalised support through a peer mentoring pathway with someone who knows your sector and its challenges
- become a mentor and learn to channel your experience to assist those new to the profession in other countries
- access high-quality training with experts on topics such as, for instance, entrepreneurial development, fundraising, communication, and digital tools
- strengthen your professional profile with practical strategies for growing as a trainer or freelance interpreter
- exchange ideas and practices with colleagues from across Europe, broadening your perspective
- build lasting connections within the Interpret Europe network and beyond
- contribute to the sector-wide debate on the future of heritage interpretation, centred on people and values
If you would like to apply to take part, please send an email to office@interpret-europe.net by 30 December 2025 briefly stating your professional situation, your ambitions for a career in heritage interpretation and what you would like to gain from mentoring.
Thank you for your interest. We think this will be an ideal opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow together.
*Non-IE member heritage professionals can access the mentoring programme by either joining IE from 2026 at individual membership fee level, or by remaining as non-members and instead paying an annual participation fee indexed to your country of residence as applies to IE membership fees (see below).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
