Presenters and abstracts 

This paper examines the implementation of the Participatory Cultural Heritage Interpretation model in establishing the first Arab Cultural Heritage Center in Israel. Developed through collaboration between Jewish professionals and Arab community members, the project exemplifies a participatory value-based approach to heritage interpretation. The process emphasised co-creation, bilingual facilitation, and local authorship, transforming community members from subjects into interpreters of their own history. In the absence of tangible artifacts, the project shifted toward intangible heritage: oral narratives, dramatised videos, and dilemma screens to convey lived values and foster visitor reflection. The findings demonstrate how participatory interpretation can build trust in minority contexts, redefine authenticity as communal authorship, and promote dialogue across cultural boundaries. This case offers a replicable model for inclusive and ethically-grounded heritage interpretation.

Iris Alkaher has academic teaching and research experience in education for sustainability in multicultural societies. 25 years of experience in mentoring Arab-Jewish joint community-based projects in Israel focusing on socio-cultural issues in learning landscapes, including building mutual trust, and implementing cross-cultural models. 

Yael Bamberger is a researcher and planner in the areas of heritage interpretation and experiential learning. For 5 years, she led the Israeli interpretation organisation, Interpret IL, and is an active member of the supervisory committee of Interpret Europe

The presentation will focus on the Grodzka Gate – Theatre NN Centre, in Lublin, an institution rooted in the underground theatre of communist times in Poland. This case study will demonstrate how facts and events repressed or dismissed from individual and collective memory can be reintegrated into the collective consciousness through engagement in activities at historic sites and public spaces. The initials NN – Nomen Nescio ('Name unknown') – are symbolically intended to draw attention away from the artists themselves and direct it toward the creative process of artistic performances aimed at educating about and preserving the cultural heritage of the city. After the fall of communism, such artistic performances have educated about the fate of the Jewish inhabitants of Lublin. The many projects of the Grodzka Gate – Theatre NN Centre have changed the landscape of memory of Polish Jewry, expanding beyond regional practice.

Jolanta Ambrosewicz-Jacobs teaches about collective memory and trauma. She has published, among others: "Islands of Memory: The Landscape of the (Non)Memory of the Holocaust in Polish Education from 1989 to 2015" (2020), "Me Us Them: Ethnic Prejudices Among Youth and Alternative Methods of Education. The Case of Poland" (2003) and many articles on cultural dialogue beyond borders.

The future dreams and good practices of the THE BIG GREEN – a large-scale Creative Europe project – are translated into a collaborative, role-play and serious game. As a beta version of the game is available, it is a timely moment to play it with cultural stakeholders. We are looking forward to meeting you for a game session. 16 players are invited to take over different roles for sustainable transformation in and with culture. Guests can assist and comment on the game sessions. Come and enjoy this deep dive into the TBG worlds.

Sylvia Amann is a cultural expert & game developer.

The deProfundis – Preserving Heritage “From the Depths” project is based on the principles of the Faro Convention, which recognises heritage as a shared responsibility of people and communities, grounded in values, dialogue and shared governance. In the past, mineral waters were an integral part of daily life, while mofettes (or, fumaroles) were mainly known through stories and oral tradition. Today, this heritage is rapidly disappearing as the number of living witnesses declines and the natural phenomena themselves are increasingly threatened by harmful human activity. The project addresses these challenges through documentation, research and interpretation in close cooperation with experts and local communities. Interpretation is seen as a process of connecting perspectives and values, supporting participation, intergenerational knowledge transfer and a responsible relationship with nature. Heritage thus becomes a space for learning, dialogue and sustainable coexistence.

Mojca Bedjanič 

Experience: Interpretation of geological and other natural heritage, including interpretation points, information centres, educational trails, children's books, leaflets, school programmes, project ideas, conducting interpretative workshops for educators and tourist guides. Education: Interpretation conferences and workshops, CIG, CIP, CIW

Lenka Stermecki 

Experience: Interpretation of natural heritage: Interpretation points, information centres, educational trails, children’s books, leaflets, school programmes, project ideas, interpretative guided tours and workshops  

Education: Interpretation conferences and workshops, Interpretative courses: CIG, CIP

Simon Veberič 

Experience: Contribution to the interpretation of natural heritage, including interpretation points, educational trails, project ideas, and participation in interpretative workshops for various target groups. 

Education: Interpretative workshops, Interpretative Guide course

Janja Sivec 

Experience: Interpretation of cultural and ethnological heritage, community-based interpretation, intangible heritage, storytelling, interpretative guided tours, workshops, educational programmes, heritage project development. 

Education: Ethnography and cultural anthropology, interpretation conferences and workshops, Interpretative courses: CIG, CIP, CIW, MIH, CIT

Nastja Fekonja 

Experience: Programmes in circus pedagogy and circus skills, facilitating Scout workshops on wilderness skills and outdoor survival. 

Education: Circus education, training programmes for Scout leaders, and pedagogical delivery of geography education within the formal education system.

Barbara Stupan 

Experience: Nature conservationist dedicated to the protection of natural heritage through interpretation points, information centres, booklets, leaflets, school programmes, interpretative guided tours and workshops for schoolchildren, teachers and general public.

Education: Interpretative Guide course

Uroš Kur 

Experience: Ecologist working in natural heritage interpretation, including interpretation points, information centres, educational trails, and educational programmes, with experience in conducting interpretative workshops and training sessions for children and educators.

This paper looks at the Faro Convention (2005) as an instrument of international law rather than as a heritage policy document. It asks whether the Convention can be described as a “limping treaty”, a term used by Anthony Aust to describe treaties that have entered into force but have had limited practical impact.

The presentation examines the legal nature of the Faro Convention, focusing on the character of its obligations, its framework structure, and the absence of strong implementation or enforcement mechanisms. It also places the Convention in a broader context by comparing it with other Council of Europe instruments and international agreements on cultural heritage.

Finally, the paper briefly discusses the Convention’s ratification record and uneven acceptance among Council of Europe member states, and what this may tell us about its legal and political appeal. The paper argues that while the Faro Convention is innovative in its people-centred approach to heritage, its effectiveness as a binding international treaty remains open to question.

Wojciech Burek is an international lawyer and academic at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. His research focuses on public international law, international organisations and treaty law. In 2021–24 he was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the University of Potsdam.

The Lion House is a long-term, practice-based cultural heritage project centred on a privately owned vernacular house with painted walls in rural Russia. Acquired in 2011 in neglected condition, the house preserves rare examples of folk wall paintings and traditional architectural features, making it a valuable testimony of local vernacular culture.

The project began with emergency stabilisation and volunteer-led conservation, alongside interviews with folk painters and local residents to document artistic techniques and cultural memory. In 2018, the house underwent scientific restoration carried out by professional conservators, ensuring the preservation of its paintings and architectural fabric according to accepted standards.

Today, the house functions as a free local museum and community space. Through continuous work with volunteers, neighbours and audiences—lectures, publications, crowdfunding and public communication—the project has demonstrated that private ownership can generate public cultural value. The presentation focuses on concrete, transferable practices that enabled the project to survive and gradually change attitudes toward privately owned heritage in Russia.

Iulia Cherkasova is a researcher and heritage practitioner specialising in vernacular art and wall painting, with long-term fieldwork experience across the Russian North, Siberia and the Volga region. Since 2011, she has led the Lion House project, a practice-based initiative combining research, conservation, community engagement and the transformation of a privately owned vernacular house into a community heritage site.

Over the Soviet period, hundreds of monuments to Alexander Pushkin, the Russian national poet, have been installed all over the world, with the majority concentrated in Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Today, Pushkin’s statues are falling in Ukraine. The campaign of dismantling Pushkin’s monuments, with its spontaneous origins, was quickly christened the 'Pushkin-fall'. It gained momentum in the first year of the war in 2022, which saw the removal of some 30 memorials to the great poet.This iconoclasm under the banner of decolonisation was accompanied by a mass re-christening of streets bearing the name of Pushkin.  

The drive to decolonise Ukrainian heritage yielded remarkable results: more than half of the Pushkin streets were renamed by 2024, and only a few Pushkin monuments remain in situ. And yet, along with this success comes a noticeable resistance, with some of the population claiming Pushkin as key to their identity. How do the interpreters of heritage address this divisive issue?

Katia Dianina is a researcher at University of Virginia.  Her 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.

The Bakić House project reimagines the birthplace of sculptor Vojin Bakić in Bjelovar as a living, participatory cultural space rather than a static memorial. Drawing on the concept of 'memotopia', a place shaped by memory rather than fixed history, the project connects Bakić’s modernist legacy with contemporary artistic, social, and community practices. Through changing exhibitions, artist residencies, workshops, and participatory programs, The Bakić House explores the meaning of home, memory, and identity in today’s world. It transforms personal and collective remembrance into an open, dynamic dialogue between past and present, local and global, art and everyday life.

Marijana Dragičević is an archaeologist and historian, Director of the City Museum of Bjelovar, and a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. Her research explores narrative memory and cultural topography in the prose of Goran Tribuson. She is also the author of several fiction books for adults and children.

If one were to single out the convention that has proposed the greatest changes in the field of cultural heritage protection in recent times, it would certainly be the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society. However, precisely because of its innovative character, twenty years is a short period for the Faro Convention to fully permeate heritage protection practice. This is also the case in Serbia, which formally accepted this extremely important document fifteen years ago, yet little has changed in this field. This observation applies equally to professionals—often trapped in their own conservative conservation worlds—and to society as a whole, which is not sufficiently familiar with the idea of the Faro Convention.

Nevertheless, from both directions there are small, still sporadic attempts which, consciously or unconsciously, respect the principles of this international instrument. Examining these activities aims to reconsider what has so far been done in Serbia by professionals and non-professionals alike that can be interpreted as placing people and human values at the centre of the concept of heritage protection. Such an overview will give us insight into how far we have come in the real acceptance of the Faro Convention—where it has been best received, as well as what obstacles prevent it from being valued in places where it has not yet been embraced.

