Our conference team is working away to ensure that we are ready to welcome you to Slovenia for our next conference, Sustainability: Challenging mindsets through heritage interpretation, on 21-24 March 2024.

Slovenia is described as a ‘green jewel in the heart of Europe’, ‘green heaven’, ‘Europe in miniature’, and other similarly poetic expressions. Although it is not located in the geographical centre of the continent, it lies at the intersection of cultures: Latin, German, Slavic and Hungarian worlds. Consequently, its culture and language is a product from this melting pot of all these influences that shaped a unique cultural mixture, resulting in an enormous variety of cultural expressions and dialects in a tiny territory.

The country’s former tourism slogan, ‘On the sunny side of Alps’, revealed its climate and geography. Whereas the current tourism slogan, ‘I feel SLOVEnia’, suggests that you will, too, fall in love with the place. But, away from this romantic poetry, Slovenia can boast about many things: vast areas (64% of its land) covered in forest and one of the most progressive forest management systems, with a fair number of European beasts that have been successfully reintroduced in nature; culinary delights, as diverse as its landscape; high responsibility and respect towards nature and traditional practices; and plenty of heritage jewels along off-the-beaten-track paths that we’ll visit during study visits.

During iecon24 in March, we’ll explore places that can offer the best interpretive experiences in the region. Not only in Slovenia, but also in its neighbours – Croatia and Italy.
Check out our range of interesting study visits: https://www.interpreteuropeconference.net/study-visits/

Travel to and from the conference can be an opportunity to add extra inspiration by connecting further with colleagues, whilst also seeing some of the more well-known and crowded tourist spots. You may join us for an additional tour before or after the conference and joining us for a visit of the capital Ljubljana at your arrival and driving together to Venice on the way home is a good option to experience these two places. However, we’ll not be staying on the usual tourist routes. Our hosts will reveal another side of the story and also talk about sustainability of the places. Find out more here:

https://www.interpreteuropeconference.net/pre-conference-tour/

https://www.interpreteuropeconference.net/post-conference-tour/

We have received a number of very promising abstracts for sessions and workshops that will open discussions at all layers of the conference theme. We will hear about local projects and research findings and discuss successful approaches as well as open questions and challenges. Together, maybe we will find some solutions.

Finally, we are extremely excited about the renowned speakers that will provoke our thoughts each day with their opening keynotes. David Uzzel, a deserving professor and researcher of heritage interpretation has dedicated his latest works to sustainability psychology and will be happy to exchange views with us regarding the potentials and limitations of heritage interpretation in fostering sustainability mindsets. Whereas Lluis Bonet from the University of Barcelona and Špela Spanžel from the Cultural Heritage Directorate Slovenia will highlight our joint endeavors from other angles.

You can find out more about our keynote speakers here: https://www.interpreteuropeconference.net/keynote-speakers/

If you have submitted an abstract for a presentation, you will be hearing from the conference team during January. It is now time to start booking up your place! The early bird discount fees are available until 9 February so don’t delay!

We are looking forward to meeting many of you (again) in March for the next lively Interpret Europe conference!

Bettina Lehnes is IE’s Events Coordinator. You can contact her at: bettina.lehnes@interpret-europe.net.

Helena Vicic is IE’s Managing Director. You can contact her at: helena.vicic@interpret-europe.net.

For all conference enquiries, you can reach the local organising team at: management@interpreteuropeconference.net.

To cite this article: Lehnes, Bettina & Vicic, Helena (2023) ‘Challenge your mindset‘  in Interpret Europe Newsletter 4-2023, pg.6-7.
Available online: https://interpret-europe.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IE-Newsletter-2023_4-winter.pdf

These lines contain some thoughts about the questions and concerns related to the most recent developments in heritage that started occupying my head after the two most recent events I was invited to as an IE representative to give a keynote. Naturally, a keynote needs to provide some strong ideas, a vision for the sector and some positive encouragement for the listeners. However, I can well imagine that some listeners of my speeches felt puzzled or even annoyed. I catch myself too, in doubt whether our high-flying vision might be too demanding, or too abstract to be easily translated into practical solutions, too conflicting with current structures and processes, or even too conflicting with prevailing ideas around the roles of heritage or heritage experts?

On these pages we have already spilled quite some ink sharing vision and ideas about the development of the interpretive profession and value-based interpretation, however, I’d like to share some very concrete quotes for you to contemplate with me. What is it about? I will get to that soon, but I’m impatient and thrilled to first share the news about the two events that are signs of a new development.

