3/08/2015 Weeks 2 & 3 aims and outcomes Streakers, Strollers and Students Getting EROTic with Interpretation …. or everything you wanted to know about interpretation but were afraid to ask From topic description This topic aims to:  provide a practical understanding of the skills, knowledge and attributes required by a tour guide  examine and evaluate tour guiding site interpretation techniques for cultural and environmental sites On completion of this topic students will be able to demonstrate:  skills and knowledge required for tour guiding in a practical setting  an understanding of the principles of interpretation  an awareness of the principles of tour planning Weeks 2 & 3 aims and outcomes Other aims of these lectures  Improve written and verbal communication  Organisation and planning skills  Practice public speaking  Reflect on positive, and negative, personal experiences in tourism ‘Interpretation makes boring things interesting.’ Elaine Jones Churchill Scholar Interpretation Manager Pembroke Coastal Park, Wales, UK (2007) ‘… interpretation is about how to make people love what you love. ‘ Sam Ham (2003) ‘A learning experience which seeks to enrich the meaningful relationships we hold with our world, and to foster and build a set of values which supports these relationships.’ John Pastorelli (2003) An Interpretive Approach to Tour Guiding – Enriching the Experience 1 3/08/2015 Why bother? What does interpretation look like? Connects visitors/audience  Makes visitors/audience understand and remember their experience  Gives meaning  Answers the question ‘so what?’  Enos Mills 1870-1922 Who are interpreters?          Freeman Tilden 1883-1980 Tour Guides Museum Curators Park Rangers Consultants Designers Archaeologists/Cultural Heritage Managers Writers/Creative Artists Demonstrators Any one who wants to communicate an idea Freeman Tilden Freeman Tilden Interpretation is ‘an educational Interpretation is ‘an educational activity activity which aims to reveal Source: interp.net which aims to reveal meanings and meanings and relationships through the use relationships through the use of original of original objects, by first hand experience objects, by first hand experience and by and by illustrative media, rather than simply illustrative media, rather than simply to to communicate factual information’. communicate factual information’. Freeman Tilden (1957) Interpreting Our Heritage, p. 8 Freeman Tilden (1957) Interpreting Our Heritage, p. 8 2 3/08/2015 Tilden’s 6 principles The Rise of Cognitive Psychology 1. Must connect with the visitor Sam Ham 2. Information is not Interpretation 3. Anyone can learn the principles of interpretation 4. Interpretation should not instruct, but provoke 5. Interpretation should connect with the visitor beyond the visit 6. Children need a different interpretation programme to adults Sam Ham  Ham, S. (1992) Interpretation A Practical Guide for People with Big Ideas and Small Budgets You can interpret: Source: University of Idaho “Interpretation is simply an approach to communication” “No topic is inherently boring or interesting – there are only people who make them that way” What is NOT interpretation Cultural Heritage • a building or town • an aspect of cultural life • an object, or a collection of objects • an industry • an historical event or period • an activity or event Natural Heritage • a place • a plant or animal • a natural/geological occurrence Planning Interpretation • Why you want to communicate with visitors  Information  Lecturing • What your place is like, and what it has to offer  Marketing • What else is happening around you • Who your visitors are • What you want to say about your place • How, and where, you are going to say it 3 3/08/2015 doing real thing simulating the real experience 30% SEEING Who is it for? • Who are your visitors? participating in a discussion • What are they expecting? Seeing it done on location watching a demonstration • What do they already know about your place? • How long will they stay? • Who do they come with? • Where will they go after your place? • Or where would you like them to go? doing a dramatic presentation 70% DOING Involvement giving a talk receiving & participating 90% SAYING & DOING Activity ACTIVE Looking at an exhibit watching a movie looking at pictures 20% HEARING hearing words 10% READING reading receiving % of retention PASSIVE John Falk, visitor motivations Explorer Facilitator  Experience seeker  Professional/Hobbyist  Recharger  Serendipitous  Streakers - Read or listen to less than 10 words Strollers - Read or listen to 20-30 words Students - Read or listen to everything  Falk, J. (2009). Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience. Left Coast Press: California Thematic Interpretation, EROTic Enjoyable/Engaging Enjoyable,(or entertaining or engaging) Relevant  Organised  Has a Theme   EROT (or more recently TORE) 4 3/08/2015 Story-telling Is powerful  Is the key to most successful interpretation  Separates interpretation from information  Relevant both meaningful and personal (schemata) What is relevant? Cultural translation and language translation MTT: Mental Time Travel linked to something that visitors are familiar with (unfamiliar becomes familiar) See for example: Siapradist, A., and Staiff, R. (2008). Crossing the Cultural Divide: Western Visitors and Interpretation at Ayutthaya World Heritage Site, Thailand. Journal of Heritage Tourism. 2(3). 211-244 Khoo Kongsi Clan House, Penang, Malaysia 5 3/08/2015 Relevant  Messages with personal content – ‘you’, ‘us’  Better ‘near’ and ‘far’ learning transfer Organised • easy to follow • beginning and an end Van Winkle, C., & Backman, K. (2011) Designing interpretive audio tours to enhance meaningful learning transfer at a historic site. Journal of Heritage Tourism. 6:1. 29-43 Organised • it is introduced in a way that makes it clear to the visitor what to expect in terms of overall content or topic • the information that is presented during the interpretation is linked and flows 4 ideas or fewer People cope with 6 new ideas +/-2 at any one time. • 6 – 2 = 4 (streaker) • 6 (stroller) • 6 + 2 = 8 (student) • reader can find way through story The audience is likely to remember categories later, but not all the information contained in them. If ideas are organised around things that the audience already can relate to, the presentation (interpretation) will be much easier for them to follow. Topics and Themes Topic = subject matter Theme = specific message (the answer to ‘so what’) 6 3/08/2015 Topics and Themes A topic is the subject area  A topic can have many themes  You can develop many themes around any topic  Need to know theme before starting research - It defines what to include / what not to include - It also defines when you are done  Why use themes • Narrows breadth (but not depth) of presentation Themes  Are full sentences, and whole ideas  Themes, while you’re learning, should be developed by using the formula: What I want people to know about my topic is that…….. Themes as messages • the moral to the story • the “Big Picture” • What’s in, what’s out • answers the question “So What?” • Focuses presenter and visitor • answers the question “Big Deal?” • People remember themes but forget facts • Are beliefs – building blocks of attitudes and behaviours So What? Themes express whole ideas Anyone can write a good theme, but sometimes it takes practice   Topic: Australian Social History Theme: Tasmanian social history was founded on convict incarceration. Remember Tilden’s 3rd principle  Better Theme: Van Diemen’s land was one of cold, hunger and harsh punishment. Convicts sent to Port Arthur had little hope of a better life, yet they helped found an island State. 7 3/08/2015 Topic: Evolution of the Australian Continent  Theme: Mega-fauna history in South Australia goes back half a million years   Sub-themes  Are the ‘because’ to the ‘that’ Better Theme: The limestone cave formations around Naracoorte are part of the landscape evolution that produced sink holes, underground caverns and slippery slopes! Introductions have a purpose • orientation to the theme and the site/place • attract attention, create interest Bodies have a purpose • develop the theme and deliver it using sub-themes • set the stage for what you are going to do & how you will conclude Conclusions have a purpose • reinforce the theme • suggest a ‘bigger picture’ context 2, 3, 1 rule • Concentrate on the body first • Concentrate on the conclusion second • Concentrate on the introduction third 8 3/08/2015 Anyone can writing interesting themes • make them personal Example “Six different kinds of snakes live around here.” • ‘you’ • link to things your audience knows and cares about Example “Six different kinds of snakes live around here.” “Six different kinds of snakes live here, and knowing which is which could be very useful, especially when you are walking.” Metaphor Analogy i.e. something ‘is like ….’ Example: “The plumbing system of an active volcano contains both heat and gas pressure.” “To understand what goes on in an active volcano’s plumbing system, think about what happens when you shake a can of Coke.” i.e. a descriptive word from a different but familiar context …. • Starting with a strong global theme and interesting sub-themes almost guarantees an interesting presentation. Example: “Nirvana did a lot to progress rock music” • It’s easy to write a boring theme. But writing a strong theme takes time and practice. Still, anyone can do it with a little practice. “Nirvana were the godfathers of grunge.” • The group can put magic in the message! Involve others in your thematic thinking. 9 3/08/2015 In short Evaluate Who is your audience?  The programme What is the message you want to convey?  Yourself  How often? Delivery techniques/methods 10
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