Marija Dragišić graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade, in the Department of Ethnology and Anthropology. She works as a conservator-researcher at the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Belgrade. Her professional focus is on the preservation of vernacular architecture, with a particular interest in heritage interpretation.

For several years, she has been following the work of Interpret Europe, participating as a presenter at three of their previous conferences, and this year she completed their certified course for interpretive guides. She designs and organizes educational programmes for children and teachers and works in various ways to raise awareness of the importance of cultural heritage. She believes that, together with good collaboration with local communities, this is the only path to sustainable heritage preservation.

Recently, she has been increasingly focused on the relationship between climate change and heritage, which led to the creation of a handbook on this topic for professionals in the heritage protection sector. She is the author of several published papers in domestic and international journals, made a documentary film, and is co-curator and collaborator on several exhibitions, as well as an occasional participant in professional conferences both in Serbia and abroad. She is a member of NK ICOMOS Serbia and Interpret Europe.

This interactive workshop explores how research and innovation (R&I) on heritage and climate risks can be meaningfully taken up and used in practice through people-centred approaches inspired by the Faro Convention. Building on results from the SD-WISHEES project (https://sd-wishees.irsa.cnr.it/), the session introduces an innovation pathway framework that examines how research outcomes move from knowledge generation to practical use, and how learning and capacity-building, tools and methods, co-creation and engagement, and governance choices shape this transition.

Participants will be invited to reflect on enablers and barriers to the uptake of heritage and climate risk research based on their own experience of interpreting, communicating, or engaging with heritage. Through guided discussion and group exchange, the workshop will explore how Faro-inspired, people-centred interpretive practices —such as framing knowledge for diverse audiences, acknowledging contested values, and creating spaces for dialogue— can strengthen shared understanding, democratic engagement, learning, and long-term impact. Participant insights will directly contribute to refining a set of actionable recommendations aimed at improving the social relevance and sustainability of heritage and climate risks related R&I.

Marta Ducci is a spatial planner and researcher at CMCC with expertise in participatory and critical heritage, landscape planning, and disaster risk reduction. She holds a PhD in Heritage Studies from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where her research focused on community engagement, co-design methods, and interpretive approaches to heritage and cultural landscape valorisation. She contributes to SD-WISHEES on heritage resilience and R&I uptake. 

Roger Street is a senior researcher specialising in climate adaptation, sustainability, and research & innovation (R&I) uptake. He has extensive experience in co-production, stakeholder engagement, and translating research into policy and practice. He contributes to SD‑WISHEES on enabling the practical use and impact of heritage and climate risks related to R&I.

Hew Locke: What have we here? (October 2024 – February 2025) was the result of a two-year collaboration between Guyanese-British contemporary artist Hew Locke and the British Museum. Locke examined the legacies of empire through the museum collection in dialogue with his own artworks, tackling often-polarising questions surrounding colonial legacies and historical collecting practices.

To do this, two interpretation strands complemented each other: while traditional museum labels provided historical context, Locke’s personal commentary on separate yellow labels went below the surface. 

How did collaborating with a contemporary artist enable an open discussion about the legacies of empire at the British Museum? How did his voice allow for dialogue on such polarising themes? This presentation will cover the development process, from object selection to the dual-voice interpretation. 

Billie Duch Giménez was Project Curator of the exhibition 'Hew Locke: what have we here?' at the British Museum, which saw them working in close collaboration with a contemporary artist. Having focused on colonial contexts and provenance research at an academic level, they continue to research inclusive and transparent interpretation as an Interpretation Manager at the British Museum since 2025.

Isabel Seligman is Curator of Modern and Contemporary Drawings in the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum. She was Lead Curator of the exhibition ‘Hew Locke: what have we here?’ and co-author of the accompanying book. 

How to interpret a 'vanished city within a city'? An educational trail in Pardubice responds to a completely vanished historical site, now obscured by communist urbanism. The former Karanténa military hospital, once consisting of 365 buildings, has disappeared entirely – not a single structure survives. Yet it was the largest military hospital in central Europe during World War I, with a capacity of up to 10,000 beds and its own railway stations, bakeries, laboratories and extensive infrastructure. Through panels, photographs, interactives and visualisations, the trail restores the collective memory of this place. It reveals its historical and social layers and shows how interpretation can bring a completely vanished urban complex back to life. Let’s explore sensitive heritage. How can such lost worlds be made meaningful for contemporary audiences, and, 'when will we ever learn'?

Barbora Dvorakova is an educational professional, trainer and heritage interpreter who has been working for over twenty years in various fields. She has co-created over fifty interpretation and educational projects, teaches place-based and environmental learning, and coordinates the Czech network of Interpret Europe. One of her passions is lighthouses at the end of the world. More information: www.interpretujsvet.cz

Forget passive listening. This is a live, collaborative lab where you become the catalyst. In just 90 minutes, you’ll embark on a fast-paced journey to crack your inner code and learn to renegotiate reality with others. You'll physically build a shared “mirror” from fragments of personal memory and value, then use it to collectively reinterpret a heritage challenge. This isn't just theory, it's the core skill of building peace practiced in real-time. Come ready to move, create, and discover how your unique perspective, combined with others’, becomes the most powerful tool we have to defend dignity and transform heritage into a force for cohesion. No prep needed - just an open mind.

Max Dubravko Fijačko is the Outreach Coordinator for Interpret Europe and a seasoned trainer, practitioner, and facilitator in heritage interpretation. He specialises in translating the principles of value-based interpretation into dynamic, participatory experiences, empowering professionals and communities to connect heritage with contemporary relevance.

Patrick Lehnes currently serves as Interpret Europe’s Cultural Heritage Coordinator. He works as a researcher for Interpret Europe’s ‘HI People’ project. He has been active in the field of heritage interpretation for thirty years as a freelancer, researcher and expert advisor. From 2010-15 he served as Director of Interpret Europe.

Tahtay Koraro in northwestern Tigray remains one of the least systematically studied yet culturally significant regions of northern Ethiopia. This research reconstructs ancient settlement systems through an extensive surface-based archaeological investigation integrating pedestrian survey, artifact documentation, oral traditions, archival sources, and GIS-supported spatial recording. The survey identified a wide spectrum of archaeological sites, including prehistoric lithic scatters, Aksumite period settlements, stelae fields, numismatic finds, and medieval monastic complexes. Their distribution demonstrates a deep history of occupation and reveals the region’s incorporation into broader Aksumite cultural, political, and economic spheres. 

By synthesizing material, spatial, and historical data, the study highlights how surface archaeology can effectively reconstruct cultural landscapes in areas where excavation remains limited. The findings significantly expand the archaeological record of Tigray and underscore the region’s role as a dynamic frontier of interaction, belief, and settlement continuity. However, the research also exposes the increasing vulnerability of these heritage resources to environmental degradation, agricultural expansion, conflict related disturbances, and unregulated development. The study therefore emphasizes the urgent need for integrated heritage management, including targeted excavations, community centered stewardship, and planning frameworks that prioritise site preservation. Protecting these landscapes is essential not only for safeguarding cultural heritage but also for enabling future scholarship to further illuminate the historical trajectories of northern Ethiopia.

Gidey Gebreegziabher has both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Archaeology from Ethiopian institutions; Aksum University and Mekelle University, respectively. He is currently an archaeologist at the Tigray Culture and Tourism Bureau in northern Ethiopia. Gidey has over ten years of experience working with both national and international scholars, and he has authored or co‑authored more than four publications in international journals. He is presently pursuing his second Master’s degree in Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

This paper will discuss how women’s perspectives can be incorporated in the interpretation of military cemeteries with a case study from the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery (Belleau, France).  

During the World Wars, women were confined to non-combat roles, therefore, most service members buried and commemorated in military cemeteries are men. How can we expand the narrative, giving a voice to the experiences of women at the time, particularly the ones who gave their loved ones to the war effort? How might we recognise the important role they played in military commemoration? The new self-guided tour offered at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery offers an innovative, engaging and emotional experience by inviting visitors to discover the site through the eyes of grieving mothers who visited their son’s graves shortly after the War.

Charlotte Giraudo has worked in the field of Interpretation for the last 13 years; first as a guide, then as a coach and now as the Interpretation Program Manager for the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). The ABMC is a federal agency which administers American military cemeteries overseas. As the Interpretation Program Manager, she manages agencywide interpretive projects and planning efforts and defines standards.

The Faro Convention recognises heritage communities as potentially non-local, dispersed and transnational, formed around shared values rather than only territorial proximity. This is the case of Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum in Warsaw, that engages with a global community that identifies with her legacy.

Born in Poland and professionally rooted in France, Maria embodies a truly international heritage, reflected in schools, streets and institutions named after her worldwide, the Museum’s stamp collection from all countries, and the fact that most visitors are international. They share values symbolised by Maria: belief in science as a universal tool, gender equality, service, determination, courage and overcoming adversity – that offer fertile ground for value-based heritage interpretation. Using the Museum’s and international examples, the presentation explores how transnational, value-based heritage communities are crucial for connecting today’s divided world and how heritage institutions can become spaces where such communities recognise themselves as exactly that: communities.

Barbara Gołębiowska is a museum professional, educator and heritage interpreter (CIT, CIG, CIP),  director of the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum in Warsaw. Working with the Museum team on a new permanent exhibition and a new programme for the institution, she seeks to use heritage interpretation methodology to engage museum audiences and to build diverse communities around the museum.

Developed by Interpret Europe in collaboration with UNESCO, the Learning Landscapes (LL) initiative has established a clear, transferable framework for transforming heritage areas into places where interpretation connects people, strengthens communities, and inspires shared responsibility for the future.