The first event – International seminar on heritage interpretation happened in the Museum of Józef Piłsudski in Sulejówek (Poland). The interesting fact is that the event closed the Erasmus+ project in which 30 employees of the same museum were trained and most of them also gained IE certified status for interpretive guiding and writing. This makes the museum as an institution quite unique in its field. A public organisation that is implementing interpretation systematically across their structures, designing their future development around it, and even actively promoting it to the sector, is well worthy of IE’s support and visibility. We’re looking forward to hearing about the actual effects and visitor feedback from them in future.

The second event was the closing of a COST Action project – Underground4Value – in Brussels, led by the CRN in which partners co-developed a toolkit for community heritage valorisation. During the project they have come across various approaches, among them also with Interpret Europe and interpretation as a discipline that can clearly complement their endeavours in future.

These are all positive developments for IE and in my speeches I shared with them some lines from the related international conventions and papers that outline the changing paradigm in culture, in which the heritage sector (not only cultural) could hopefully finally recognise an important role interpretation plays in fulfilling the international policies’ agenda.

The first paper is the Faro Convention (COE, 2005) according to which:

• Cultural heritage should help “…in the construction of a peaceful and democratic society, and in the process of sustainable development and in promotion of cultural diversity”.
• Besides people, increasingly important is becoming the role of human values in heritage. In particular European founding values.
• What is even more important for us interpreters is clause II / 7 / d: signatory states should “integrate these approaches into all aspects of lifelong education and training”. (Heritage interpretation IS a structured approach to non-formal learning, so in theory, interpretation should systematically include human values in communication and content with the goal to build peace and democracy, to promote cultural diversity.)
• Further, the Faro Convention suggests that cultural heritage should be included in all levels of education, “not necessarily as a subject of study in its own right, but as a fertile source for studies in other subjects.” (We can understand this in a way that we interpret heritage not only because of heritage itself, but with an aim to open up discussions about other subjects, such as sustainability, justice, peace and other critical issues of our time.)

The heritage and cultural sector is, furthermore, called ‘to a concerted action’ by the European Commission (Stormy Times, 2022) towards sustainability, climate change and social justice along with all other sectors, mobilising all resources.

The Stormy Times report suggests:

• “Green deal challenges Europeans to change the way they live and think”. The report Stormy Times calls for artists and cultural organisations to play a full part in this transformational cultural change.
• “…Fact based communication is obviously not enough to mobilise energies and courage for change.”
• 7Rs: Rethink, Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Refurbish, Recycle, and Recover. (RETHINK is the first R in the row)
• “It is culture that gives man the ability to reflect upon himself”. (We couldn’t agree more, heritage interpretation should encourage reflection of people upon their lifestyles. I believe the cultural and natural sites, as non-formal learning settings, can offer food for thought by creating meaningful experiences.

Furthermore, the Climate Heritage Network, in which Interpret Europe takes part, is gearing up for the UN Conference of the Parties (COP28) that will take place in December 2023, to achieve  that “mainstreaming art, culture, and heritage perspectives into international climate change policy would support local cultural-based climate action by helping to deliver policy and funding frameworks that valorise this work.”

So where are we interpreters in this story?
The general challenge I see is (as usual) in the bottleneck between policies and practice. If we want to be up to date with the current discourse in heritage, if for nothing else, to be successful in applications for European funding, we should be perceptible for new ideas. However, many European projects have questionable results on the ground and interpretation services are often remaining of a shy face somewhere in the average still predominantly following the “teaching endgame” as Sam Ham called it and the latest design practices. Are we doing enough?  Where is our passion for the ‘provocation’ approach? Are we doing everything to evolve to our maximum of creativity and boldness without compromising on scientific truth? I believe heritage interpretation offers sufficient knowledge and skills to bring into practice these high-flying ideals. Nevertheless, our ongoing collaboration with UNESCO has already resulted in the acknowledgement of value-based interpretation as a valuable approach to achieving UNESCO mission at World Heritage Sites. This gives us enough wind in our backs.

The question is whether interpreters are ready to follow international policies and conventions.

I think my concerns will not calm down until Interpret Europe mobilises examples and case studies that can serve as inspiration, and we have built enough trust that we do represent the best practice. I’d be most thrilled to proclaim that what we teach and preach, ‘our’ interpreters also practice!

Yes, changes don’t happen overnight and people also don’t change from one day to another. We need to accept that it will take time. Both, for interpretation practice to improve its own approaches as well as for society to transform itself towards sustainability. However, it is time to act and work together. Like the Croatian and Polish partners on the Erasmus+ project.

