Abstracts
Elisa Bailey (Spain)
The good, the bad, and the graffitied: How we (re-)interpret monuments to heroes
Presentation: 25 min
This paper draws on case studies from across Europe to consider the re-interpretation of heroism in art three different ways: 1. The villainisation of monumental state infrastructure by graffiti and other types of adornment (such as the monuments to the République in Paris, and Dos de mayo in Madrid; and the dismantled monuments to the Red Army in Sofia, and Mykola Shchors in Kyiv); 2. Popular interpretations of the anti-hero in celebratory and commemorative public art, and whether the artist themself is one (with examples from Prishtina, London, Belfast, Yekaterinburg and beyond); and 3. How dismantled monuments celebrating heroes-turned-villains across the continent might risk ‘coming good’ by forming the basis of interpretive strategies for teaching (art) history, tolerance, and more.
Elisa Bailey is a multilingual curator, interpreter, heritage travel consultant with the motto ‘Curating is Caring’. Elisa has lived in 9 countries for work with the V&A, BFI, Dubai Expo 2020, Guggenheim, Oman Across Ages Museum, Carabinieri Cultural Heritage, Sotheby’s, universities, media and cinema. She founded Rise-Rosa-Rage Socio-Political Graphics Archive, researches and publishes on memorials, solidarity, protest and the artist’s role in fighting oppression. She studied at University of Cambridge, Courtauld Institute of Art, and Harvard University Centre for Hellenic Studies.
Thomas H Bak & Gerda Stevenson (Scotland)
John Knox and the women of Scotland: interpreting Scottish heroes through
guiding and poetry
Presentation: 55 min
This presentation focuses on one of the most influential and controversial figures of
Scottish history, John Knox, contrasting him with female figures from different time
periods, including Mary Queen of Scots, Fanny Wright and Isobel Emslie Hutton. John
Knox, the towering figure of 16 th Century Reformation in Scotland, is seen by some a
hero, liberating Scotland from oppressive, reactionary and corrupt catholic Church; by
others as a fanatic, misogynistic religious fundamentalist. His long shadow affected not
only his contemporaries, but continues to divide the country up to the present day.
We approach the topic from different angles, combining guiding through a sense of
place, “historical empathy” and exploration of alternative points of view through new
poems dedicated to Scotland’s female heroes by Gerda Stevenson. It shows how the
big themes of 16 th Century remain big themes today: truth, inclusion, tolerance,
democracy, education, respect.
Thomas H Bak is a tourist guide and a cognitive neurologist and neuroscientists at the
University of Edinburgh, working currently on multilingualism and religious experience.
When guiding, he specialises in religious tourism, from Celtic Christianity, through
Pilgrimages, to Reformation Tours, working in 5 languages with visitors from a wide
range of religious, cultural and linguistic background.
Gerda Stevenson is an award-winning Scottish poet and writer (in English and Scots),
as well as actress, film and theatre director, and singer/songmaker. In her recent
poetry collection “The Quines” she offers poetic portraits of Scottish women from
prehistory to the present.
Katia Dianina (US)
A “Witch from Croatia” in Exile: Rewriting a Folklore Villain into a New Kind of Female Hero
Presentation: 25 min
The European Fairy Tale Route is one of the most recent cultural itineraries of the Council of Europe, certified in 2022. The proclaimed aim of the EFTR, which links imaginary and real places across 19 countries, is to highlight the value of folklore heritage that extends beyond the national borders and nourishes a broader European perspective. How do we use fictional heroes for the purposes of heritage interpretation? My presentation focuses on one notorious border-crossing character of Slavic folklore, known in different languages as Baba Yaga/ Baba Roga/ jędza baba/ ježibaba. In recent decades, this proverbial anti-hero has undergone radical changes, as can be seen in the book Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugrešić, an author turned heritage interpreter. This literary exercise is not only a useful paradigm for today’s interpreters of culture; it also offers a conceptual framework for heritage interpretation as storytelling.
Katia Dianina’s experience with heritage interpretation ranges from guided tours to academic publications. The topic of safeguarding and negotiating heritage has a long history, and studying how different communities in the past and present have approached the issue provides invaluable insights into understanding of our common future. It also offers pathways into practical steps that we can undertake today, when the preservation of heritage as a sustainable tradition is more urgent than ever.
Marila Dragišić (Serbia)
Mihajlo Pupin: About the time before and after great discoveries
Presentation: 25 min
Idvor – a small village in the north of Serbia, is known for being the birthplace of the world-famous scientist, inventor, university professor, publicist, academic, and philanthropist – Mihajlo Pupin. The central area of the settlement, which includes Pupin’s birthplace, the school he attended, the “People’s House of Mihajlo Pupin” foundation, and the church where he was baptized, is protected by the state as a cultural monument. These sites are associated with various stages of Mihajlo Pupin’s life and activities, and their protection is aimed at preserving the memory of the character and work of this renowned scientist and inventor in the fields of physics and electrical engineering.
Certainly, Idvor is the right place to talk about Pupin’s discoveries that have contributed to humanity. However, it is also a place where much more should be learned about his life before and after his brilliant inventions, which often remain overshadowed by his scientific work. This idea forms the foundation of a new plan for interpreting the cultural heritage, especially considering that students are the most frequent visitors of Idvor.
Guided by Pupin’s autobiography „From Immigrant to Inventor”, an interpretive plan is being developed that dedicates much more space to his early childhood and the period when, as a rural boy, he first encountered the knowledge of the world that would later form the basis of his scientific and research work. In other words, the parental home and the rural environment in which he grew up will be presented as the place where the great ideas that would lead Pupin to scientific heights were born.
At the same time, the interpretation plan aims to provide visitors with a clear picture of Mihajlo Pupin as a great patriot and philanthropist. As an already accomplished scientist and inventor, Pupin had both the need and the material resources to help his country and people in various ways, as best evidenced by the People’s House in Idvor. He built this building with the intention of creating a „national“ university, or a horticultural and fruit-growing school, and the rich archival material opens up the possibility not only to present this but also, in accordance with modern circumstances, realize Pupin’s wish, which was not completed due to his death.
Marila Dragišić is an ethnologist and anthropologist and works as a conservator-researcher at the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia in Belgrade. She is professionally oriented towards the protection of vernacular architecture, with a special interest in its interpretation and presentation. She presented two such examples at the Conference in Romania and at the Conference in Slovenia, organized by IE. She designs and organizes educational programs for children and teachers and believes that, with a clear interpretation and presentation and good cooperation with the local population, this is the only way to sustainable preservation of heritage. She is the author of several published articles in domestic and foreign magazines and a documentary film, co-author and collaborator at several exhibitions and occasionally a participant at professional conferences in the country and abroad. She is a member of ICOMOS Serbia and Interpret Europe.
Stuart Frost (UK)
Taking Sir Hans Sloane off his pedestal? Legacies of enslavement and empire at the British Museum
Presentation: 25 min
The British Museum was established in 1753 thanks in large part to Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753). A physician, Sloane was also a collector of objects from around the world. By his death he had collected more than 71,000 items. Sloane bequeathed his collection to the nation and in 1753 it became the founding collection of the British Museum. In London Sloane is celebrated with a blue plaque and in place names like Sloane Square.