In each LL, through focusing on capacity building, local interpretive agents together with diverse stakeholders formed networks that co-created interpretive strategies, with the support of IE experts. In parallel, IE’s courses equipped local professionals with the skills to translate these strategies into coherent interpretive plans and services.

As the initiative reaches its conclusion, we will present key benefits of co-creating interpretive strategies for the interpretive profession, concrete outcomes from pilot areas, and practical examples showing how ideas move from strategy to site planning and finally to implementation.

Lucija Gudlin (MA Art History/Pedagogy; MA World Heritage Studies) has worked as curator, programme, event and project coordinator (production and implementation of educational materials). She monitored cultural investment projects from the post-pandemic cultural fund. Employed as a consultant for socio-cultural centres and at IE as Financial Officer and Coordinator of the Learning Landscapes initative.

Valya Stergioti (MSc Environmental Decision Making) is the founder of Alli Meria, an interpretive consultancy agency. As an interpretive planner, writer and certified IE trainer she works around the world, empowering local communities to 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 the founder of ViVaio, an interpretive planning practice based in Italy. She specialises in the development of interpretive plans and narratives that help places, heritage and people grow meaningful connections. She trains interpretive guides and professionals and is IE’s Country Coordinator for Italy.

Thorsten Ludwig (MSc Interpretation) studied archaeology and worked at a German national park until 1993. He founded Bildungswerk Interpretation and was on the Board of the German Association for Natural and Environmental Education for 12 years. He chaired the Board of a foundation running a medieval castle and was Director of IE from 2015-21.

Within the framework of this workshop, participants can get acquainted with and gain first-hand experience of a complex, multi-sensory form of mediating cultural and natural heritage, as interpreted by Anna Gulyás — singer, storyteller, cultural anthropologist, music educator at the House of Hungarian Music, and artist of The Big Green project. The music-and-story-based dramatic method helps us interpret stories in a way that deeply involves the audience: they can experience, act out, and embody the events of myths, allowing the lessons to sink in more profoundly — drawing somewhat closer to the knowledge-transmission methods of tribal rituals.

During the workshop, through two archaic "environmental education" myths — a Hungarian folk tale (The Story of Green Peter) and an African Mbaka myth (The Story of the Bird Who Sang the World's Most Beautiful Song) — we can experience how deep a connection this complex method can create with the life-world of our own culture and that of a distant one. 

Anna will also touch on how she has integrated this method into her work within The Big Green project: the goal of their Green Forest Festival is to create a symbolic festive occasion for (re)connecting with nature, which includes the enactment of a Hungarian folk tale using this method. At the end of the workshop, there will be an opportunity to answer questions from the audience.

Anna Gulyas is a singer, storyteller, cultural anthropologist and music educator.

A visit to a museum usually focuses on sight, as visitors discover the space and acquire knowledge through texts. Departing from this model and in line with the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society suggestion that parties “encourage everyone to participate in the identification, study, interpretation, protection, conservation and presentation of cultural heritage” (Article 12), I propose that museums in historic spaces utilise their buildings' features, collections and furnishings to inspire visitors to reinterpret museums through experiencing an authentic place. Experiencing does not necessarily mean acquiring knowledge; however, it is a form of learning in a more organic way.

How about going to a museum to experience it, not just to see it? Concentrate on the feeling of being within historic walls instead of on accumulating information. Even though many museums don’t pursue sound or active listening at their exhibitions, every museum is nonetheless filled with sounds of all sorts.

The paper results in a study on how the museum’s aural architecture and sonic interplay with its immediate urban surroundings may be curated to provide a sound-centric visitor format. The case study is the Jagiellonian University Collegium Maius Museum in Kraków, where a new curated trail of visit was installed to test on groups of visitors. The museum is housed within the first university complex dating back to the 14th century, and was opened to the public in the 1960s after renovations and creating theatrical scenography-like interiors telling the story of the grand past of the university

Participants in the empirical study appreciated the refocusing of the museum visit towards sensory experiences, which enabled them to view heritage from an unexpected, new angle. This approach, which encourages interpretation based on non-obvious elements, is grounded in the text of the ‘Faro Convention’, which states that parties should “encourage reflection on the ethics and methods of presentation of cultural heritage, as well as respect for the diversity of interpretations” (Article 7).

Katarzyna Jagodzinska works as Assistant Professor at the Institute of European Studies, Jagiellonian University, head of Public Programmes at the MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków, head of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub for Central and Eastern Europe. She is an art historian, museologist, heritage practitioner, and journalist. Her research interests encompass the participation in and democratisation of museums, museums and wellbeing, and sensory aspects of heritage.

The workshop draws on the experience of a series of meetings held in Józef Piłsudski Museum in Sulejówek, where interpretation of historical heritage becomes a tool for reflecting on contemporary realities. The project demonstrates how the past can help us understand current political, social and cultural developments without falling into simplification or the instrumentalisation of history. A central focus is placed on the critical reading of sources, the analysis of media narratives, and the development of fact-checking skills in the face of simplified narratives and disinformation. During the workshop, participants will be invited to reflect on how similar approaches can be adapted to different interpretive contexts. The workshop develops key competences for contemporary interpreters, including the ability to analyse information from multiple sources, recognise manipulation, assess arguments and evidence, formulate well-grounded opinions, and understand diverse perspectives and values.

Julia Janowska is head of the Education Department of the Józef Piłsudski Museum in Sulejówek. For many years she conducted workshops as part of the family programme. In her daily work she draws on heritage interpretation methodology as an IE Certified Interpretive Writer and Trainer. She holds degrees in Art History and Polish Philology, which drives her growing interest in critical work with sources and language as interpretive tools. 

Holocaust sites are among Europe’s most challenging heritage spaces: geographically dispersed, ethically charged, and vulnerable to distortion and instrumentalisation. They are often cared for by dedicated custodians working with diverse stakeholder communities who shape how these places are understood, protected, and interpreted.

This presentation draws on the vision of the European Commission’s new initiative, European Sites of Holocaust Memory (ESHEM). Inspired by the Faro Convention, ESHEM approaches Holocaust sites as shared spaces of responsibility and material evidence. By connecting well-known and lesser-known sites within a European framework, fostering peer-to-peer exchange, and strengthening site-specific interpretation, ESHEM supports custodians as mediators between past and present, and between local, European, and global histories. The presentation explores how this empowerment can strengthen community engagement and Holocaust heritage interpretation across Europe.

Aleksandra Kumala (PhD) is a cultural studies researcher specialising in Holocaust heritage and memory; Head of Research in FestivALT; Research and Documentation Officer in European Sites of Holocaust Memory, and member of the Research Centre for Memory Cultures (Jagiellonian University).

This presentation will introduce a Belarusian experience of rural tourism development based on the intangible heritage of rural communities.

This heritage belongs to rural communities and society, where villagers are the bearers of their culture: rights, rituals, folklore, crafts, cuisine, etc. They need support in protecting and transmitting their heritage. Nowadays tourists are seeking authenticity and genuine experiences. Tourism products based on heritage interpretation can provide a competitive advantage for local communities and strengthen their self-identity.

Three different case studies of heritage interpretation will be introduced in this presentation:

1. The interpretive tourism programme 'Rural Renaissance' in a tiny village where a famous insensitive sculpture used to be located and where people now introduce their heritage through a museum, small performances, masterclasses, and craft festivals.

2. The greenway 'Volozshin Routes' where cultural heritage (crafts, rituals, traditional food and the production of bread, vodka and cheese) are combined with natural heritage (the oldest forest, the kings' hunts, alternative herbal medicines, etc).

3. Traditional culinary festival 'Motol Delicacies' where tourists can taste a unique traditional meal, learn how to cook it, and learn local rituals, such as songs and dances.

Valeria Klitsounova has been wearing many hats during her career as an interpreter. She was Associate Professor of the Belarusian State University where she developed and taught her own course “Heritage Interpretation in Tourism”,  and as a chair of the National Association of Rural Tourism I introduced interpretive approaches to rural tourism operators.
She is a trainer in interpretation and interpretive guiding (certified by the NAI) and wrote the first book in Russian about Heritage Interpretation in tourism (two editions- 2016, 2021). She studied interpretation in the USA as a Fulbright scholar in 2014 and has been a member of IE and NAI for many years. Now she is a vice-president of the Global Agritourism Network where she promotes interpretation ideas.

Tatsiana Bembel is an art historian, art critic, museum specialist, head of socio-cultural and educational projects, interpreter, screenwriter, a licensed tour guide and creator of guided tours interpreting heritage.

She graduated in 1988 from the I. E. Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Faculty of Theory and History of Art.

Her main work commitment is currently as Executive Secretary of the Belarusian Committee of the International Council of Museums "ICOM".

Monuments are rarely innocent: they materialise contested decisions about commemoration and act as “public commands of interpretation,” condensing values (mourning, warning, honour, triumph) into durable signs in space. This paper proposes a typology based on (1) agency of installation (locally grounded vs externally imposed) and (2) mnemonic mode (mourning vs triumph/entitlement). It applies the model to Red Army monuments erected in Central Europe after World War II, widely read as symbols of Soviet, and later Russian, hegemonic victory and thus targets for removal. Since Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, at least 30 have been dismantled and nearly 50 desecrated across the region, including in Vienna and Berlin. Both their life and “life after life” become a compelling object of inquiry. The key question concerns whether, and if so to what extent, the dialogic and inclusive normative sense of the Faro Convention is helpful in interpreting the situation.

Jacek Kołodziej is a professor at the Jagiellonian University’s Institute of European Studies, conducting extensive research on European heritage and Holocaust memory. In his work, he focuses on the interpretation of symbolic meanings, social communication, and the methodology of social research. He participated in the previous IE conference in Sulejówek and co-organised the IE conference in Kraków in 2015.

The Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War in 1995, granted significant autonomy to the Republika Srpska, one of the constituent entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although officially part of the country, it operates independently in many ways. This autonomy was an acceptable compromise for the Serbs, as it allowed them to preserve their own political and cultural identity. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s survival depends largely on the work of the United Nations-appointed International High Commissioner, who oversees the country’s operations. However, there have been growing signs in recent times that the country’s political situation is becoming unstable and the crisis is deepening.

The situation in the Balkans remains volatile and requires the attention of the international community to preserve peace and stability. The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina depends on political wisdom and the search for diplomatic solutions to avoid another war and the threat of ethnic cleansing.

Tadeusz Kopyś, PhD (born 1967) is a Historian at the Institute of European Studies, Jagiellonian University. He specialises in the history of Central Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, national issues and nationalism in this region. His main publications concern matters of federation in Central Europe (Oszkár Jászi 1875-1957. From the History of the Idea of ​​Federation in Central Europe, Krakow 2006, Jagiellonian University Publishing House) as well as the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and Polish-Hungarian relations in the 20th century. He has held multiple scholarships at several research institutes in Hungary (e.g. Eötvös Collegium i Europái Intézet) and in Great Britain (Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities in Edinburgh). Dr. Kopysio's studies on the nationality issue include: Nationality Issue in the Lands of Saint Stephen's Crown in the Years 1867-1918 (Krakow 2001), Polish-Hungarian relations in the years 1945-1970 (Krakow 2015), and History of Hungary 1526-1989 (Krakow 2014). 

The presentation is dedicated to the results of the research project “European Cities in the Process of Constructing and Transmitting European Cultural Heritage”, implemented under the Erasmus+ programme. The project was carried out as part of a consortium of four universities: Jagiellonian University (Poland), Università degli Studi dell’Aquila (Italy), Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica (Slovakia), and University of Deusto in Bilbao (Spain).

The project was aimed at both students and academic staff. It was concerned with shaping and transmitting European cultural heritage, understood in terms of its multicultural character and transnational dimensions, which form the basis for fostering social and cultural cohesion among Europeans and for strengthening European identity and active citizenship. The city was conceptualised as a tool for identifying a shared cultural space between the national heritage of the partner countries and the broader cultural heritage of Europe.

Paweł Kubicki is an associate professor (Sociology) at the Institute of European Studies of the Jagiellonian University. His primary research interests are: urban sociology and anthropology, social and urban movements, sociology of ethnicity and nation, European identities. He is a member of the Committee on Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Co-Head of the Section of Urban Sociology at the Polish Sociological Association.

The topic of historic mountain lodges has gained momentum through proactive civil society engagement in response to the inappropriate condition of this less-known type of built heritage in Romania. A series of initiatives, which opened the space for public debate on the cultural and natural values of the historic lodges, revealed their significance for the heritage communities as well as key aspects of 'heritage as living practice'. In addition, further projects – focused on preliminary building mapping, scientific research, identification of meanings for diverse stakeholders, interpretation practices embedded in buildings' salvage campaigns, and performative storytelling – generated the framework for understanding the contexts that allow narratives to co-exist. The presentation explores key considerations regarding the contribution of heritage interpretation to strengthening public engagement by using co-creative interpretive methods, promoting diversity through layered, community-valued meanings, and approaching and stimulating youth-led actions for the research and enhancement of historic mountain lodges.

Lucia Leca is an architect at the National Institute of Heritage, Romania. Among her responsibilities in the preservation and enhancement of UNESCO sites, she has contributed to the Interpretive Strategy of the Roșia Montană Mining Landscape, to the field research for the Interpretive Framework of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia, and has supported projects for the Historic Center of Sighișoara and other initiatives. Lucia was involved in the process of Romania’s Faro Convention ratification, and her recent work focuses on co-creative heritage interpretation to foster a deeper, authentic understanding of places and communities.

We live in a time of challenging changes. Democratic institutions, once constituted as safeguards of human dignity and peace, are at risk. The defences of peace in many

people’s minds are crumbling. Long established meanings and moral standards are increasingly twisted, reversed and voided at will. The Faro Convention introduced a new heritage paradigm in relation to people. It embraces cultural diversity and development based on mutual respect and universal human rights. But the strategic importance of this new paradigm for Europe is still grossly underestimated. It cannot be fully grasped without a more comprehensive understanding of ‘interpretation’ and ‘culture’ as defining characteristics of being human. Culture, heritage and interpretation are interrelated aspects of ‘meaning-making’ – the human capacity of making sense of new encounters and events against the background of already preconceived meaning-systems which may trigger reflection, new insights and personal development.

Everybody can interpret intuitively. But hardly anybody is aware of how they do it. And interpretation is prone to many flaws and subsequent misjudgements. Every person can enhance their interpretation skills if ready to observe and reflect on their mental processing. This requires leaving one’s comfort zone to engage with complexity, with bias, with reflexive and dynamic, relative and interrelated aspects and with the paradoxes of human life. Advanced interpretation skills are key to overcoming stereotypes and enhancing mutual understanding, to developing power of judgement and to orienting oneself in a dynamically changing environment. Value-based and people-centred heritage interpretation in the spirit of Faro requires humbleness, and courage to enter a house of moving mirrors.

Patrick Lehnes currently serves as Interpret Europe’s Cultural Heritage Coordinator. He works as a researcher for Interpret Europe’s ‘HI People’ project. He has been active in the field of heritage interpretation for thirty years as a freelancer, researcher and expert advisor. From 2010-15 he served as Director of Interpret Europe.

Heritage interpreters are the public face of a ministry or organization when they share the story of a site or a landscape with or without controversy or challenges. Often interpreters are not prepared for what the public's reaction might be to a given walk, talk or tour and react based on their level of experience, background or personal values. What support should interpreters be given to address controversy at a site before and after programming? How should we train guides to respond to audiences? What are the best practices? Learn about controversies at United States heritage interpretation sites and what is being done (or not) to support interpreters in their important work. 

Chuck Lennox is the owner of Lennox Insites - a freelance consultancy focused on interpretive planning and training based in Seattle, Washington USA but with projects around the world. He also coordinates the Global Alliance for Heritage Interpretation which includes Interpret Europe as a member.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cares for 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen and women across 23,000 sites worldwide—places where former enemies lie side by side, commemorated with equal dignity. This principle of equality in burial reflects democratic values and offers a powerful lens for heritage interpretation. Twenty years after the Faro Convention, CWGC’s approach resonates with its call for a people-centred, value-based heritage practice. In a Europe facing polarisation, CWGC interpretation fosters connection rather than division through dialogue, inclusivity, and co-creation. Initiatives such as CWGC Forevermore, community engagement, and multilingual storytelling invite diverse voices to shape narratives, transforming cemeteries into spaces for lifelong learning. This presentation will show how CWGC operationalises Faro principles, why discussing different views of conflict—past and present—is vital for democracy, and how equality in burial promotes mutual respect and sustainability.

Django Maekelberg is the Business Development Director at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, leveraging 10+ years of international operations and partnerships leadership to drive organisational growth and optimisation.

In Yiddish, shtetl means town and was the term used by Jewish inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe to describe multicultural towns where Jews lived alongside Christians of various denominations and nationalities, and sometimes Muslims. These towns shaped the region’s cultural landscape for centuries.

World War II, the Holocaust, ethnic cleansings and forced resettlements destroyed the shtetls as living communities. Yet the legacy of multicultural coexistence still matters to today’s residents and to the descendants of former neighbours. It can inspire dialogue, but also recall trauma and conflict. The Shtetl Heritage Interpretation Lab strives to build a heritage community around the multicultural traditions of the borderland through cultural and educational activities, a cultural tourism trail and a networking programme for local activists.

Emil Majuk is a political scientist, cultural expert and social activities facilitator. He runs the Shtetl Heritage Interpretation Lab at the Brama Grodzka – Teatr NN Centre in Lublin (Poland), lectures at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, and has over 20 years of experience in cultural animation focused on the multicultural heritage of the Polish-Ukrainian borderland, including Jewish heritage.

Understanding tourist experiences in Polish national parks is key for proper management and value co-creation. These protected areas are preserving natural and very often cultural heritage as well (both tangible and intangible), and they are ideal places to learn about it. The research was conducted in selected national parks in Poland. Based on the in-depth interviews with tourists, the study examines their individual experiences through undertaking tourist activities, mainly, but not exclusively, related to nature. Tourist experiences can vary in sensory, cognitive, affective, behavioural and relationship aspects, according to Pearce (and Mohammadi, 2021). The study focuses on those five components, with exploration of what lived experiences in national parks mean to visitors, how they are described, and which components are salient in their statements. The implications of such experiences for the future were also investigated. Results suggest that the sensory component of tourist experiences is dominant, while the whole experience is also linked to nostalgia and the “tourist biography” of individuals. Recognising tourist experiences in national parks plays a key role in creating narratives about this priceless heritage and co-existence with nature, and it can lead to the co-design of such experiences for future visitors, i.e. encouraging more sustainable behaviour.

Adela Malak is a beginner in studying interpretation, but it is related to her PhD research project about tourist experiences in National Parks in Poland. Therefore she would like to learn more from specialists during the conference and gain new perspectives to improve the quality of her doctoral project. Moreover, she would like to discuss links between visitors' experiences of heritage interpretation in protected areas.

The activity seeks to put into practice in a lively and interactive way the principles of democracy, dialogue, and sustainability as pillars on which Interpret Europe is based.

It will be a guided outing, using the structure and different techniques that are taught as EI guides in an outdoor space with these three topics as the common thread.

The activity seeks to show a possible use of the methodology while generating a subsequent debate that allows for a deeper understanding of the relationship between heritage interpretation and the topics covered, and joint learning.

Evarist March Sarlat is a CIG trainer from 2014 with long experience in diverse natural and cultural contexts in Europe and Latin América. Evarist is nature guide and trainer and Director of Naturalwalks.

