Interpretation – tips and reflections

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Heritage interpretation plays a bigger and more important part in many heritage-related businesses and initiatives than many people think.

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Today Peter is in Sheffield talking to the Chartered Institute of Ecologists and Environmental Managers. He will say that communication skills should be seen as essential to the environmental profession. I wish I could be there; he was great in rehersal. This is the blog of the talk. He is talking to a group of professionals who care, usually passionately, […]

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Writing so that busy, distracted people take notice is a good skill to have in the 21st century. If you can’t do it, you may want some training. More and more we need to write for people in a hurry. For people who have most of their mind on other things. They are getting smarter […]

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Two woodpecker feathers from Bialowieza Forest in Poland, a UNESCO natural world heritage site

Some reflections on why heritage interpreters are like woodpeckers. They have a vital role and impact on the big, complex system of influencing public perceptions of heritage and environmental issues.

Hook Lighthouse – a beacon for guided tours

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Hook Lighthouse, which is black and white, next to a row of three white houses and a car park

Running really good guided tours at an attraction doesn’t happen by accident. It takes considerable time and attention to get it right. Like many things, when it is right, it looks so easy and effortless that most people will not see what is going on. Hook lighthouse runs really good tours that demonstrate the value […]

Interpretation for local people

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Using interpretation to communicate with local people has been an important part of many of our recent projects. It calls for some rather different approaches than interpretation for tourists.

Text writing in teams at the Royal Air Force Museum

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Writing the words for a major museum gallery is like climbing a mountain.  It is a dauntingly large task that can make even the strongest grow weary. It requires training, careful preparation, a good plan – and, I now know, it is altogether more joyous in good company. I know less than very little about […]

Why is a heritage interpreter like a comedian?

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Does laughter have a role in heritage interpretation?  Would a course in stand-up comedy help me understand what it is? This week I was interviewed as part of a research project into the social psychology of laughter. I was invited not because I had been laughing too loudly in public (yet again!) but because I […]

Sorry, QR code, it’s not you .. it’s me

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QR code – speaking as a heritage interpreter, I think our relationship is ending, or at least changing. The honeymoon is over as far as I’m concerned. You’ve got to do a lot more to pull your weight if we’re going to hang out together in the future. Firstly, QR code, I accuse you and, […]

Panels I Like (3): Mount Field, Tasmania

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Interpretive panels are hard to do well. In fact I think they are possibly the hardest interpretive medium to master. Panels need to be very carefully planned in order to get the best value from the couple of pictures and limited number of words they can carry. These panels in Mount Field National Park, Tasmania […]