However, Sloane’s significant relationship with the transatlantic trade in enslaved people has long been overlooked. His collecting began on Jamaica, then an English colony where he worked on slave plantations. Sloane married an heiress to Jamaican sugar plantations worked by enslaved people, profits from which contributed to his ability to collect. This paper will focus on recent initiatives from August 2020 onward, including collaborative work with communities around the UK and a contemporary artist, to acknowledge and reinterpret Sloane’s complex biography.
Stuart Frost is Head of Interpretation and Volunteers at the British Museum. Prior to this, he spent eight years at the Victoria & Albert Museum working on the redevelopment of the Medieval and Renaissance Europe 300-1600 galleries (opened 2009). At the British Museum he co-curated the Desire, love, identity: exploring LGBTQ histories exhibition which also toured to five UK venues (2017-2019), Collecting histories: Solomon Islands (2019) and a Collecting and Empire trail (2020 onward).
Penelope Gkini (Greece)
On the crossroad of responsibilities: living in between two eras, an experiment from
Chania, Crete
Presentation: 25 min
It is in the town of Chania, in the island of Crete , that the Cretan Greek stateman
Eleftherios Venizelos , started his political career by achieving the passage from theOttoman rule to the Cretan Autonomous state first and then the union with the Greek state. He was the prominent figure of modernization of the late 19 th century and beginnings of the 20 th . Between the Cretan and Greek culture, between the Greek and European identity (he was one of the founders of the United Nations), between royalty and republic, he lived in very intense times. He had to balance all
the uprising political and military groups, the geostrategic interests of the Great Powers and his personal life. As prime minister, as diplomat, as revolutionary, he never avoided responsibilities. Therefor he became the most famous and at the same time the most unpopular politician of modern Greece.
That’s what inspired the initiative to propose an interpretive walk to the Venizelos Museum -Residence, as an innovative way of approach. If somebody could understand and accept innovation, it should be that museum! As heritage interpretation is not very known in Greece, the procedure of convincing and preparing it passed through several levels. The pilot test took place with the
workers-guides of the museum in order to approve the approach and the guide.
After many months of research and thanks to the open minded workers, the first walk took place with local visitors. This presentation pretends to dismantle not the hero it self but the underground
procedures that blocked finally the interpretive tours.
Between ideology and openness, between innovative and traditional tours, between deep-rooted mentalities and visitors searching to connect with their heritage, in the middle of the crossroad of a museum and residence, what could this experiment teach us? Where does the interpretive guide stand?
Penelope Gkini is an Interpret Europe trainer and interpretive guide.
Małgorzata Hordyniec & Mateusz Tomaszczyk (Poland)
The man who envied the birds. Interpreting the story of Jan Wnęk – a mid-19th century aviation pioneer.
Presentation: 55 min
Whitsunday fair, tiny village of Odporyszów in Lesser Poland, June 10, 1866. Crowds of festively dressed people flocking to the church. High above them, at the top of the bell tower… Is there a man with huge wings strapped to his body? For a few seconds everything stands still… Suddenly a leap, gasp and then just a gliding shape in the sky. Imagine, how must the people of Odporyszów felt, when they first saw their neighbour – Jan Wnęk, flying above their heads?
If this story had been confirmed in written sources, Jan Wnęk – self-taught carpenter, sculptor and constructor, would have gone down in history as the first aviator (25 years before Otto Lilienthal!). Nevertheless, to this day, he remains a hero of the collective imagination and a source of pride for the local community.
How to interpret a story that straddles the line between myth and history? How to make a story about a forgotten local hero meaningful to wider audiences? How to tell a compelling story using literally few facts, material traces in the landscape and loads of imagination? How can new technologies help us? And finally, what is the significance of an interpreter’s authority in reinforcing and redistributing local myths? The answers to these questions will be delivered from the perspective of interpretive planner and heritage event organiser (Małgorzata Hordyniec) and interpretive guide (Mateusz Tomaszczyk), who joined their forces to interpret the story of Jan Wnęk during 26. Malopolska Days of Cultural Heritage (2024).
Małgorzata Hordyniec – a social anthropologist by education (University of Warsaw, Poland) and avocation. A member of the Interpret Europe network, a certified interpretive guide (CIG), and a certified interpretive writer (CIW). At Malopolska Institute of Culture in Krakow, she acts as a „field worker”, cooperating with local communities and cultural institutions on heritage interpretation.2, When not in the field, she fiddles with words, writing audio descriptions for museums.
Mateusz Tomaszczyk – a licensed tourist guide, licenced tour manager and certified business trainer working in the area of the tourism industry. In the area of training, she specialises in developing the competencies (especially soft skills) of tourist guides. He is an IE and WFTGA trainer with the rank of Lead International Trainer. In the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, he works in the training committee in the position of Experienced Trainer. He is a participant in the Facilitator School and will soon complete his Facilitator Certification.
Luka Jakopčić (Croatia)
Between controversy and experience: Interpreting heritage of the first Croatian president
Presentation: 25 min
The presentation exhibits the recent case study of developing and implementing a self-guided interpretive walk in the small Croatian town of Veliko Trgovišće, the birthplace of Franjo Tuđman (1922-1999), the first president of independent Croatia. The historical figure that sharply divides Croatian society (while some worship him, others dislike him) had to be interpreted in a way that would not irritate dominant political structures. At the same time – for the sake of scientific and interpretive integrity – losing a critical and intriguing approach was not an option. What solution did we come up with, and what are the visitors’ reactions, will be the main focal point of the presentation.
Luka Jakopčić (Zagreb, 1989) runs a storytelling and experience studio / travel agency specialized in designing tailor-made and value for money tours, routes, and itineraries. He is also a PhD student at Zagreb University, researching early forms of experience economy and its relevance in the context of the future tourism development. He is an active member of the Croatian Interpret Europe section.
Katarzyna Jankowska (Poland)
Her or His Story? – case of Warsaw Ghetto Fighters memorial
Presentation: 25 min
The presentation explores the dynamic concepts of ‘hero,’ ‘anti-hero,’ and ‘villain’ through the lens of the Warsaw Ghetto Fighters Memorial. This case study delves into what constitutes heroic deeds and traits across diverse cultural interpretations. By analyzing the memorial’s depiction of resistance during the Holocaust, we examine the balance between idealization and critical reflection in portraying historical figures. Lessons from this site highlight the evolution of heroism narratives and offer insights into universal and culturally specific notions of heroism. The presentation aims to foster a nuanced understanding of heroism, encouraging dialogue on its fluidity and contextual sensitivity in commemorative practices worldwide.
Katarzyna Jankowska is a chief education specialist, a Polin museum guide for over 10 years, licensed Warsaw city guide since 2011. Currently finished heritage interpretation training with Interpret Europe.
Maria Bożena Kamińska (Poland)
The interpretive method in genocide studies.
Presentation: 25 min
On the experience of introducing the interpretive method in practice as a way of educating at the crime scene. Presentation of the results of observations of coping with recipients’ emotions.
Maria Bożena Kamińska has been an Interpret Europe Guide since 2022. She is a certified guide to Kampinos National Park, city guide to Warsaw and historical sites – the Royal Castle in Warsaw, King Jan III Sobieski Museum in Wilanów, and a tour guide. She has been working at the Museum of Warsaw since 2021, and at the Museum in Palmiry since 2022, responsible for the educational program. She is an initiator and social activist in the Society of Friends of Warsaw, and a social guardian of monuments.