Pula, the southern coastal city of Croatia's Istrian peninsula on the western Adriatic, boasts one of Europe's most extensive and multifaceted fortification systems, reflecting centuries of strategic military importance. This heritage spans different historical epochs, beginning with ancient Roman walls and gates, evolving through Venetian defences, and culminating in the vast Austro-Hungarian network that transformed Pula into the empire's primary naval base in the mid-19th century. 

This layered legacy of 28 forts and over 200 structures reflects defensive and historical narratives. The Pula Fort Centre, housed in the Kaštel, the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria, serves as a pivotal interpretive hub, employing multimedia exhibits to demystify this heritage. The centre highlights not just military engineering but technological evolution and imperial ambitions with impacts on local identities shifting from symbols of division to platforms for intercultural dialogue, and urban regeneration. In essence, Pula's fortifications embody contested histories sidelined by tourism. The Fort Centre's interpretive role ensures their preservation, enriching Pula's identity as a bridge between turbulent pasts and harmonious futures. 

Katarina Marić is Museum Adviser, Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria.

She graduated in History and German Language and Literature, and in 1997–2012 was a curator (and from 2006-10, Director) of the Rovinj City Museum. From 2012 she was a curator in the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria, responsible for the collections of graphics and prints, and press. She has curated several exhibitions and written books covering different topics, and is the coordinator of regional museum projects.

Katarina Pocedić is Senior Curator, Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria. From 2002 as curator there, she was responsible for the collections of urban life, flags and maritime history and shipbuilding. She has curated several exhibitions and written books covering different topics, as well as coordinating educational programmes.

Ida Skoko (1988, Pula) is a media artist and audiovisual producer. She holds degrees in Autonomous Visual Arts (KABK, The Hague) and Media Arts (UMAS, Split). Since 2017 she works as a freelancer, collaborating with cultural institutions, museums and film festivals on production and film projects. Since 2025, she is a certified Interpret Europe Heritage Interpreter.

Museums are the ultimate keepers and promoters of cultural and sometimes natural heritage. At the same time, they are visitor centers by default since they arrange exhibitions for audiences and invite them in. Modern visitor trends require sites to create experiences rather than simply offering a 'show and tell'. This is where Heritage Interpretation steps in, helping visitors establish their own connections with heritage, appreciating its value and making their own memories to take away. This presentation will show the results of a 4-year PhD study on the best strategies museums can use to take their natural place on tourism markets, while also demonstrating an experiment on the use of Heritage Interpretation that was held in the process.

Simana Markovska has nearly 30 years of experience as an expert, trainer and consultant in sustainable tourism, with her personal bias laying in museums as the perfect tourism sites. She is a firm fan of Heritage Interpretation and a member of IE since 2019. In the last 4 years, she has been researching the connection between museums, tourism and HI as part of her PhD studies.

This presentation will consider how the Dudutki private Museum preserves and revives interest in Belarusian folk crafts, particularly for children, who represent an important audience group. Successful guiding practices in helping achieve this will be explored, including quizzes, impersonation, tasting, master classes, games and festivals.

Sviatlana Mashchanka is a Belarusian guide and Interpreter with 30 years of experience. She studied interpretation at NAI, and in IE online and offline courses.

Since 2024, the monumental Modernist architectural complex known as Generalštab, built after WWII for the Yugoslav Army Command and Defence Ministry, and much damaged in the 1999 NATO bombing, has become the centre of the anticorruption fight in Serbia. This came about when the government started pushing for the removal of its protected cultural property status, so that commercial real-estate could be developed at the site by the company of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. In February 2024, an Investment Agreement was signed for this deal, provoking large-scale protests by heritage experts and CSOs in Serbia. 

Although the Serbian Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime found a series of criminal offenses had been committed throughout the process, in November 2025 a special law (lex specialis) was passed, allowing for the removal of the site from the register of cultural properties. However, following the indictment against the Minister of Culture for "illegality in the removal of the cultural property" and three more persons for abuse of official position and forgery, and in the light of the US Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act pointing to corruption among political leaders in Serbia, the US partner withdrew from the deal. 

This opens a possibility of starting an inclusive public dialogue on a future redevelopment project, in consultancy with experts and citizens, as advocated by Europa Nostra.

Sunčica Milosavljević is an experienced theatre and TV director and cultural project manager. Holding a Ph.D. in Theatre Studies from the Belgrade University of Arts, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, through her professional practice Sunčica developed interests in material and immaterial heritage interpretation in both theatre and television creativity. 

She directed a highly noticed series of broadcasts on Modernist architecture in Serbia for the Radio Television of Serbia and explored urban settings as poetic semiotics in both video and site-specific theatre media. 

As a theatre deviser and drama pedagogue, she initiated several projects focused on the Culture and Politics of Remembrance, engaging artists and young people in processes exploring family histories through creative ethnographic and participatory aproaches. 

She speaks on the abovementioned topis and disseminates original methodologies in workshops in conferences and symposia Europe-wide. 

The House of Paul Gottereau in Bucharest -historic residence of the French-trained architect who helped define Romania’s modern architectural identity at the end of the 19th century -has recently secured funding for restoration. In parallel, an interpretive plan is now being developed to guide how the site will be understood, experienced and used as a future cultural hub.

This presentation shares the early-stage process of creating that plan within the National Institute of Heritage in Romania, exploring how interpretation can be embedded from the very beginning of design and conservation planning. The plan proposes the overarching theme “Architecture as a Language of Modern Identity,” connecting biography, craftsmanship, and urban transformation. It also introduces participatory elements involving students, NGOs and community partners.

Rather than presenting a finished product, the paper reflects on opportunities and challenges in co-designing interpretation during restoration - aiming to transform a neglected historic house into a living platform for cultural dialogue.

Florentina Murea-Matache is an architect and heritage specialist at the Romanian National Institute of Heritage. She has contributed to research and heritage recognition projects and has, in recent years, deepened her focus on heritage interpretation through Interpret Europe training. She is currently developing the interpretive plan for the House of Architect Paul Gottereau, while also preparing a PhD monograph tracing the architect’s life and work.

This seminar explores how heritage interpretation can move beyond communication and promotion to become a democratic practice rooted in dialogue, empathy and shared responsibility. Inspired by the Faro Convention, it introduces interpretive planning as a form of democratic infrastructure that supports inclusive narratives, community participation and sustainable heritage governance.

Participants will be invited to reflect on the role of interpreters in times of polarisation, when heritage narratives can either divide or connect. The seminar presents the Faro-based Interpretive Cycle (FIC) as a practical framework that integrates value-based resource identification, co-creation of narratives with heritage communities, ethical media choices and democratic monitoring through Education, Experience, Engagement and Empathy.

Drawing on municipal case examples, the session highlights common deficits in interpretive practice and discusses how interpreters, planners and institutions can jointly address them. The seminar combines conceptual input with reflective discussion and is designed to support participants in rethinking interpretation as a space for mediation, learning and democratic coexistence.

Eleonora Negulova is a PhD candidate in Tourism with over 20 years of experience as a certified tour guide. She completed heritage interpretation training developed within the HeriQ LdV Project, based on Interpret Europe principles. She manages a tour operator and advises municipalities on tourism strategies, where she identified key gaps in interpretive planning.

This case study shows how interpretation for children can encourage them to engage with diversity, coexistence and respectful interaction.

The project area presents five major landscapes of Baden-Württemberg as culturally and ecologically diverse spaces. These spaces are shaped by multiple histories and the relationships between people and nature. Using innovative analogue and digital media and guided by two child characters, it encourages children to explore different perspectives and consider how landscapes can be experienced and valued in various ways.

Storytelling and participatory methods encourage children to listen to different viewpoints, fostering empathy and openness while promoting critical thinking. Involving pupils from a partner school in the development process from the outset ensures that the interpretation remains dialogue-oriented and responsive to young audiences.

Overall, the project demonstrates how interpretation can create spaces for respectful dialogue, nurture appreciation for diversity, and encourage sustainable and socially responsible action. In doing so, it supports children in becoming thoughtful citizens.

Monika Nethe works for the University of Education/ Freiburg (Germany) and is also 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.

This session explores how heritage interpretation increasingly takes place beyond formal institutions, within grassroots digital communities such as Facebook nostalgia and heritage groups. Grounded in the participatory ethos of the Faro Convention, the session opens with a concise overview of the shift from object-centred to process-based, people-centred interpretation. Drawing on examples of photo-sharing and collective memory-building in online communities, it highlights how interpretation emerges through dialogue, emotion, and multivocal storytelling, alongside challenges such as misinformation, exclusion, and AI-generated imagery. Participants will then work in small groups with anonymised case examples to reflect on questions of authority, authenticity, and facilitation. The session concludes by considering what institutional and professional interpreters can learn from these grassroots practices about facilitation, dialogue, and shared authority, and how they might meaningfully support or collaborate with such communities while respecting their autonomy.

Daniela Peresso is a communications graduate and Master’s student in Heritage Interpretation. Her earlier research explored tensions and mutual learning between digital citizens and professionals in online news production. Her current work examines how social media platforms enable communities to participate in heritage-making and interpretation alongside institutions, with a strong interest in memory, storytelling, and people-centred practice inspired by the Faro Convention.

The paper problematises the concept of Europeanisation of heritage by referring to the research I conducted across museums in Poland and Sweden utilising HI approaches. My main argument is that the Europeanisation of heritage goes beyond the selection of topics which are presented as core to 'Europeaness' and can also be recognised as particular ways of narrating the past (not only 'what' is communicated, but also 'how' it is). Referring to civilisational values, many of which are literally expressed in the Faro Convention, I want to demonstrate that European museums, supported by new museology, can be analysed as “civilising agents” taking part in the construction of collective identity by offering ways of organising reality – not only that of the past, but also of the present and the future. In order to analyse the values applied to musealised situations, I propose a newly developed interpretive framework where the concepts of democracy, progress and narrativity, among others, reflect the sense of Europe as a community of values. My main overarching finding is that the Europeanisation of heritage in museums has a goal of strengthening the sense of individual agency and responsibility for communities. 

