Significance, Significance – Why it’s so important

I've just returned from an excellent conference - the National Workshop of the US-American National Association for Interpretation. I've picked up many good ideas that I will certainly blog about, but today I want to reflect on the responses I got to my own paper. I presented some of the research I've recently completed into … Continue reading Significance, Significance – Why it’s so important →

Beware the generic, or: That’s what significance assessments are for

I recently had a very interesting chat with a colleague who is working on educational programmes. They covered a whole range of topics that may be of interest to teachers and so encourage them to bring pupils on site. I admired their ideas for a broad variety of possible projects, and yet one thing remained … Continue reading Beware the generic, or: That’s what significance assessments are for →

Authentic Interpretation at the Big Pit, Wales

Authenticity is not usually a term we come across in interpretation literature with the exception of writings on costumed interpretation of various kinds [1]. Interpreters tend to treat authenticity as a given: we base our interpretation on sound research and so it must be authentic [2]. However, my recent visit to the Big … Continue reading Authentic Interpretation at the Big Pit, Wales →

A balancing act – interpretation between respect and education

Most of us, when doing visitor surveys, will find that visitors arrive at our doorstep with some prior knowledge of the site. The depth of this knowledge will vary as will its historical accuracy. Especially where this knowledge is connected with a sense of heritage, however, this may pose a challenge for interpreters. I have … Continue reading A balancing act – interpretation between respect and education →

Are you an interpretive tyrant?

Interpreters tend to be passionate folk. In fact, the first time I heard someone say 'I've turned my passion into my profession' was at an interpreters' conference. Interpreters are not the only ones involved in heritage who are passionate about a site or an object, of course, but their passion goes beyond the resource - … Continue reading Are you an interpretive tyrant? →

The Heritage of the People – ICH

Recently, a wiki website was launched to inventory the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Scotland. This is a response to the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage which defined ICH as 'practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills' and the objects and cultural spaces associated with these [1]. The convention called for all … Continue reading The Heritage of the People – ICH →