Michal Kepski (Poland)
Non-human heroes and villains: River personhood in Polish heritage discourse since 2022
Presentation: 25 min
Every river has its own story, and the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers asserts that “all rivers are living entities that possess legal standing.” The concept of environmental personhood for rivers means that they have the same rights, privileges, protections, responsibilities, and liabilities of a person. Consequently, rivers may be regarded as non-human heroes or villains.
The presentation analyses the contemporary trend within blue humanities that focuses on river personhood from the perspective of heritage interpretation. It offers critical inquiry into the following questions: Is the personhood of rivers represented within museum and exhibition discourse? What potential impacts might this concept exert on systems of heritage protection and interpretation? The discussion will feature several exhibitions and artistic projects developed in Poland since 2022, marking a pivotal year for revitalizing environmental consciousness in the wake of the Odra River disaster.
Michal Kepski is a historian, curator and producer of exhibitions. At the Doctoral School of Humanities at Adam Mickiewicz University he is preparing a work on the history of the Warta River in Poznan in the 19th and 20th centuries. Since 2014, he is an employee of the Poznan Heritage Centre. He is co-editor of the first Polish translation of Freeman Tilden’s “Interpreting Our Heritage” (2019).
Lisa Keys & Nigel Mills (UK)
Community development through interpretation of an ancient hero
Presentation: 55 min
The Kemathen warrior, a fifth century AD Germanic (barbarian) chieftain, is the focus for an interpretation project in the six rural municipalities of the LimesGemeinden.
The remains of the Roman frontier, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site, runs through the LimesGemeinden. Although not Roman, the Kemathen warrior provides a unique opportunity to discover and explore the landscape and identity of the communities of this World Heritage Site (WHS). This ‘hero’ story is the catalyst for:
• a new community museum, a cultural hub for the LimesGemeinden, and a regional museum for the WHS.
• a unique perspective, looking back to time of the Roman frontier and forward to its legacies and modern communities in their landscape.
• seeing the museum as a place that reveals and celebrates local connections with the cultural and physical landscape of the WHS, that local people see as part of their cultural life.
• challenging perceptions of regional identity, through scientific research to inform interpretation, and opens up avenues for discussions on identity.
• initiatives across the landscape of the LimesGemeinden, celebrating the stories of the Limes and of the LimesGemeinden and driving economic and social benefit for local people.
Lisa Keys and Nigel Mills have many years experience providing interpretation consultancy across Europe and the UK. Recent joint projects include:
• Interpretation Framework for the Dacian Limes World Heritage Site in Romania
• Interpretation Framework for Augsburg and Kempten, Bavaria
• Interpretation Strategy for Kipfenberg and the LimesGemeinden, Bavaria
Dragana Kojičić (Serbia)
Female (anti)heroes in Serbia and the Balkans – fairies and witches, women’s processions and rituals
Presentation: 25 min
Since history has been written by men, a large number of women’s topics remain unexplored or completely misinterpreted.
The attitude towards women in our culture was ambivalent, just as the attitude towards ancestors and all ancient deities – they were both good and bad.
The few privileged women were only those from higher social classes, women in female monasteries, and the only truly free ones – the fairies.
However, there are numerous cracks, an entire subversive subculture that women developed within the patriarchal system, despite all the limitations. If we consider all those small deviations from the order (such as: female property, menstrual houses, female magic, chanting, mourning, ritual laughter, stories about fairies, vampires, and witches), as well as a large number of individual female gatherings (revena, rusalje, kraljice, lazarice, koledarke, kobile), it seems that women have conquered numerous small spaces of freedom in which exclusively female rules prevailed.
Since 2010, Dragana Kojičić has been engaged in the (re)use of raw earth as a material in architecture, as well as in other fields – in the arts and community work – by organizing numerous workshops and training. In Almaš quarter in Novi Sad in 2023, I led the project Almaški lep – using results of 11 workshops as a walking exhibition through private and public spaces. For 2025, she is involved in two projects for the town of Zrenjanin: in one, she focuses on the use of earth as a material in the beliefs and customs of Serbs, and in the other proposes walks through the town’s architectural heritage, with both experts and celebrities, which will result in creation of different town maps.
She is also currently awaiting the defense of her doctoral dissertation in Scene Architecture, with the topic “Creating Relationship to Inherited Female Patterns.” Some of the research results will be presented at this conference.
Jacek Kołodziej (Poland)
Dr Jekyll / Mr Hyde of Polish populist right propaganda: two entwined stories of Tusk and Kaczyński
Presentation: 25 min
In polarized Poland political stories of Donald Tusk and Lech Kaczyński are dialectically entwined. Populist-right propaganda has created the former as a ruthless Schwarzcharakter, and the latter as a national hero fallen in the Smolensk plane crash or ‘assassination’. So much like in Robert L. Stevenson’s tale, the heroic narrative of Kaczyński feeds on the gradual descent of his counterpart into successive circles of hell: Tusk, figured as Mr. Hyde, is constructed as the demiurge of evil, an ultimately the quintessential villain.
Based on an analysis of television and online data from 2015 to 2023 the author presents the point of view of populist propaganda from the rule of the Law and Justice Party. He focuses primarily on one story: the story of Donald Tusk as the embodiment of evil. The justification for emphasizing this aspect lies in a pessimistic belief in the growing role, power, and appeal of villainous narratives in contemporary political culture.
As an academic teacher Jacek Kołodziej deals daily with explaining meanings and interpreting sense. I teach, e.g., qualitative methodology, which is fundamentally based on an interpretive approach. My main discipline, communication studies, is fundamentally about making sense. My conference activities typically focus on social, political, and cultural phenomena and processes that require interpretation.
Patrick Lehnes (Germany)
Heritage interpretation re-defined as a ‘meaning-making’ process: What does this mean in practice?
Presentation: 55 min
A new understanding of heritage interpretation defined as a ‘meaning-making process’ appears to replace older notions. It is rooted in valid criticism of previous expert-driven top-down approaches. But the new concept is still vague. Who ‘makes’ meanings in the interpretation process? What is the outcome of interpretive ‘meaning-making’, i.e. what are ‘meanings’ after all?
To answer these questions we need to investigate the basic mental processes involved in interpretation as a general faculty of humans. How do we seek and find meaning in what we encounter? Heritage of heroes provides a good case to explore how people create meaningful connections with heritage through self-interpretation. ‘Meaning-making’ processes get more complex when people spontaneously exchange views with others.
Against this background we can discuss our professional role as heritage interpreters. We inevitably interfere in the ‘meaning-making’ processes of our participants and audiences. Hence we need to understand what we are doing. Our work can potentially impact discourses, i.e. collective ‘meaning-making processes’ within communities and societies. As ‘meaning-makers’, we need a fine-tuned moral compass to act responsibly, especially within plural societies that aim to democratise heritage.
Patrick Lehnes has worked as a researcher and freelancer in heritage interpretation since the 1990s. From 2010 to 2015 he served as director of Interpret Europe. In 2018, he was invited to the Structured Dialogue between the European Commission and the cultural sector on social inclusion. Patrick currently serves as Interpret Europe’s Cultural Heritage Coordinator.
