Article
The significance of values-driven heritage interpretation solutions for World Heritage sites
Three years ago, UNESCO and Interpret Europe initiated a partnership targeted at developing the first-ever regional training course on Interpretive Planning in World Heritage sites for Europe (WH-Interp), under the leadership of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe. During two courses, which included on-site workshops in Kotor (Montenegro, 2021) and Ljubljana (Slovenia, 2022), 42 World Heritage managers and planners were trained on-site to explore the transformative impact that interpretation can have on visitors and communities.
On 12 December 2023, some preliminary results of the WH-Interp project were presented at an open, online webinar attended by more than 90 participants (watch recordings at ) and moderated by Valya Stergioti, the training coordinator at Interpret Europe. During the webinar, newly-fledged interpretive planners discussed how value-based heritage interpretation has materialised into specific solutions for their sites, as well as highlighting the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.
The WH-Interp project was an incredibly dense and enlightening learning experience, which I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to attend. I honestly trust that training on interpretive planning as intended in the WH-Interp course is essential for all site managers.
The collaboration continued throughout 2023 offering 6 participants trainees the opportunity to develop full Interpretive Plans for their own World Heritage properties as well as other heritage sites following the principles of value-based heritage interpretation, under the mentoring of Interpret Europe.
During the webinar in December, specific presentations were delivered by 6 participants in previous WH-Interp courses:
- Joli Mitrojorgji, on the Old Bazaar of Gjirokastra(Albania)
- Ingrid Veneroso, on Padua’s 14th-century fresco cycles (Italy)
- Maria Elena Zammit, on the Ta’ Ħaġrat Megalithic Site (Malta)
- Daphne Sant Caruana, on the Ä gantija Archaeological Park, Malta
- Roxana-Talida Roman, on the Wooden Churches of MaramureÅŸ (Romania)
- Ana Radovanac Zivanov, on the Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade (Serbia)
In addition to celebrating the first results of the project, the webinar also shed light on the future, with other participants presenting and discussing their vision on this subject together with UNESCO and Interpret Europe. Together they shared ideas on the possibility of expanding this approach to other UNESCO-designated sites.
The successful follow-up of a project means its outcomes are disseminated or perhaps even transferred into solid future actions, as is the case with the WH-Interp project.
A very interesting experience, that started with doubts but finished with unexpected results; we developed full Interpretive Plans, meaningful for our sites and communities. This webinar was a testimony of the great work we all have done together, and it felt wonderful having the possibility to share our experience with others.
The initial idea behind the WH-Interp project was to raise awareness on how values-based heritage interpretation, specifically tailored to the World Heritage objectives and processes, can contribute to improving the management of World Heritage properties in line with UNESCO’s mission, and to help site managers develop related capacities.
Heritage interpretation is a precious tool to help World Heritage sites give voice to the values of UNESCO, making the interaction with heritage more inclusive, accessible for all, and more meaningful as an educational experience on sustainable development and global citizenship.
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