IE is a forum, a place for exchange and mutual learning. The first step should be to share ideas and good practice examples on how you managed to engage communities on the highest level of the participation scale, how you managed to negotiate a value-based approach at your institution, what are your ideas about sustainability experience design?

We’ll also try to get financial means and pilot test some ideas, but hey, colleagues out there! If you work on an interpretation project that can really be a good example of inclusion, sustainability interpretation (not education!), climate change interpretation and social justice interpretation, please come forward!

We can give you a floor at one of our webinar sessions, or save your ammunition for next year’s conference, Sustainability: Challenging mindsets through heritage interpretation. The call for papers is out and we are ready. Don’t wait!

Helena Vičič is IE’s Managing Director. She can be contacted at: helena.vicic@interpret-europe.net.

To cite this article: Vičič , Helena  (2023) ‘Are heritage experts challenged?‘in Interpret Europe Newsletter 3-2023, pg. 4-5.
Available online:  https://interpret-europe.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PDF-Newsletter-2023_3-autumn.pdf

The highlight of our 2022 calendar was undoubtedly the fantastic conference we held on 12-14 October at the Hilton Garden Inn in Snowdonia National Park, Wales. It felt like a gleaming jewel of brightness, set within the heavy arc of another uncertain year. Aptly named The Connection/ Y Cysylltiad, we joined together and celebrated our first in-person conference since the merriment of pre-pandemic times.

The conference was opened with a beautiful keynote from Andrew White, Wales Director of the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF). He shared how an open definition of heritage has helped communities build meaningful connections in Wales and across the UK. Drawing on rich case studies, he shared principles and examples of working with young people and hard-to-reach communities.

Site visits included the spectacular Great Orme and Penrhyn Castle, industrial Blaenau Ffestiniog, the Deep Mine Tour of Llechwedd Quarry, and a walking tour around Dolgarrog on the Rural Conwy Sacred Trails route.

A rich palette of parallel sessions preceded and followed. Workshops and presentations included Cadw’s 15-minute Heritage which gave members of the public a way to interpret heritage on their doorsteps, there were exciting games workshops by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Upstart Theatre, a micro-workshop to interpret wildlife of The Great Orme by VisitMôr, Bath Preservation Trust shared ways to re-interpret colonial heritage at Beckford’s Tower through community engagement, and Wrexham Museum and Haley Sharpe Design presented how they developed A (football) Museum of Two Halves.

We also explored how the AHI Code of Ethics can support interpreters to embrace challenges with safety and professional confidence. With over 20 presentations and workshops, packed into three days, plus site visits, the programme provided a sense of intrigue for every interpreter.

The conference also offered a springboard to launch the bi-annual AHI Engaging People Awards which will be held next year in Lincoln. The team introduced the eight award categories for project nominations, plus individual awards for Young Interpreter and Outstanding Contribution to Interpretation. It’s exciting to see award nominations rolling in and you can still nominate a person or project. Find the details here and check eligibility: https://ahi.org.uk/awards/entry/

True to its theme, it was wonderful to connect with so many interpreters after so long. We were inspired by the rich interpretive stories shared by our presenters, the energy and enthusiasm of our delegates, the impeccable scene set by the hotel and its staff, and the spectacular landscape of Snowdonia and its Welsh heritage.

We are very grateful to Core for being our main Conference sponsors. We were proud to provide five early career interpreters living or working in Wales support to attend or stay at the conference with bursaries from Haley Sharpe, ATS Heritage, NGX, Barker Langham, and Heritage Insider. We also want to thank our conference team who created this stellar event.

Beth Môrafon is the AHI Chair and VisitMôr Director. She can be contacted at: beth@visitmor.co.uk.

To cite this article: Môrafon, Beth (2022) ‘Stories from the AHI conference’ in Interpret Europe Newsletter 4-2022, pg.25

Available online: https://interpret-europe.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Newsletter-2022_4-winter.pdf

In the end, its annual gathering was a very real event, generally applauded for its success in making best use of available technology as well as for its content.

AHI chose the Hopin platform, which is devised for the conference market and is more adaptable and effective than Zoom. It allowed delegates to visit Reception for information, a Help Desk for technical assistance, a Stage for keynote addresses and other plenary sessions, a Sessions area that acted as a series of break-out rooms, an Expo Booth area (live and recorded) for promotional purposes and a Networking function. During sessions, delegates could use the Chat function. Hopin worked well once we got the hang of it – which didn’t take long.