Thorsten Ludwig & Lucija Gudlin, Germany ,Valya Stergioti (Greece), Vanessa Vaio (Italy)
Joys and challenges of co-creating a learning landscape
Interactive workshop: 1 h 25 min
‘Creating learning landscapes through heritage interpretation’ was the title of the IE conference in 2023. The idea was to co-create interpretive strategies around UNESCO designated sites, and to use IE’s refreshed training programme to show how to make heritage more meaningful to people and people more mindful of our common future.
Over the past year, UNESCO and IE have trained IE’s trainers to address this challenge and interpretive agents to facilitate the development of interpretive strategies in pilot areas across Europe. It was an exciting undertaking that was characterised by many first-time experiences.
Now that we have covered a good part of the journey, it is time to share some lessons learnt and to collect ideas for further work. We will play through some ‘interesting’ situations with you, familiarise you with our approaches through active experience, and explore what is needed for co-creative and value-based heritage interpretation to make them successful in practice.
Thorsten Ludwig (MSc Interpretation) studied archaeology and worked at a German national park until 1993, when he founded Bildungswerk interpretation. For 12 years, he was on the Board of the German Association for Natural and Environmental Education (ANU). He also chaired the Board of a foundation running a medieval castle for some years and has been Director of Interpret Europe from 2015-2021.
Lucija Gudlin (MA Art History/Pedagogy, Croatia; MA World Heritage Studies, Germany) formerly worked as curator, programme and event organiser (fairy tale festivals, intangible culture of storytelling), and project coordinator (production and implementation of educational materials for working with refugees). She approved and monitored cultural investment projects funded by the German post-pandemic crisis fund and supports Interpret Europe as financial and RadioTeater as administrative officer. Employed as consultant of sociocultural centres and initiatives.
Valya Stergioti (MSc Environmental Decision Making) is the founder of Alli Meria, an interpretive consultancy agency. As an interpretive planner, writer and a certified IE trainer she works in different countries around the world, empowering local communities so they can create their own interpretive content and services. She was Interpret Europe’s first training coordinator, a position she served for eight years.
Vanessa Vaio is a heritage interpretation consultant with over 30 years of experience and owner of Studio PAN, an interpretive planning and consultancy company based in Como, Italy. She specialises in interpretive planning but also trains interpretive guides, manages the development of interpretive panels and creates management plans for heritage sites. Vanessa is IE’s Country Coordinator Italy.
Monika Michalek (Poland)
Emotion Networking as a method to work with the controversial heritage
Interactive workshop: 55 min
During the workshops I would like to encourage the participants to have an insight into their feelings and emotions when we talk about controversial heritage. Can we understand each other expressing our feelings and accepting the feelings of other people? Can others’ perspectives change our point of view?
The concepts of heroes and anti-heroes have been crucial to storytelling across cultures, serving as a lense through which societies examine values, ethics, and human behavior. That is why they are so vulnerable subjects to talk about. What does it mean to the interpreter?
Emotion Networking is a Dutch method of conversation developed by Reinwardt Academy and Imagine IC, focused on understanding others and accepting alternative points of view. It emerged from the practice of heritage work. If heritage tells who we are and who we want to be, everyone should have a voice in the meanings and choices within. Emotion networking around heritage subjects develops heritage wisdom. It includes the recognition that heritage is not given, it is a choice.
Monika Michałek is a museum educator, interpretive guide and Warsaw guide. She is deputy head of the Education Department in the Museum of Warsaw, implements and designates educational programs and organises city games and events. She is author of the award-winning museum program for teenagers “The Art of Storytelling”. She is specialized in the history of Polish Jews. Monika is professionally involved in the education of children and adults, seeking interesting and alternative forms of storytelling and guiding.
Nigel Mills (UK)
National heroes, empires and nation states in Europe
Presentation: 25 min
Vercingetorix, Gaius Julius Civilis, Arminius, Boudica, Decebalus are national heroes of France, the Netherlands, Germany, Britain and Romania respectively. They are all heroes for the same reason – they led their people in revolts against the Roman Empire and in several cases became icons for building their respective nation states. Yet at the same time, those nation states, especially France, Britain and Germany, eulogised many aspects of the Roman Empire, seeing it as an example to emulate in the construction of their own Empires.
The exploits of these heroes have been and continue to be mythologised and politicised as has the Roman Empire. In Romania under communism, the story of Decebalus and the Emperor Trajan was deliberately softened to portray former rivals joining together in friendship, creating a foundation myth for native and Roman strands of modern Romanian identity. Disinformation and ‘fake news’ are perhaps nothing new. Yet these national heroes remain at the heart of national identities.
What challenges do these subjects represent for heritage interpreters, central as these stories are to national identities, yet shrouded in myth and politicised disinformation and potentially highly sensitive at many different levels in society.
Nigel Mills has many years experience providing interpretation consultancy across Europe and the UK. Recent projects include:
• Interpretation Framework for the Dacian Limes World Heritage Site in Romania
• Interpretation Framework for Augsburg and Kempten, Bavaria
• Interpretation Strategy for Kipfenberg and the LimesGemeinden, Bavaria
Aleksandra Momčilović Jovanović (Serbia)
Faces of national and discrete heroes of Yugoslavia – a shift in museum’s narratives
Presentation: 25 min
Though Museum of Yugoslavia was established almost thirty years ago on the fragments of two institutions whose missions were to nourish and widespread historical macro narratives about the achievements of Josip Broz Tito as the head of state and Communist Party, Museum staff realized the potential of small and diverse stories in sharing experiences that are common to the people that were born and lived in this country. In last years Museum has developed a number of projects with different interpretative models, often realized in cooperation with different social groups, communities, experts and artists. I will share some of the examples and illustrate a couple of relevant controversies – from the interpretation of political figures of Tito and king Aleksandar to Gastarbeiter and working class heroes, I will introduce some of the challenges we are facing.
Aleksandra Momčilović Jovanović, senior curator, graduated in ethnology and anthropology from the Department of Ethnology and Anthropology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. In recent years, she has been engaged in defining the development policy of the Museum of Yugoslavia and its implementation. She handles the collections in the field of ethnology within the Josip Broz Tito Historical Memorial Fund and the collection of folklore. She earned her higher professional title by working on the exhibition “Juga, my Juga – gastarbeiter stories”, which she co-authored. She is involved in the standardization and development of the oral archive of the Museum of Yugoslavia. She is continuously interested in issues of the axiological profile of museum objects, especially the symbolic and affective value in the context of the Yugoslav experience and heritological hermeneutics.
Florentina Murea-Matache & Lucia Leca (Romania)
Interpreting heroes: László Székely’s imagery in Timișoara’s early 20th-century development
Presentation: 55 min
The interpretation of historical figures often walks a fine line between idealization and factual accuracy. László Székely is renowned for his pioneer work in modernizing Timișoara, alongside engineer Stan Vidrighin, contributing significantly to the administrative endeavor at the turn of the 20th century, including the city’s water supply. The 1914 opening of Water Plant No. 1 Urseni marked a pivotal step in improving water quality and public health. While Székely is often credited with designing the plant, archival evidence attributes its development to Vidrighin.
This paper examines the implications of hero-making in heritage interpretation. By analyzing Székely’s documented contributions to Timișoara’s architectural identity and contrasting them with unfounded claims, the study emphasizes the need for interpretations to be rooted in historical accuracy, ensuring that figures are linked to verifiable achievements rather than idealized myths.
