Interpretation 101:Making Collections
Meaningful
Regan Forrest and Katherine Sutcliffe
Interpretation Australia
• Shock and ORE
• Themes
• Practicing storytelling for your site
Today’s Workshop
Don’t think!
List five objects from your collection
Shock!
• Organised• Relevant• Engaging
ORE
When good museums go bad
Relevant?
Organised
Organised?
• Sam Ham
• Building blocks to good storytelling and
effective engagement
TORE, T=Theme
If you only remember one thing about Tilden, know this:
Information is not Interpretation
Themes
• Full ideas
• Complete sentences
• The ‘main message’ or ‘take home
message’
• The point of the exhibit/presentation
Themes are:
• help you work out what to say
• help you work out what not to say
Themes
Public access rights to Britain’s open spaces were eventually won following long-standing disputes between landowners and ramblers which came to a head with the landmark mass trespass protest on Kinder Scout in 1932
Our right to roam was once a fight to roam – and the most famous battle took place right here on Kinder Scout
Source: TellTale Interpretation, UK
Why say it when you can show it?
Objects and words together
Now, you try
A map
where you are now (current experiences, strengths and weaknesses) An inventory
what you have (people, places, collections) A destination
where you want to be (intended audience, visitor experience) A compass
how you’re going to get there (media selection, implementation plan)
Signposts evaluation, maintenance and ongoing review
Extra resources through http://interpretationaustralia.asn.au/resources/sample-documents
Interpretive Planning: Finding your way
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