The IE training programme

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An IE Course at your site

An IE course at your site?

 

Organisations and institutions are actively encouraged to contact an IE trainer and organise an IE course for up to 16 participants in their local area. Organising partners include regional or local authorities, tourism boards and agencies, landscape management institutions, universities and academies, or administrations of heritage sites and their umbrella organisations. IE trainers must  follow the IE training and certification plans but are free to negotiate with their organising partner. Participants must join the IE network for one year, but IE does not charge any further administration or certification fees. Contact training@interpret-europe.net to tell us your specific requirements and we can work closely with you to check course structure, language and identify suitable IE trainers.

Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP)

Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP)

 

Interpretive planning combines the needs of the visitor or heritage community, the site management and the heritage itself. It is a tricky balance to find, but once achieved, everyone’s a winner!

This 40-hour course considers all kinds of heritage sites. Along Interpret Europe’s interpretive planning framework, participants experience all course content in planning teams, step by step at an original heritage site. Every day, they add new insights to their own planning proposals which they present to each other on the last day of the course. The course content includes:

  • assessing the genius loci of a heritage site
  • evaluating the site experience and interpretive services
  • practising participatory approaches, exchange with and inclusion of stakeholders
  • analysing the difference between facts and meanings
  • developing interpretive themes, considering mental frames and universal values
  • planning engaging interpretive services, including settings and media
  • considering how interpretive services could be designed to be resilient over time
  • integrating aspects of sustainability and human rights into planning
  • exploring different ways of evaluation during planning processes.

To be certified as interpretive planners, participants must have some previous planning experience and attend the entire course. The certification process itself consists of the presentation of the interpretive planning proposal developed with their team during the course, a written test, and the development of their own interpretive plan at a heritage site of their choice after the course has ended.

Certified Interpretive Writer (CIW)

Certified Interpretive Writer (CIW)

 

How can the essence of natural and cultural heritage be better captured in writing? This 40-hour course plunges participants into the power of words. They’ll learn to unleash their creativity, when to be brief, when to elaborate, how to entice, surprise and captivate the target audience. This absorbing course is packed with inspiring exercises, clever tricks and rules to transform the ‘boring and dry’ into clear, engaging, and informative texts that can really inspire people. Participants might never look at or treat an interpretive panel in the same way again!

To be certified as an interpretive writer, trainees should have previous experience of writing for the public and complete all course modules. Certification tasks include, developing an interpretive theme, improving an existing panel text and layout and finally, creating a new interpretive text on a chosen phenomenon, using applicable rules for panel layout and design.

Certified Live Interpreter (CLI)

Certified Live Interpreter (CLI)

 

Live interpretation is a special guiding service that uses characters, costumes and props. It’s often the enduring highlight of any visit and quite simply brings heritage to life in the eyes of the visitor. This enthralling 40-hour course enables participants to develop historic characters, learn the essentials of first- and third-person performance and improvisation, public speaking, storytelling and the finer points of costume and language. First-class support from our highly-experienced trainers will take budding live interpreters on an unforgettable journey!

To be certified as a live interpreter, trainees must have previous experience in acting or re-enactment and take part in the entire course. The certification process itself consists of a written test, research and development of a historical character, a live performance and a critiquing exercise.

Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG)

Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG)

 

This 40-hour hands-on course provides a versatile toolkit to turn any heritage phenomenon into an experience and passive audiences into active participants. Trainees practice how to put strong ideas into words to engage visitors in a meaningful and memorable way. The course offers participants a variety of challenging exercises, building their confidence and creativity to develop, deliver and evaluate great interpretive talks and walks. 20 tried-and-tested benchmark standards provide more innovative and creative paths to interact with the public, while making guides effective facilitators able to provide greater visitor satisfaction.

To be certified as an interpretive guide, trainees must have previous guiding experience and attend the entire course. The certification process itself consists of a written test, the development of an interpretive walk, the delivery of one interpretive talk and a critiquing exercise.

Certified Interpretive Host (CIH)

Certified Interpretive Host (CIH)

 

This special two-day course is tailored to enterprise, particularly the hospitality sector. Including elements from all other IE courses, it harnesses the force of heritage to give businesses a new angle to market themselves. By making heritage a unique selling point, it transforms a scenic backdrop into a sustainable driver that truly embodies products and services. Participants work creatively with fellow-business owners to hatch ideas to apply to new products, improve existing services and promote their businesses in a new light!

To be certified as an interpretive host, trainees must demonstrate they understand interpretation principles and apply them to their everyday professional activities. The certification process involves developing and delivering an interpretive talk, as well as devising a proposal on how heritage interpretation can be used to enhance a specific activity, service or product in their own business.

Upcoming IE training courses

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