Florentina Murea-Matache is an architect and a specialist on built heritage of the Ministry of Culture in Romania. She has contributed to numerous research and heritage value recognition projects. Since 2016, she has worked at the National Institute of Heritage, focusing on cultural heritage research, documentation, and protection, with a recent focus on how heritage interpretation supports broader cultural site management goals.
Lucia Leca has been active in the field of cultural heritage since 2014, being involved in various research and enhancement projects for historic buildings. Architect by formation and specialist of the Ministry of Culture on built heritage studies, she is recently focusing on how interpretation can strengthen the relationship between heritage and communities.
Eleonora Narvselius (Sweden)
Bandera reaffirmed: Scrutinizing lessons of a nationalist symbol in struggling Ukraine
Presentation: 55 min
The presentation will delve into dilemmas of interpretation of one of the most emotionally charged and politically controversial symbols of modern Ukraine, Stepan Bandera. Bandera’s incarnations went through several stages, from a personification of the wartime nationalist movement to an attribute of geopolitics in the Poland-Ukraine-Russia triangle, from a propaganda prop to a pop-cultural meme, and from a local hero to an embodiment of the struggling nation. It is especially instructive to look closer at how Bandera’s symbolism has been re-considered and re-framed in Ukraine between two core events in the country’s post-Soviet history, namely the Euromaidan in 2014 and the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2022. Arguably, this transformation indicates important shifts in the actual state of public meaning-making in Ukraine, the country that up till now has been searching for its political identity by negotiating its position within the “triangle of memory” (Poland – Ukraine – Russia), and beyond the triangle of the detrimental “-isms” (Nazism – Soviet autoritarianism – violent nationalism).
Eleonora Narvselius is an anthropologist from Lund University, Sweden. Her research interests comprise Ukrainian memory culture, narrative analysis, heritage interpretation and nationalism. In the course of her academic career, she has participated in several international research projects focusing on urban environment, memory cultures and cultural heritage of East-Central European borderlands. Among her core publications is Ukrainian Intelligentsia in Post-Soviet L’viv: Narratives, Identity and Power (Lexington Books, 2012).
Monika Nethe (Germany)
Little heroes – how to inspire children for sustainability?
Presentation: 25 min
The aim of the project is to give children between the ages of 10 and 12 an in-depth
understanding of the natural and cultural features of the different landscapes in Baden-
Württemberg. The regional values of the natural and cultural landscapes are conveyed in
such a way that appreciation and sustainable action can develop. The five major landscapes
of Baden-Württemberg serve as the regional context.
Access to the children's world is provided by two children's characters who accompany the
children on the tour and reveal the secrets of the region.
Innovative communication methods are used in the development and implementation of the
materials, which introduce children to the content in a playful way and encourage reflection,
enthusiasm, understanding, appreciation and imitation.
A partner school was involved in the development of the prototype and pupils participated
from the very beginning in the planning process in order to meet their needs.
As children get to know and understand their home better, they learn to value it and ideally
want to protect it. This promotes sustainable action for the citizens of tomorrow.
Monika Nethe works for the University of Education/ Freiburg (Germany) and is a freelancer
with her own company GEONE. Coming from a geography background, she has 25 years of
experience in the field of Heritage Interpretation with local and international projects,
research and teaching.
Shelley-Anne Peleg (Israel)
Who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in his unsuccessful attempt to conquer Akko (Israel) during his war campaign to the East?
Presentation: 25 min
The French attempted to lay siege using their infantry only. Napoleon believed the city would capitulate quickly to him. In a documented correspondence with one of his subordinate officers, he even voiced his opinion that a mere two weeks would be necessary to capture the linchpin of his conquest of the Holy Land, before marching on to Constantinople, and from there back to France via Vienna. But after a two month siege, his attempt to conquer the city failed. The French soldiers fell into a trap and Napoleon Bonaparte was forced to retreat and withdraw back to Egypt. His unsuccessful attempt to siege Akko was the turning point of Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt and Syria.
To whom should we attribute the successful defense of the city?
Was it the local Ottoman cruel ruler al-Jazzar Pasha that refused to surrender and withstood the siege? Was it Haim Farhi, al-Jazzar’s Jewish adviser and right-hand man, that played a key role in the city’s defense, directly supervising the battle against the siege? Was it the British Commodore Sidney Smith commanding the Royal Navy flotilla that reinforced the Ottoman defenses and supplied the city with additional cannon manned by sailors and marines? Or was it the French Military advisor de Phélippeaux, that joined forces with the Ottoman ruler and planned a second defense wall, several feet deeper within the city thus producing the trap?
Historical documents show the brutality of the Ottoman army. French soldiers were decapitated, and high rank officers lost limbs. Dying far from France, they were all buried in Akko. Decapitated skeletons were found during recent archaeological excavations. The graves became important memorial sites in Israel today, and French ambassadors and consulates visit these graves regularly. and hold there military ceremonies.
This presentation suggests different stories about the successful defense program that are presented according to the cultural identity of the guide, or the cultural affiliation of the group. Local Arab guides often emphasize the capability of the Ottoman – Moslem ruler, while Jewish guides will suggest that the success should be attributed to the Jewish advisor. French visitors are interested in hearing about the French soldier that joined force with the Ottomans, while British request more information about the English major.
The presentation will question issues such as a ‘right’ historical story. How can we present a balanced tour? And is there such a thing? Are we presenting a tour through a narrative depending on a cultural interest or on historical facts? Who was the real hero of this historic event?
Shelley-Anne Peleg is a specialist in conservation procedures and preservation of cultural heritage (archeological sites, historical cities and intangible heritage) and intructor in tour guide courses. She is a fellow researcher and lecturer in the Department of Israel Studies at the University of Haifa, a lecturer at the Kinneret College and an independent researcher. She is the Chairman of the ICOMOS – Israel Intangible Heritage Committee. She was the initiator of Hands-on-Heritage a program targeted at promoting cultural heritage in Israel.
Her research areas emphasize the connection between tangible and intangible heritage and tools of connecting local communities to built cultural heritage. These reasearch areas are based on 25 work years at the Israel Antiquities Authority. Within this framework she served as the Director of the Archaeological Educational Center in North Israel. She initiated, prepared and developed curricula, programs and seminars for educational systems in Israel. During her second position she served as the director of the International Conservation Center – Citta’ di Roma (situated in the Old City of Akko). She established national and international curricula and training programs in practical conservation and cultural heritage studies. Additional activities included developing programs to increase awareness of cultural heritage in Israel.
Anna Pikuła & Olga Tarczyńska-Polus (Poland)
Turning a glacier into an athlete. How to explain complex phenomena through an exhibition character
Presentation: 25 min
The geomorphology of Poznan and its surrounding area. Sounds scary? Definitely. How then can we turn this subject, which only enthusiasts seem to find interesting, into a temporary exhibition that will not scare away ordinary visitors? How to present the processes which escape our human perception due to their scale and length in a comprehensible way? How to approach difficult terms and explain complex processes to make them digestible for visitors?
What helped us face this challenge was adopting an interpretative approach and introducing a character into the story. This is how Sven the Continental Glacier was born. For the purpose of the exhibition we presented him as an athlete and set the exhibition in the sports context. Visitors were invited to participate actively and compete with the main character in various sports activities. This allowed us to link the subject to the visitors’ personal experiences and facilitate better understanding of the presented issues.