Finally I would like to mention the usefulness of civilisational process as a concept absent in museology, but potentially meaningful in heritage interpretation and worth looking at especially in the controversies surrounding the notion of civilisation and Eurocentrism.

This paper is mainly based on my book “The Invisible Hand of Europe. The Museum as a Civilising Tool” (Peter Lang, 2020), which I have not shared yet with heritage interpreters, but I hope it to be a contribution to the exchanges around the core ideas of the Faro Convention as well as practices of HI.  

Lucja Piekarska has worked in HI both as a practicioner and academic. She has been an expert at the Council of Europe, where she worked on inclusivity and democratisation in the Cultural Routes initiative, but she also devoted 15 years to work in public service trying to make regional and local museums more relevant. She currently teaches HI at university level, but remain in contact with diverse-heritage related institutions. 

Kostiuchnówka is a village in the Volhynia region in Ukraine, where the Polish Legions (part of the Austro-Hungarian Army) under the command of Piłsudski fought with the Russian Army in 1916. During the Second Polish Republic nine Memorial Pillars were raised on the battlefield to honour the Commander who fought for Polish freedom. They fell into ruin after World War II under the rule of the Soviet Union which tried to erase traces of our history. In 2017, with the consent of the local government in Volhynia, the last surviving Pillar was brought to Poland by the Museum and put in the core exhibition. The Museum also placed the copy of the Pillar in its original spot. 

In Sulejówek the Pillar receives interpretation consistent with Faro values: preserving and interpreting common heritage, fostering dialogue between countries, connecting societies separated by wars, and strengthening foundations for a peaceful future in Europe. The current war in Ukraine renders the above values more essential than ever. 

Anna Postek is an art historian, co-curator of temporary exhibitions at the Józef Piłsudski Museum in Sulejówek, a member of Interpret Europe, and a Certified Interpretative Writer.

The protection of immovable cultural heritage in Serbia has been actively pursued for nearly eight decades through various institutional frameworks. The ratification of the Faro Convention in 2010 marked a significant advancement in fostering collaboration between institutions and local communities, as well as enhancing the interpretation and presentation of heritage with a focus on sustainability. This paper explores a case study of exemplary practice achieved through the partnership between a cultural institution (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia) and the local community (local NGO association "Baštinar"), centered on the preservation, interpretation, and presentation of the Vojvodina village of Perlez.

Additionally, the development of an interpretive plan for the area is currently underway, contributing to the identification of optimal strategies for sustainability. This paper will elucidate the ongoing endeavors stemming from this partnership and propose specific strategies for the interpretation of various phenomena, thereby reinforcing the notion of cultural heritage interpretation as an integral component of contemporary conservation practice. It is imperative to define the role of the local community in formulating interpretive services aimed at promoting the village and facilitating a path to sustainability. Emphasis will be placed on engaging children and youth as interpreters of their own heritage.

Ana Radovanac Živanov is an Art Historian and work as Senior Consultant at the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia in Belgrade, in the Department for Research, Protection and Documentation. In addition, I am finishing my PhD thesis at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Department of Art History, at the Seminar for Museology and Heritage studies. I am also the Country Coordinator of Interpret Europe for Serbia and I try to promote the association's ideas and goals in my country. I completed the course for interpretive planners which was held in 2022 in Ljubljana, and a course for interpretative guides in Belgrade in 2025. I participate in and am the team leader of several projects related to the interpretation of cultural heritage in Serbia. My fields of scientific interest are: interpretation of cultural heritage, architectural history of Serbia between the two wars, conservation of cultural heritage, interpretative methodologies and concepts, memory studies, the history of private life. I am an author of many professional and scientific articles, as well as a participant in domestic and foreign conferences and symposiums. I am also a member of ICOMOS and Society of Conservators of Serbia.

The Faro Convention redefined cultural heritage as a 'democratic resource', giving heritage communities a leading role in heritage processes. However, the lack of precise operational definitions is generating a paradox: rather than promoting dialogue, the Convention's application fuels polarisation between heritage professionals and civil society, with consequences for conservation sustainability itself.

In countries lacking consolidated internal regulations, this vagueness has transformed the Convention into an uncritical normative compass. Interpreters, such as administrators, cultural mediators and educators, find themselves unprepared to facilitate dialogue when heritage communities spontaneously form around heritage, claiming exclusive legitimacy over narratives and conservation choices.

The Faro Venice case exemplifies what doesn't work: goals of countering mass tourism and repopulating the historic centre, entrusted primarily to community mobilisation, are proving ineffective without structured institutional mediation and technical expertise integration. By contrast, Bolzano's Finance Palace intervention demonstrates interpretation's potential as a connecting practice through guided co-design.

To overcome polarisation, interpreters need multi-level competencies: facilitation skills, heritage literacy, technical-narrative abilities, and sustainability ethics. This paper proposes a mediated co-design model including institutional accompaniment, plural interpretation forums, narrative transparency protocols, and ethical interpreter accreditation—transforming heritage into an effective democratic resource that connects rather than divides.

Giorgia Ranieri is a doctoral candidate at Scuola Superiore "G. d'Annunzio" (Chieti-Pescara), researching the evolution of architectural conservation in contemporary Europe. For two years, she has investigated the Faro Convention's paradoxical effects: how democratisation rhetoric produces polarisation between heritage professionals and communities, undermining the sustainability of conservation.

Across Europe, sites shaped by violence, genocide, and exclusion challenge heritage interpretation. Often neglected or contested, such “difficult heritage” can either deepen divisions or foster understanding.

Based on long-term work with complex Jewish heritage in Central and Eastern Europe and aligned with the Faro Convention, the Engaged Memory Consortium has developed a practice-oriented framework combining arts, activism, and academic research. It views heritage as a shared, ongoing process and heritage communities as communities of responsibility, including those without direct ties to the past.

The presentation introduces a flexible framework integrating research, stakeholder mapping, participatory co-creation, artistic and non-invasive interventions, and practices of care. Through examples, it shows how interpretation can address complexity, respect cultural and religious contexts, challenge overly-simplifying narratives of the past, and foster learning, empathy, and civic engagement.

Magda Rubenfeld Koralewska is a project manager, social entrepreneur, and cultural activist. She is Co-founder of FestivALT, a Jewish organisation using contemporary art and activism to engage with difficult Jewish heritage in Poland, Co-founder of the Engaged Memory Consortium, and Network Engagement Officer for European Sites of Holocaust Memory.

Aleksandra Janus (PhD) is an anthropologist and researcher, Director of the Zapomniane Foundation, identifying and locating uncommemorated graves of Holocaust victims; Director of the European Sites of Holocaust Memory project, and Co-founder of the Engaged Memory Consortium.

Agnieszka Jabłońska is a manager, political scientist, memory activist, and independent researcher; Co-founder and Director of the Urban Memory Foundation in Wrocław, focused on public history and memory studies; Co-founder of the Engaged Memory Consortium.

Aleksandra Kumala (PhD) is a cultural studies researcher specialising in Holocaust heritage and memory; Head of Research in FestivALT; Research and Documentation Officer in European Sites of Holocaust Memory, and member of the Research Centre for Memory Cultures (Jagiellonian University).

From 2027 the EU nature restauration law will be put into practice all over Europe. Now all EU countries are working on their actions plans.

Degraded areas will be restored to enable more biological diversity. Communication, participation, and dialogue will be keys to success. How can interpretation contribute? 

The Swedish Centre for Nature Interpretation at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences is working together with two water management associations and one County administration to develop and describe how interpretation including dialogue processes along rivers, streams and in wetland restoration processes can be planned to engage interest and support from local actors and residents. A toolbox for interpretation and dialogue in restoration projects will result.

The aim of the workshop is to discuss and share examples of interpretation and dialogues with landowners, local residents, schools and NGO:s that can be involved and take ownership in water and nature restoration processes

What is needed in a toolbox for communication for nature restoration planners and facilitators?

Eva Sandberg is head of the Centre for Nature Interpretation at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. She is engaged in education and development of interpretation and is particularly interested in how nature interpretation might contribute to well-informed commitment to nature conservation and sustainable development. 

The diverse geological structure of the largest silicate mountain range in Slovenia, its varied terrain, and a rich network of surface waters form the foundation of the well-preserved nature and landscape of Pohorje. This includes extensive centuries-old forests, colourful meadows, and valuable wetlands—peat bogs, lakes, and streams. 

As one of the most valuable nature conservation areas in Slovenia and Europe, Pohorje is part of the “family” of Slovenian regional parks. 

Within an area of 52 square kilometres, interpretation centres, learning polygons, and interpretive points have been established, where visitors can explore the area’s rich natural and cultural heritage. With the aim of raising awareness among primary and secondary school students about the importance of conservation, the Network of Schools of the Pohorje Regional Park was established. Young participants spend a day in the park during their primary education and, through experiential interpretation—both in the centres and in nature—discover its invaluable heritage.

Andreja Senegačnik is a university-educated forestry engineer and nature conservation specialist. She believes that effective protection and preservation of natural heritage stem from understanding it; therefore, both professionally and in her free time, she dedicates her attention to the interpretation and popularization of natural heritage.

Mojca Bedjanič, MSc in Geology, works in the interpretation of geological and natural heritage. She believes understanding is the basis of conservation and develops interpretation points, educational programmes, and workshops for diverse audiences, including training for educators and guides.

Andrej Grmovšek is a graduate geographer employed at the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation, where he serves as Head of the Management Group of the Pohorje Regional Park. He has contributed to the establishment of the park and to projects on nature restoration and conservation.

Mag. Peter Zajc is a geographer with a Master of Science in environmental protection. Employed at the regional development agency he is involved in the management of the Pohorje Hills Regional Park with focus on outdoor sports management and understanding the complex relationships between humankind and nature.

