When I started working in a local authority heritage context [1], I was struck by how much heritage was specifically expected to deliver rather concrete outcomes: pride, identity, creativity, social cohesion, mutual understanding, to name but a few (yes, a few of the many). This was set out in project plans, and we were also … Continue reading Interpretation and the Public Benefits of Heritage in Policy
Tag: interpretation
How can we properly honour individual and communal values?
Yesterday, John Jameson [1] and I hosted a roundtable discussion at the conference of the European Association of Archaeologists. We wanted to explore with participants what the challenges are of moving away from expert values and expert management, toward a recognition of individual and community values. Community engagement and community archaeology have been around for … Continue reading How can we properly honour individual and communal values?
Interpreting Art: Musings on visiting Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum
A couple of weeks back I visited the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Historic Art) in Vienna. Interpretation of art is not my specialism, and I’m always intrigued by what art museums do. You get anything from, well, nothing, to rather tediously specific texts that try to explain every dot of paint on the canvas. Sometimes … Continue reading Interpreting Art: Musings on visiting Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum
A Story of Exclusion, Or: Why I still think targeting audiences keeps museums on the wrong path
The ‘Extremism’ speech delivered this week by Britain’s Prime Minister made me ponder again that concept of ‘hard-to-reach’ audiences, especially what we call ‘BAME’ groups, and how the museums sector is using it to shape its practice. To me, what has been happening to Muslims in the UK over the last decade illustrates very eloquently … Continue reading A Story of Exclusion, Or: Why I still think targeting audiences keeps museums on the wrong path
True immersion, over-engineering, or lack of empathy? The exhibition at Schindler’s Factory
I really took note of the design of many of the exhibitions I saw when I was recently in Poland [1]. There was change of pace, drama, art, and, from my German point of view, a startling lack of inhibition about using Nazi symbols to create experiences [2]. This was probably most evident at Schindler’s … Continue reading True immersion, over-engineering, or lack of empathy? The exhibition at Schindler’s Factory
The Road to Hell
Ferguson [1] has reminded me of a saying I learnt in the US: ‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions’. I think this applies to interpretation, and heritage management more generally, also. Our literature and our conferences are full of suggestions of interpreters’ inherent good will, and the positive outcome this is supposed … Continue reading The Road to Hell
Visiting Rome, Or: The temptation of thinking in evolutionary stages of interpretation
Last week I came back from my first trip to Rome. What an amazing place! However, as someone working in heritage, I thought what probably thousands of heritage professionals before me have thought: this interpretation (if you can even call it that) is just terrible [1]. Signs were cluttered, randomly placed and half of the … Continue reading Visiting Rome, Or: The temptation of thinking in evolutionary stages of interpretation
The German MA’s Recommendations for Representing Migration
A couple of weeks ago, the German Museums Association (Deutscher Museumsbund) published recommendations for museums on how to include and represent migration and cultural diversity in their work. I was really impressed by two key concepts that frame the entire document: Migration is the Norm This is a fact that is evident when we burst … Continue reading The German MA’s Recommendations for Representing Migration
Re-visiting Stonehenge, Or: Visitor Management Vs Experience
A few years ago, I visited Stonehenge for the first time. Like many others, I was shocked at the (then) lack of interpretation and facilities, and after circling the stones once (also an oddly disappointing experience), I set off with the dog to go on a hike through the landscape, totally unplanned, merely drifting along … Continue reading Re-visiting Stonehenge, Or: Visitor Management Vs Experience
Tweeting interpretation?
In the months leading up to the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in November this year, the German Stasi-Unterlagen-Behörde [1], the Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam [2] and the populist newspaper Bild together created a Twitter-Account that live-tweeted the events that took place on that day, at that hour 25 years … Continue reading Tweeting interpretation?
Nicole Deufel's Blog 