Anna Pikuła – leader of the Department of Exhibitions at Poznan Heritage Centre. A co-curator and coordinator of temporary exhibitions at the Śluza Gallery. She took part in the work of design teams preparing permanent exhibitions at Porta Posnania and the Enigma Cipher Centre.
Olga Tarczyńska-Polus – an exhibition specialist at Poznan Heritage Centre. A co-curator and coordinator of temporary exhibitions at the Śluza Gallery, member of Porta Posnania’s Exhibition Modernisation Team.
Kristýna Pinkrová (Czech Republic)
Kozina and Lomikar: Heroes at the crossroads of history.
Presentation: 25 min
The story of Jan Sladký Kozina and Wolf Maxmilián Lamingen (Lomikar) is an example of how the interpretation of heroism and values changes depending on the cultural, social and historical context. While values such as freedom, bravery and justice themselves remain universal, their meaning and role in collective memory have undergone a fundamental transformation.
This paper connects the regional narrative with global issues such as the conflict between tradition and modernization, social justice, the reinterpretation of heroes in the contemporary context, the role of art and literature in shaping collective memory, and the question of heroism as an ethical concept. Through thematic trails, interactive activities and digital tools, we will show how these stories can be interpreted in a way that resonates with today’s audiences and opens up space for discussion on contemporary challenges.
Kristýna Pinkrová has been actively involved in interpretation since 2009, first as an author of exhibitions and a guide in a regional museum. Since 2022 she has been working as a consultant. Since 2010 she has been a member of the Czech Association of Museums and Galleries, since 2019 a member of the Czech Association for Heritage Interpretation (SIMID). She is currently a PhD student in Public History at Charles University in Prague.
Ladislav Ptáček (Czech Republic)
Victims of heroes? Victims of murderers
Presentation: 25 min
The Ploština Memorial commemorates the murder and burning of the settlement in the White Carpathians less than three weeks before the end of World War II. The cause was the Nazis’ attempt to suppress the partisan movement and intimidate the civilian population. The current memorial serves as a place of remembrance and aims to help prevent such crimes from happening again. The exhibition focuses on the victims and the description of the historical event. It also shows how the tragedy was handled, often propagandistically, by various political regimes. An issue that is only very peripherally addressed is the extent of the partisans’ responsibility for civilian casualties, which is reflected in some of the artworks.
This paper will focus on the interpretation of the Ploština Memorial as an example of a historical exhibition reflecting institutionalised evil, heroism, sacrifice and responsibility. The presentation will discuss the limits of the current narrative, approaches to interpreting sensitive themes, and suggestions for deeper visitor engagement.
Ladislav Ptáček has been active in the field of heritage interpretation for the past twenty years. Founder and exchairman of the Czech Association for Heritage Interpretation (SIMID), works as a free-lance consultant, contractor and trainer.
Ana Radovanac Živanov (Serbia)
Heroes / interpreters of the memory of old Belgrade: The house of Jevrem Grujić – museum of Serbian history, diplomacy, art, and Avant-Garde
Presentation: 25 min
After a turbulent period of state formation in Serbia, civil society began to develop in its capital, Belgrade, during the 19th century. During this time, affluent families contributed to the strengthening and development of Belgrade and its social life through their activities in diplomacy, politics, art, and literature. One such family is the Grujić family.
The Grujić family home was built in 1896 and remains in their ownership today. In 2015, it was opened to the public and transformed into a private family museum named the House of Jevrem Grujić – Museum of Serbian History, Diplomacy, Art, and Avant-Garde. This cultural monument of great importance is housed in a building designed by architect Milan Kapetanović and was the first object protected by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments – Belgrade (1961). The sophisticated lifestyle of numerous family members – beginning with Jevrem Grujić, Minister of Finance under Prince Miloš Obrenović rule, diplomat, and liberal leader – helped create an authentic ambiance of an elite 19th-century bourgeois house. Enriched by intangible heritage content, it represents a unique document of Serbian society and its history.
By transforming a private space into a public one, the House of Jevrem Grujić exists in two ways: true interpretation: as a place of memory (the past) and as a “living museum” (the present). The museum’s collection has been gradually formed – its artistic collections cover areas of fine and applied arts and include collections of old weapons and archival materials. The current preserved interior is not entirely original; however, the interpretation concept consists of collected items that evoke memory and serve as triggers for recollection, collectively providing an adequate impulse for creating a museology image.
The presentation/paper concept will be based on viewing the museum’s inventory as a stylistic-historical testimony and as a mechanism for building memory and preserving recollections, highlighting distinguished family members and their individual contributions to Belgrade society. The goal is for the house – museum, viewed as a “picture” of the preserved heritage of the Grujić family, to enable a specific reading of 19th-century Belgrade’s civic history while recognizing and emphasizing this family as heroes – guardians and interpreters of an authentic unique treasury of national heritage.
Ana Radovanac Živanov is an Art Historian and works as Senior Consultant at the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia in Belgrade, at the Department for Research, Protection and Documentation. In addition, she is finishing her PHD thesis at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Department of Art History, at the Seminar for Museology and Heritage studies. She is also the coordinator of Interpret Europe for Serbia and tries to promote its ideas and goals in her country. She completed the course for interpretive planner which was held in 2022 in Ljubljana. She participates in, and is the team leader of, several projects related to the interpretation of cultural heritage in Serbia. Fields of scientific interest include interpretation of cultural heritage, history of architecture in Serbia between two wars, conservation of cultural heritage, interpretative methodologies and concepts, memory studies, history of private life. She is an author of many professional and scientific articles, as well as a participant in domestic and foreign conferences and symposiums. She is also a member of ICOMOS and Society of Conservators of Serbia.
Jadwiga Rodowicz-Czechowska (Poland)
Polish heroes as described by a Japanese for the Japanese in years after World War I
Presentation: 55 min
Nitobe Inazō (1862-1933) served for the Japanese government as an adviser to the colonial administration in Taiwan, Undersecretary in the Secretariat of the League of Nations in Geneve and as a member of the International Committee for Intellectual Cooperation. He was a pacifist but a proponent of colonial rule, too. During his career he met with numerous people, whom he later described as “great” in his books written for the Japanese readers. He recorded and interpreted their words in two books rather unknown widely Ijin gunzō (A bunch of Great People) and Tōzai aifurete (When East meets West). He himself wanted to serve as “a bridge between East and West”. His description of a Polish military leader Józef Piłsudski, a national-democrat politician Roman Dmowski, Prime Minister and virtuoso pianist Ignacy Paderewski, and the top woman scientist Maria Skłodowska-Curie, gives interesting cues as to how the Japanese saw heroes of foreign countries and of different cultural background.
Jadwiga Rodowicz-Czechowska has never participated in history interpretation specific programs. But he has 20 years’ experience as Polish diplomat (I.a. a Polish Ambassador in Japan), also a Japanologist by profession. In his work he very often had to navigate between narrations of history as understood by his native (Polish and a Silesian) or European identity, and Japanese paradigms of history and values.