Jana Jeglič is a tourism animator in Slovenska Bistrica who uses theatre and puppetry to connect local narratives with the landscapes they originated from, reflecting the long-standing role of nature and its phenomena in shaping human imagination across generations.

Has it ever happened that you wanted to do something out of the box with your interpretive project, but you had to tame your aspirations to get some funding? Have you ever had an encounter with a guest who was blatantly dismissive of democratic viewpoints, and you let it slide? 

Working with tourists from different parts of the world or with locals in a strongly divided society can make it very challenging to remain interpretive. Sometimes, even people who are considered heritage interpreters give up entirely on interpretation, especially on the ideas that are being discussed at this very conference, only to find work, create heritage-related projects, attract, and keep audiences. Iva, who will lead this presentation, openly admits she is one of those people. 

There is a limitation for value-based heritage interpretation in practice, as interpreters need to check many boxes. They should be enthusiastic about the heritage they’re presenting and, at the same time, ready to lead a fruitful and meaningful discussion that challenges harmful views. People who are enthusiastic about anything are often passionate, and it’s hard to be a diplomat when a fire is burning within you. They should also love people and have significant empathy, while resisting the urge to be too accommodating.     

The presentation will hardly be able to respond to all of these points, but it will open a discussion based on awkward real-life examples from the presenter’s extensive experience. 

Iva Silla has been crafting creative tourism services for 15 years and has been a conscious heritage interpreter for 10. Silla is also one of Interpret Europe's trainers, with a track record of transformative courses that changed some participants' mindsets. She is the creator of many educational workshops and materials, as well as dozens of interpretive products. She follows the principles of heritage interpretation in experience design. 

Silla's company was recently selected among the top ten Croatian impact companies thanks to her efforts to create mindful self-guided tours, just one of many recognitions she has received for her work. Tourism is a field where people are open to learning, and Iva uses that fact to explore the transformative possibilities of creative tourism. Her primary interest at the moment is transformative play. Her flagship project, Secret Zagreb, attracts approximately 3,000 visitors a year. 

This 55-minute interactive workshop presents the new Principles for Heritage Interpretation developed by WHIPIC through international dialogue since 2024 and invites feedback from conference participants. The principles are now entering a refinement phase toward becoming shared international guidance.

The session will open with a brief introduction to the Centre and its achievements, followed by an overview of the principles and their conceptual framework. The remaining time will be dedicated to structured peer feedback and practitioner dialogue. Experts and site managers will review the principles, identifying strengths, gaps, and their applicability across diverse heritage contexts.

By gathering professional insights at the birthplace of the Faro Convention, the workshop aims to strengthen people-centred, inclusive, and globally relevant guidance. A linked poster session will enable continued feedback throughout the conference.

Ms. Haeree Shim is responsible for research and capacity-building programmes at WHIPIC. She has been involved in developing heritage interpretation frameworks at the global level. She has organised international capacity-building programmes for site managers aimed at enhancing the interpretation of World Heritage Sites. She studied Cultural Heritage Studies at University College London, UK.

YeJun Choi is Programme Specialist of WHIPIC. With an academic background in law and ongoing studies in urban cultural management, his work bridges legal, policy, and heritage management perspectives. Also he has supported institutional development and coordinated international partnerships.

Hyeonji Kong is Programme Specialist at WHIPIC, where she leads collaboration with the World Heritage Advisory Bodies and oversees the centre’s fellowship and internship programmes. Before joining WHIPIC, she studied Cultural Heritage Studies at UCL and built her career through managing international projects at the National Museum of Korea.

Europeana, as a digital gateway to “European cultural heritage”, curates a particular picture of what counts as heritage and as “European”. This presentation uses imagology to analyse how Europeana’s exhibitions and digital materials construct images of “Europe”, a shared “we”, and different “others”, including marginalised internal communities and external others. Through a few concrete Europeana examples, the talk shows that these heritage meanings are framed rather than neutral and can shape how complex, even contested stories appear in digital form. It then introduces three simple, practical tools that interpreters, educators and heritage professionals can use to support critical thinking and work critically and dialogically with digital heritage collections in the Faro spirit, moving from consuming pre-packaged narratives to co-creating more inclusive meanings with heritage communities.

Marija Sniečkutė is a senior researcher on “Digital Transformation in Cultural Tourism” and senior R&D advisor for European research policy and strategic partnerships at Breda UAS. She works at the interface of research, cultural heritage and policy. With a background in sociology, argumentation and philosophy, she is finalising her PhD research on cultural identities in 19th century imperial borderlands and leading BUAS’s role in the emerging European partnership for resilient cultural heritage.

This presentation focuses on a school project developed in the neighbourhood of Tavros, implemented within the Greek lower secondary curriculum. The project explores how participatory mapping, combined with heritage interpretation techniques, can support students in exploring and understanding their local heritage through their own perspectives.

Heritage is approached as a people-centred and dynamic process, defined by what individuals and communities recognise as meaningful in their everyday lives. Alongside officially recognised heritage sites, students were invited to map places connected to their experiences, memories and values. Through observation, dialogue, storytelling and collective reflection, they explored how different meanings, emotions and viewpoints coexist within the same neighbourhood.

This process enabled students to experience heritage as closely linked to the present, while recognising both their right to participate and their responsibility to respect diverse interpretations. Mapping functioned as a democratic and interpretive practice, fostering collaboration, critical thinking and civic awareness. The project illustrates how a classroom can temporarily function as a “heritage community”, in which students act as active interpreters of place. It demonstrates the potential of school-based mapping to strengthen connection to place, social cohesion and meaningful engagement with heritage from an early age.

Evgenia Stavraki is both a museum consultant and a maths teacher at secondary school level.

Gyaros is an uninhabited, seemingly inhospitable Aegean island. With a rich history dating back to antiquity, it was recently used as a prison for political exiles until 1974. Today, its natural wonders have flourished and together with its sensitive history, provide contradicting but equally fascinating narratives. 

WWF Greece used the case of Gyaros as a prototype for all Greek Marine Protected Areas to show how co-creation can lead to specific interpretive services that shed light on different perspectives. In our presentation we will explain the participatory techniques we used, the challenges we faced and will introduce a roadmap for those wishing to co-create interpretation in their own protected areas.

Valya Stergioti (MSc Environmental Decision Making) is founder of Alli Meria, an interpretive consultancy agency. As an interpretive planner, writer and certified IE trainer she works in countries around the world, empowering local communities to create their own interpretive content and services. She was Interpret Europe’s first training coordinator, a position she served for eight years.

There is a reason why in just four years IE's CIP course has been successfully implemented in nine European countries, with more than 100 participants. Meeting the needs of interpretive professionals like curators, architects, museologists, etc. it offers practical tools on how to co-develop interpretive plans together with stakeholders, based on the most updated principles of heritage interpretation.

In this highly interactive presentation you will discover why this course is a necessary asset for everyone dealing with heritage planning and you will be offered ideas on how to organise and promote IE's CIP courses for your own site or institution.

Valya Stergioti (MSc Environmental Decision Making) is founder of Alli Meria, an interpretive consultancy agency. As an interpretive planner, writer and certified IE trainer she works in countries around the world, empowering local communities to create their own interpretive content and services. She was Interpret Europe’s first training coordinator, a position she served for eight years.

IE's certification course for writers aims to improve the skills required by those who communicate natural and cultural heritage in writing. Recently updated to follow the principles of value-based heritage interpretation, the course takes place on heritage sites and consists of multiple hands-on activities. During this interactive presentation, be prepared to test and share your own ideas about quality interpretive writing, as you will discover the benefits this course can offer. By the end, not only you will have gained an understanding about IE's CIW course, but you will also get information on how to organise such courses at your own site, or institution. 

Valya Stergioti (MSc Environmental Decision Making) is founder of Alli Meria, an interpretive consultancy agency. As an interpretive planner, writer and certified IE trainer she works in countries around the world, empowering local communities to create their own interpretive content and services. She was Interpret Europe’s first training coordinator, a position she served for eight years.

In the Karavanke Geopark, geological heritage protection is based on the understanding that heritage arises from the relationship between people, values, and place, in accordance with the Faro Convention. Visitors are regarded as active co-creators and stewards of heritage rather than passive observers. Through both live and non-live interpretation, we communicate the significance, formation, and vulnerability of geological phenomena, involving visitors in exploring solutions for their long-term conservation. This approach is embedded in the Geopark’s management, supported by strong local engagement, expert input from competent institutions, and a cross-border identity connecting two nationalities. Sustainable geotourism is defined as responsible interaction with nature. Within the GreenTour project, we develop sustainably planned interpretive programmes and centres adapted to natural constraints, while emphasising education for responsible behaviour and long-term heritage preservation.

Lenka Stermecki:
Geographer and Translator; Interpretation of natural heritage: Interpretation points, Info centres, Educational trails, Animation plans, Touch screens, Children’s books, Leaflets, School programmes, project ideas, carrying out interpretative guided tours and workshops for schoolchildren, teachers, touristic guides Study: Nature interpretation conferences, interpretative workshops, internal workshops for IRSNC, Interpretative course – CIG, CIP

Jasmina Kotnik:

Interpretation of natural heritage: Children’s books, project ideas, carrying out guided tours and workshops for schoolchildren, teachers and the public, focusing on clear, tangible and connected interpretation of natural heritage. Study: Ecologist; interpretative workshops, internal workshops of IRSNC.

Mojca Bedjanič:

Experience: Interpretation of geological and other natural heritage, including interpretation points, information centres, educational trails, children's books, leaflets, school programmes, project ideas, conducting interpretative workshops for educators and tourist guides. Education: Interpretation conferences and workshops, CIG, CIP, CIW

To site custodians, it been become acutely obvious that some of Ireland’s National Monuments’ sites have an underlying fragility. They have the potential to be confusing or even overwhelming. This leads to challenges in how they can be interpreted. This paper focused on a number of significant heritage sites, chosen for their contested history within the Irish National Monuments’ portfolio. It could be an exercise applied to nearly all of Ireland’s heritage sites. The question was posed as to what needed to change in terms of interpretation at those sites. The resulting analysis was undertaken to develop and devise a series of recommendations and takes the form of an ‘interpretation playbook’. This would have potential for application at similar heritage sites across Europe and beyond. 

