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Call for Applications: 2nd Regional Course on Interpretive Planning at World Heritage Properties in Europe – WH-Interp (Deadline: 18 May 2022)

Date:2022-04-29

The call for applications to participate in the second regional course on interpretive planning at World Heritage properties (WH-Interp) is now open. You have until 18 May 2022, 12 pm CET to apply! The course organised by UNESCO in cooperation with Interpret Europe is mostly aimed at practitioners with a professional role in the management of World Heritage properties in Europe, especially with relation to heritage presentation and interpretation.

The WH-Interp course explores how World Heritage status ties in with UNESCO’s mission to promote peace, dialogue and sustainability, with a view at developing related skills and competences of World Heritage site management. The course assumes that heritage interpretation, as a structured approach to non-formal learning that promotes exchange about significant ideas related to heritage, can play a unique role in fostering effective and inclusive heritage management, particularly through ensuring greater alignment with sustainable development goals and introducing participatory approaches.

The course is organised by UNESCO through its Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe in cooperation with the European Association for Heritage Interpretation - Interpret Europe, based on the experience developed during a pilot course in 2021. The methodology and contents of the course are stemmed from the Certified Interpretive Planner course of Interpret Europe, enriched and adjusted to respond to the specificities of World Heritage.

Objectives

The course aims to provide participants with increased competencies in planning heritage interpretation more effectively at their respective World Heritage properties/sites. Specifically, the course will:

  • provide a general understanding of the heritage interpretation discipline, including its principles, practice and planning process;
  • promote understanding of how heritage interpretation can help convey multi-layered value associated with a World Heritage property, starting from its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) to the broader values underpinning UNESCO’s mission;
  • show how to encourage people to reflect upon UNESCO's mission and fundamental principles in a way that allows the transfer of findings at heritage sites into their meaningful experience;
  • demonstrate how heritage interpretative planning can play a role at World Heritage properties in support of their overall management systems/plans;
  • enable participants to concretely contribute to the improvement of interpretive planning at their respective World Heritage properties;
  • serve as a forum for participants to share their experiences, learn from each other and reinforce networking and cooperation at the regional level.

Expected profile and selection of participants

The course is primarily addressed to the staff of World Heritage site managing authorities in Europe who are already engaged in planning heritage interpretation and/or willing to contribute to advancing heritage interpretation at their sites.

Representatives of civil society organizations (community representatives, local associations, NGOs, etc.) and private practitioners (e.g. individuals or companies active in heritage presentation/interpretation, such as tour guides, publishing industries, property owners, etc.) are also eligible to apply.

The applicants are required to demonstrate:

  • active involvement in the management of a World Heritage property in Europe and/or in its presentation and interpretation
  • working level of English
  • good knowledge of the World Heritage context
  • planning skills and relevant professional experience

A maximum of 25 applicants will be selected to participate, based on a combination of criteria including completeness, quality and relevance of the application file, gender balance, and geographical distribution.

Priority of admission will be given to applicants from countries under the geographical scope of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, namely: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey; plus Italy, as the Regional Bureau’s host country.

Course Methodology

The whole course will be delivered through 3 phases blending various modalities (presentations, exercises on real cases, group and individual work, discussions, among others):

  • Phase 1: Distance learning on heritage interpretation in the context of World Heritage (Introductory webinar; warm-up assignments with distance support during the summertime) / June-September 2022
  • Phase 2: Face-to-face workshop on interpretive planning (1 week on-site workshop blending lectures, site visits, and group work on a real case) / September 2022
  • Phase 3: Post-workshop assignments on interpretive planning of one’s own case (individual final assignments with distance support spread out over 3 weeks after the workshop) / September-October 2022

The working language of the course is English.

When & Where (t.b.c)

The introductory webinar is tentatively scheduled in June 2022 (date to be defined).

The face-to-face workshop (phase 2) of the pilot course is scheduled for 19-23 September 2022, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana – Human Centred Urban Design, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2021, will serve as a case study during the workshop.

Participation costs

Selected applicants will receive accommodation (board and lodging) for the duration of the on-site workshop.

Applicants may request support for their travel costs, which will be provided in the form of pre-paid tickets, contingent upon the availability of funds. Applicants interested in receiving the travel support will have to indicate the request in the application form.

How to apply

Please fill out and submit the online application form, and send your most recent Curriculum Vitae to: Zhi Ye (y.zhi@unesco.org).
Application deadline: 18 May 2022, 12pm.

Download concept paper here: https://whc.unesco.org/document/192964 

Other related content

Report of the 2021 Pilot Training Course on Interpetative Planning at World Heritage sites: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381194.locale=en

Pilot regional course on Interpretive Planning at World Heritage Properties completed its second module: https://en.unesco.org/news/pilot-regional-course-interpretiv...

World Heritage property “The works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana – Human Centred Urban Design”: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1643