Roxana-Talida Roman(Romania)
The Romanian peasant symbolically immortalized in the traditional/national costume
Presentation: 25 min
In Romania as in many other European countries, especially those born from the experience of WWI, the peasant remains an almost mythological figure often incarnating an ideal of purity and resilience. The peasant portrayed as national hero is a common rhetoric and is quite frequent in Europe. For a series of historical circumstances villagers used to be in close relation to tradition, making them a sort of repository of national identity and creating the perfect hero prototype especially in time of transition (such as the aftermath of conflicts or political changes). However, the evocative power of this discourse and its enormous capacity for legitimation also makes it subject to abuse and vulgarization when used for political gain. Nonetheless peasant is a word filled not only with glory and virtue, but also burdened with negative connotations more typical for villains than heroes. Often it is used as an insult bringing to mind misery, poverty, ignorance and illiteracy, lack of manners, scarcity and filth. Therefore, how do we cope with this tricky legacy in the post-heroic age?
Dr. Roxana-Talida Roman is a skilled researcher bringing an innovative approach to the research of the human past, conflict archaeology, memory studies, material culture, heritage assessment and interpretation. Sees heritage interpretation as an antidote to violence, conflicts and social development issues due to its ability to advance the promotion of knowledge, mutual celebration of diversity and cultural pluralism.
Eva Sandberg & Per Sonnvik or Per Bengtson (Sweden)
The nature boost – Swedish collaboration on communication for the Global Biodiversity Plan.
Workshop: 55 min
The Swedish Centre for Nature Interpretation presents a broad national collaboration initiative to gather and strengthen actors who communicate biological diversity. How can we develop together, develop communication together and create more and better initiatives to increase knowledge, engagement and activity for nature in all sectors of society – contributing to the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
We discuss how collaborative and collegial learning can strengthen interpreters who communicate biodiversity. How can heritage interpretation contribute and offer arenas for biodiversity-communication. Welcome to share examples and discuss opportunities and challenges.
Eva Sandberg and Per Sonnvik work as director and project manager for the Swedish Centre for Nature Interpretation at the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences. The Centre works closely with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and others to support development of the the profession of interpretation in Sweden.
Iva Silla (Croatia)
Blind Badasses – turning tales of historical underdogs into interpretive experiences
Presentation: 25 min
Meet a blind watercarrier and some badass women. What difference do they make as interpretive topics, do the audiences want to get to know them, and are the interpreters the heroes or villains of their histories?
In the recent years, there has been a growing number of (interpretive) experiences that are crafted around the historical underdogs, personalities that don’t even make it into the footnotes of history books. We are going to present two such projects that successfully attracted audiences and contributed to the discussion of a more tolerant and socially conscious society. One of them is Badass Women of Zagreb, an interpretive walking tour. The other one is an interpretive project about Ivan Čop, a blind water carrier from the Croatian town of Bakar. It consisted of many workshops with local schoolchildren of different ages, creation of a selfguided tour in the shape of an illustrated book, a gamified walking tour, and more. One of them is free for participants, the other one is a service with a price tag. Two different cases can offer a lot of insight on how to build such projects and how do the participants react to them.
On the other hand, we are also going to pose some challenging questions. Even if discussions regarding the acknowledged heroes are becoming a common thing in heritage interpretation, do we dare to do the same when it comes to the unknown ones? Does it even make sense to stir such discussions when building experiences that are meant to contribute to social engagement and spark understanding for disadvantaged groups? Let’s think about it together through the examples of our blind badasses.
Iva Silla is an interpretive experiences designer and an Interpret Europe trainer. She has experience in the interpretive world as a consultant, trainer, writer and a guide/performer. Last year her company was selected among the top ten young Croatian impact companies thanks to her efforts to create meaningful selfguided tours, just one out of many recognitions she received for her work. Iva was a part of the creative team for both projects that are presented here.
Steve Slack (UK)
A Change of Heart at Blackburn Museum
Presentation: 25 min
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery (UK) is home to CHANGE [of Hart], an interpretive experiment which re-examines the display of historic collections, shifts in attitudes and developing museum practice. After identifying interpretive tropes that seem stuck in the past, this project intentionally seeks to do things differently. Through 10 experimental interventions we put R. E. Hart (the dead, white, male Victorian object collector) into the footnotes, both literally and physically. We challenged the reverence of manuscripts with a disco ball; we re-examined gender and colonialism; we wrote on walls; we crammed a case with objects; we invited teens to curate; and we placed Roman coins alongside chocolate bunnies. Importantly, we’ve brought visitors into conversations about each of these, trying to understand what they make of our change of heart. This paper describes how we went about challenging our own work, where we hoped we could be brave and how we engaged audiences with our work.
Steve Slack has worked in heritage interpretation for over 20 years, creating exhibitions and public programmes at museums, galleries, libraries and outdoor heritage sites. He writes about and teaches interpretation and published Interpreting Heritage: a guide to planning and practice (2021) Steve is based in the UK and works internationally.
Barbara Struys (Belgium)
The search for the universal ‘mothering soul’ through the story of one motherless mother
Presentation: 55 min
The open air museum Bokrijk is re-inventing it’s way to connect with visitors. In a new permanent exhibition, we challenge visitors to explore the meaning of the ‘mothering soul.’ We take as our starting point the microhistory of Magda Horvath’s life story. Motherhood was a central theme in Magda’s life, a topic that resonates with everyone. At the very least, we all have a mother who brought us into this world. The museum faces several challenging questions: Magda was a person with admirable traits but also shortcomings. How do we place her at the center without turning her into a hero? Conversely, how do we portray her difficult relationship with her stepchildren without making her a villain? And how do we ensure that today’s visitors can identify with the story and be touched by its universal theme? Even for visitors for whom the connection with the concept of motherhood is not easy: men, childless women, people with a strained relationship with their own mother, …
Barbara Struys is an Interpret Europe Member since 2016 and an CIT since 2023. Her mission in work is to facilitate more connection through dialogue with heritage & nature. Barbara currently works for the open air museum Bokrijk in Belgium where she is the coordinator of the guiding team and develops programs for families and schools. She is currently co-curating the new exhibition about the ‘Mothering soul’ which will open in May 2025. She is also a freelancer who does consultancy for heritage and guiding organisations about heritage interpretation & improving the collaboration in guiding teams.
Teresa Josephine Sweeney Meade (Ireland)
The dead are very near…an Irish Story
Presentation: 25 min
A review of selected sites and a consideration of their dead historic incumbents as represented by their association with the national monuments of Ireland. We aim to understand their significance in the European context today and explore the way they have been portrayed through the interpretative material of recent decades in comparison to opportunities for the presentation of their story today, using not only the internet and other multi-media formats, but site specific techniques to include a more tactile, enriched and visceral experience for the visitor. In taking a number of active case studies from recent interpretative projects, we can stand back and look at these perspectives and reinvigorate the dialogue about them, to engage the public on many levels and explore the unseen and unsung elements of their lives, using the site as the catalyst. These sites and characters demand this re-investigation of our past. Here and now is the perfect time to embark on this study.
Teresa Josephine Sweeney Meade is an assistant principal architect and fellow of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. She is Head of Conservation in the National Monuments Division of the OPW. She looks after the care and maintenance of 780 monuments and sites ranging from the two World Heritage Sites of Brú na Bóinne and Sceilg Mhichíl to the monastic ruins and churches as well as advising on National Historic Properties, which in many cases, represent our relationship with our colonial past.