The conference was split into two parts. We quickly mastered the techy bits and were treated to three themed sessions, six keynote presentations in all, on the first day and a half (part one) and had a chance to revisit the themes two weeks later, with delegates invited to submit their own videos for discussion. This pioneering arrangement proved successful and allowed us in part two to enjoy several short video responses to the keynote speakers. The themes were partly driven by Covid-19 and partly by the furore over Black Lives Matter which, like the pandemic, is pan-world.

Stuart Frost of the British Museum and Jane Samuels of the Natural History Museum, both in London, led on Theme 1 – Covid-19, Challenges and opportunities for interpretation. Stuart explained that digital platforms and social media maintained public contact while they faced the complexities of opening a museum of many floors and galleries with one-way routes, new signage and staff training. Alongside this was the challenge of re-interpreting collections relating to Britain’s colonial past.

Jane’s talk focussed on the progress of her museum’s programmes for diversity and inclusion which are core values of its vision that both people and the planet should thrive. Like Stuart, she emphasised the impact on funding because of Covid-19 restrictions on visitors and the substantial absence of overseas visitors. The impact of Brexit was also of concern.

Theme 2 – Black Lives Matter and the response by heritage interpreters – brought to the stage Finn White and Kofo Ajala of the Bristol Black History Project. Finn described the importance of relating the great range of stories about the city’s black community to the community itself and to the wider public, and how they had used a panel of local experts and story writers to bring the project alive.

Kofo’s vivacious, spontaneous description of her involvement as a young person on the steering group demonstrated, she said, that everyone can have a voice in changing conventional directions of museums which are often a product of a colonial past. That she felt her voice and opinions would not usually be sought showed how many museums are ‘institutionally white’; she acknowledged that her voice was heard only because it was wanted for this project. In working towards a more inclusive society, interpretation can play a seminal role.

Paula Larsson and Olivia Durand, the two PhD students who conceived Uncomfortable Oxford, told us why they set up walking tours of the university city to challenge and expose racial inequality, gender and class discrimination and the legacies of empire. They have found ready audiences for their unconventional and imaginative exploration of Oxford and, during lockdown, developed a way of delivering the walking tours virtually.

James Harding-Morris and Fiona Groves addressed Theme 3 – New-found engagement with the natural world during Covid-19. James leads Back from the Brink, a collaborative project that aims to save England’s most threatened species from extinction through engaging and connecting people with nature. His talk will be remembered for the stunning photographs of insects, plants and animals, which have been made freely available for anyone to use for educational purposes.

Fiona Groves of the UK Wildlife Trusts rounded off this theme by discussing the challenges and opportunities of engaging the wider community with nature during the pandemic. Accessing wildlife-rich places not only develops care for the natural world but benefits physical and mental health, working for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Listening to the key speakers sparked off valuable ‘chat’ contributions to the debates (as they did during IE’s conference) and added to the value of each topical discussion. Delegates could also chat directly to others online and arrange individual video chats.

The follow-up day two weeks later brought a collection of short, personal videos that reflected the themes that formed the core of the conference. Perhaps the most thought-provoking was Marina Hauer’s presentation that asked us to look beyond ourselves and question our ethos ‘and collective blind-spots, to tell better, truer and more inclusive stories’.

A further benefit for AHI was that the Hopin platform allowed poll voting at AHI’s annual general meeting and collected data on attendance, use of the chat facility and visits to, and follow-ups from, the Expo Booths.

Evaluation forms are still being assessed but the immediate response during the wrap-up sessions indicated a high level of approval for the Hopin platform, Kev Theaker’s design of the programme and the ensuing debates and Astrid Krumins’ cheerful management of the whole conference.

The conference fee was kept as low as possible, at £50 for AHI members and £65 for non-members.

Michael Hamish Glen is an experienced wordsmith, based in Scotland, and formerly ran Touchstone Heritage Management Consultants. He creates effective and thought-provoking words to interpret natural and cultural heritage. Michael helped to found AHI in 1975 and is also a founding member of Interpret Europe. He can be contacted at: michael.hamish.glen@mhg.scot. 

To cite this article:
Hamish Glen, Michael (2020) ‘Reignite: AHI offers new sparks for interpretation in a tough year’. In Interpret Europe Newsletter 4-2020, 29-30.

Available online: http://www.interpret-europe.net/fileadmin/Documents/publications/Newsletters/IE_newsletter_2020_4_winter.pdf