Static and Audio-visual Exhibitions were installed for visitors across a range of  sites in Ireland in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s by the Office of Public Works, (manager of these sites on behalf of the Irish State). Many of these exhibitions had become outdated. There were a number of catalysts for this. Academic research presented new information which was important for an understanding of the significance of the sites, more funding was made available through a number of EU initiatives and two sites were successfully inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993 and 1996, respectively. In addition to the evolution of the above factors was the brokering of the Good Friday Agreement (Belfast Agreement) in April 1998. This is perhaps the most significant one. This Agreement added potential for a deeper level of interpretation around these sites in the context of contested Irish history. The possibility that they could reveal more of their past than would have previously palatable had presented itself. The opportunity to reinterpret them with these new perspectives been beyond reach, until then. The only way forward to interpret their history anew was to go back to these ‘haunted’ ruins, naves, keeps and stones to place oneself within them again and ask them to share and reveal their hidden stories.

Teresa Sweeney Meade is an Assistant Principal Architect at the Office of Public Works and Head of Conservation. She has worked in this role for the last five years. She has responsibility for the care and maintenance of over 780 national monuments and national historic properties across the Irish State, some of which are in guardianship and others where the ownership is public. This includes two World Heritage Sites.

The concern for modes of communication that support diverse views and open dialogue is not unique to heritage interpretation. As I have argued before, heritage interpreters belong to a larger family of professionals, including teachers and journalists, who face similar questions. Hence, to develop a contemporary ethics and methodology of heritage interpretation, it is practical to learn from related fields. We will consider some examples of this.

It is also useful to choose role models and ideals that go beyond the immediate professional scope. When it comes to the joint search for knowledge and meaning among equals, we do well to consider the foundational example of Socrates, the ancient philosopher. Like heritage interpreters, he had conversations with people to make sense of the world. Socratic conversations create a “world above the world” that is the “proper home of equality and respect” (Agnes Callard, 'Open Socrates'). Let us find out together what this means for heritage interpretation.

Philipp P. Thapa is an ecologist, philosopher, and writer who is training to become a heritage interpreter.
As a researcher with the Sustainable Europe Research Institute SERI Germany under the EU project The Big Green (2023–27), he currently focuses on understanding the relationship between arts, culture, and sustainable development.

Sciaena is a Portuguese non-governmental organisation working to promote a healthy marine environment through sustainable practices, public engagement, and political intervention. Yet alongside scientific advocacy and policy work Sciaena has increasingly turned to arts and culture as tools for advancing their cause — from community events to international creative collaborations.
Drawing on conversations with the team and their involvement in projects like The Big Green, we reflect on what the arts can offer that science communication alone cannot: emotional connection, broadened imagination, and active social engagement. 

This session is part of the Green Academy, Pro Progressione's learning programme offering an open platform for the cultural and creative sectors to engage with sustainability and critical environmental issue.

Philipp P. Thapa is an ecologist, philosopher, and writer who is training to become a heritage interpreter.
As a researcher with the Sustainable Europe Research Institute SERI Germany under the EU project The Big Green (2023–27), he currently focuses on understanding the relationship between arts, culture, and sustainable development.

Vasco Guia de Abreu is Sciaena's communication and awareness coordinator.

Nicolas Blanc is Sciaena's fisheries and biodiversity coordinator.

Heritage interpretation is never neutral, as it involves decisions about whose voices are heard, whose values are emphasised, and how meaning is communicated to the public. In emerging geopark initiatives, these choices are particularly delicate, as interpretation must simultaneously build trust, legitimacy, and local relevance. This paper explores the negotiation of voices and values through the development of “The Treasures of Agighiol”, the first thematic interpretive trail of the Cimmerian Dobrogea Geopark Initiative (Romania).

Starting from geosites of international scientific value, the interpretive process aimed to give voice to otherwise silent geological heritage by translating complex geoscientific information into accessible stories. The narrative was anchored in the figure of the geologist Ion Simionescu, whose presence humanised geology, strengthened public trust in science, and facilitated emotional engagement with deep time. This scientific perspective was complemented by local community stories and shaped through collaboration with local authorities and tourism stakeholders.

Although interpretive panels are often considered a traditional medium, they proved to be a strategic solution in a context marked by the lack of trained guides and the need for visible results. The case illustrates interpretation as a negotiated practice that balances scientific integrity, community involvement, and institutional expectations, laying the groundwork for long-term heritage stewardship.

Cristina Toma is a PhD candidate in territorial management and have been a heritage interpreter since 2015. Her experience is rooted in geopark initiatives, with a strong foundation in Hațeg Country UNESCO Global Geopark and six years of work in Buzău Land UNESCO Global Geopark. Through interpretation, she facilitates dialogue between science, local communities, and public authorities.

The historic wine cellars of eastern Croatia represent an important yet often overlooked segment of built heritage, both in professional and public interpretations. This paper analyses the wine cellars of Slavonia, Baranja, and Syrmia from art-historical and architectural perspectives, focusing on their functionality, materiality, placement within settlements, and influence on the spatial development of rural and urban environments. The cellars are understood as functional spaces with layered meanings and memories, shaped by long-term use and the everyday practices of viticulture and wine production. By analysing the relationships between cellars, residential houses, vineyards, and transport routes, the paper highlights their role as major infrastructural elements of towns and villages, both in the past and present. The principles of the Faro Convention provide an interpretative framework for this, with particular emphasis on the contemporary role of women as mediators between heritage and the public.

Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki is an art historian, associate professor, and head of the research project 'Historical Wine Cellars of Slavonia, Baranja and Syrmia'. She completed heritage interpretation training as an interpretive writer within the Interpret Europe programme.

Dina Stober is an architect, full professor, and a member of the research project 'Historical Wine Cellars of Slavonia, Baranja and Syrmia'. She completed heritage interpretation training as an interpretive writer within the Interpret Europe programme.

This study explores the potential of Mudurnu’s cultural heritage through participatory interpretation and citizen-based place branding, grounded in the human-centred and value-based principles of the Council of Europe’s Faro Convention. Based on the preliminary phase of an ongoing research process, the study discusses why Mudurnu provides a meaningful context for inclusive and ethically grounded heritage interpretation. Located in Bolu and included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List as the “Historic Ahi Town: Mudurnu,” the town embodies both tangible and intangible heritage elements and a living Ahi tradition, yet remains relatively low in visibility. Rather than treating this as a deficiency, the study frames it as an opportunity for collective meaning-making. Preliminary findings indicate that diverse local actors engage with heritage through differing values and experiences, revealing the potential for participatory place branding to be approached as an ethical and inclusive process of interpretation rather than a promotion-oriented practice.

Hanzade Uralman is an Associate Professor of Public Relations and Communication Studies, holding a Master’s degree in Museology and publishing academic work on participation and inclusive heritage practices. She is the principal investigator of a TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye)–funded project developing a communication model for participatory place-branding in Mudurnu, aligned with the Faro Convention.

Deniz Akçay Balcı is a scholar specialising in Media Studies, with research focusing on digital interaction, participation and community-based communication practices in the field of public interest. She is the first researcher of a TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye)–funded project developing a communication model for participatory place branding in Mudurnu, aligned with the principles of the Faro Convention.

The Upper Silesia region In Poland was built on coal and heavy industry. This area is currently undergoing a process of transformation: everything that shaped it for over 200 years is set to change--not only the economy, but also the cultural landscape and its very traditions. That is why it is so important to preserve for future generations the story of what shaped Upper Silesia and influenced the lives of entire families. Over the years, coal has shaped everyday life, influenced the environment and regulated daily rhythms, but in the near future the situation will change completely. If we want to influence the memory of our roots, now is the time to do so. Mining culture is passing away, and it is up to us how we remember it. That is why it is necessary to collect not only material evidence of a disappearing world, but also, and perhaps above all, the intangible – people's memories. It is up to all of us how we tell this story, how others will remember it and benefit from the tradition. We cannot miss this moment: the material currently collected will not only allow us to remember, but also to research, learn and reinterpret. And that's what we’re trying to do.

Ewa Wojtoń is a historian, heritage manager, museologist and coordinator of many projects, among others: “Remember it. Protection of the cultural heritage of mining brass bands”, a three-year project aimed at researching and documenting the phenomenon of mining brass bands, which will result in a publication and information about all still active bands posted on the website. Speaker at numerous seminars and conferences, as well as author of articles on heritage and its protection.

At World Heritage Sites, inclusive heritage interpretation has the potential to draw attention to the less visible, oftentimes overlooked, ignored or in some cases even unknown intangible aspects associated with these sites, providing rich complementary meaning to their outstanding universal value, thus counterbalancing authorised understandings of heritage. This presentation draws on walking ethnographies and the co-production of interpretive videos conducted with neighborhood residents as part of the collaborative research project "Plural Heritages of Istanbul – The Case of the Land Walls" at the ‘Istanbul Land Walls Component Area of World Heritage Site’, alongside an analysis of official interpretive materials at the site. It is argued that current official interpretations omitting significant intangible dimensions, represent a missed opportunity for the World Heritage Site to play a more transformative role in the future development of a city undergoing rapid and profound change.

Dr. Ayşegül Yılmaz has practical experience in inclusive heritage interpretation, having worked on two international projects that involved collaboration with urban and rural communities in and around Istanbul to interpret and present their lesser-known heritage. She has also participated in the “Writing for Natural and Cultural Heritage Interpretation” training course delivered by the Heritage Management Organization.