Philipp P. Thapa (Germany)
Breaking bad in the museum: The ethics of antiheroic interpretation
Presentation: 55 min
The recent Golden Age of Television has shown that mass audiences do appreciate morally complex stories and protagonists, as signified by the rise of antihero characters. Heritage interpreters are right to use this opening in narrative habits for reconsidering how they tell political and social history, in particular. More generally, this is a chance to reflect what interpretive patterns we use to select, organise, and valuate facts, including facts about the natural world. To this end, I highlight some ethical considerations of interpretive storytelling. I argue that interpreters should begin by treating all characters (human and otherwise) in their potential stories as antiheroes because this gives audiences the freedom to judge for themselves – or to refrain from judgment. In addition, discussing the morally complex stories and characters created by antiheroic interpretation requires a much more sophisticated moral vocabulary than simple heroics. I offer some examples and resources.
Philipp P. Thapa is an ecologist, philosopher, and writer with some experience in natural heritage interpretation. His current work focuses on the potential of the creative sector for sustainable development. Philipp has taught ethics and environmental philosophy at various universities in Germany, currently including Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. He is a PhD researcher in this field with Radboud University, The Netherlands.
Laura Time (Romania)
Heritage and the city: Who are the heroes of our urban narratives?
Presentation: 25 min
This paper explores how HI, particularly through interpretive planning (IP), can address the challenges of modern urbanization, like social inequity, environmental degradation, overtourism or cultural homogenization. By engaging with foundational literature, such as Lefebvre’s concept of lived space, and value-based interpretation, the research highlights the transformative potential of IP to empower communities and mediate conflicting interests. The author delves into how HI can serve as a methodological bridge for reimagining the evolving relationship between heritage and the complexities of modern cities. Theoretical insights illustrate how IP can balance idealization with critical deconstruction to reconcile competing urban priorities, and ensure cities remain culturally rich and environmentally sustainable. The session invites participants to reflect on the implicit values conveyed in urban heritage narratives and how they shape contemporary moral orientations and societal cohesion.
Laura Time is a researcher specializing in HI, with a focus on integrating IP into urban development strategies/ urban policies that foster sustainability and inclusivity.
Mateusz Tomaszczyk (Poland)
Facilitation approach in the work of an IE trainer
Workshop: 55 min
The workshop aims to answer the questions: Where is the difference between a trainer and a facilitator? Where is there room for facilitation in the work of a trainer? What does it offer? What facilitation tools does a trainer use? How do I develop a facilitation approach in myself?
The structure of the workshop is based on several exercises and discussions with elements of theory on the facilitation approach woven in.
Mateusz Tomaszczyk is a licensed tourist guide, licenced tour manager and certified business trainer working in the area of the tourism industry. In the area of training, she specialises in developing the competencies (especially soft skills) of tourist guides. He is an IE and WFTGA trainer with the rank of Lead International Trainer. In the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, he works in the training committee in the position of Experienced Trainer. He is a participant in the Facilitator School and will soon complete his Facilitator Certification.
Ondřej Vitek (Czech Republic)
See-Think-Do-Share concept: Good criterion to define target groups
Presentation: 25 min
See-Think-Do-Share is a concept developed by Avinash Kaushik for marketing. By this concept you define four different target groups of customers according to the attitude or phase towards purchasing your products. Within this concept the ultimate goal of your company is stable and secure business and admiring customers.
In heritage interpretation, our ultimate goal is secured heritage and visitors showing their respect to the heritage. This is quite similar to the business mentioned above. Therefore we can apply the See-Think-Do-Share concept to our visitors, too. We can identify the heritage to the “See” group , we can explain its uniqueness to the “Think” group. The “Do” group would visit and experience your heritage in person, it would be motivated to repect your rules onsite or it would be actively helping to preserve your heritage e. g. through voluntary work. Those members of the “Share” group would spread your ideas and needs to a broader audience.
Ondřej Vitek is a Landscape ecologist, nature conservationist, certified interpretive guide and trainer.
Sebastian Wacięga & Tomasz Adamski (Poland)
Drelicharki and drelicharze (linen traders) from Andrychów in Poland – local community as collective hero of entrepreneurship
Workshop: 55 min
In 18th century Andrychów existed collective hero – community of entrepreneurs. Modest village became a town within few decades. The community developed the cottage industry of weaving before Industrial Revolution. Thanks to the local policy made by owners of the land Schwarzenberg-Czerny family, community started to produce high-quality linens and sell them all over Europe using carts forged by local blacksmiths. They reached Hamburg, Amsterdam and Barcelona, among others and sold 80 % of production abroad. The high quality of production and the excellent organisation of companies called “kolegacje” (from the word “colleagues”) allowed them to reach success. Entrepreneurship characterised the community. Innovative thinking characterised two generations of the Czerny-Schwarzenberg family, who created the conditions for entrepreneurship to flourish in 18th century Andrychów. The game Peasant Business School reminds this history and recreates in workshops the entrepreneurial community.
Sebastian Wacięga Ph D. Interpreter and trainer of the European Association for Heritage Interpretation, co-worker with museums as part of the Dynamics of Exposure programme at the Malopolska Institute of Culture, co-creator of heritage-inspired educational games and co-worker with cultural institutions on team, participative strategic planning.
Tomasz Adamski Graduated in sociology from Jagiellonian University and in European Studies from the University of Exeter. At the Malopolska Institute of Culture, he heads the team for training and research activities. He is involved in heritage projects, international cooperation and strategic consulting for cultural institutions.
Mark Wallis (UK)
“No more Heroes Anymore!”
Presentation: 25 min
Mark Wallis will address the theme by examining the roles heroes – real and mythic – play in his nation’s psyche and will expand beyond the UK to glance at a few other nations’ heroes.
Mark Wallis brought costumed Live Interpretation from Colonial Williamsburg back to the United Kingdom in 1987. His company, Past Pleasures Ltd, held Europe’s largest contract for daily professional costumed interpretation and education with Britain’s Historic Royal Palaces (until Covid struck). He continues to train interpreters in Europe, Australia and North America and has been made a Fellow of the Association for Heritage Interpretation which has called him the Father of Costumed Interpretation.
Katarina Živanović (Serbia)
Rethink revolutionary art
Presentation: 25 min
This presentation explores the exhibition Kun: Artist – Worker – Soldier, which reinterpreted the artist’s multifaceted oeuvre by situating it within the framework of Yugoslav avant-garde and critical art practices, highlighting the convergence of art and politics.
Utilizing contemporary curatorial approaches, the exhibition redefined the retrospective format by fostering an ongoing dialogue between diverse artefacts from Kun’s extensive legacy. These included large-scale oil paintings, graphic maps, numerous drawings and illustrations, applied art objects, and archival materials. Both the artworks and archival resources were presented with equal significance, accompanied by thoughtfully created interpretative texts and design.
Given Kun’s profound resonance within collective memory, the exhibition also engaged with contemporary artistic practices, prompting the essential question: For which values should we fight today?
Dr. Katarina Živanović is an expert in cultural heritage, specializing in cultural management, museum interpretation, and community engagement. Her work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing the integration of cultural heritage with pressing social issues through a transdisciplinary, holistic dialogue that values cultural diversity and inclusivity.
Dr. Živanović is a Board Member of Europa Nostra Serbia and an active participant in the professional network of Creative Mentorships. She currently leads the Gallery of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, where she oversees innovative curatorial practices and fosters meaningful connections between heritage and contemporary society.