Both of us are historical interpreters; we don historic costume to tell people about the past. In the many years that we have been variously involved in this role, we have devised a few tips for other museum professionals that will hopefully prove useful in their own roles.
Evan's Tips: 1. It is important to have situational awareness, or, more colloquially, to be able to think on your feet. Situational awareness, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, is the ability to: “identify, process, and comprehend the critical elements of information about what is happening to the team with regards to the mission. More simply, it's knowing what is going on around you”. This is an important quality for interpreters and program staff, as a program or tour is constantly evolving, and an interpreter who operates on ‘autopilot’ is bound to be unprepared for the predictably unpredictable nature of the job. For instance, in the role of program staff I have often correctly prepared for a Christmas tour only to realize that the group will be late (usually due to snowfall) and in such an instance there is no possibility of extending the program. That challenges me to stop and think on my feet, and to adapt my plans accordingly. 2. It is an unacknowledged fact that interpreters do their own research. Sure, we all get background packages explaining the basic facts of a historic building or period, but interpreters tend to love their jobs enough that independent research is a reward in itself. However, it can cause unintended problems for interpretation, especially given the temptation to lead off with one’s own latest and greatest research. I was pondering this problem while observing some veteran interpreters and realized that the best way to structure interpretation is to foreground the basic information and to put one’s own research in the background. If the visitor or student picks up on some interesting tidbit I’ve mentioned, then I’ll offer more information. 3. This next strategy comes directly from the teaching of Freeman Tilden, an American who worked with the United States National Parks Service. His manual, Interpreting Our Heritage, has informed the work of historic interpreters since the 1950s. One of his principles that struck me was that the visitor should always be acknowledged and valued for their insights and knowledge. In practice, interpreters naturally experience occasions when a visitor innocently states something incorrect. The key, to paraphrase Tilden, is to diplomatically correct them and thus still make them feel valued in their contributions and remain part of the conversation. After all, good historic interpretation should result in a conversation about history. Alice's Tips: 1. Inject your interpretation with humour! Having a well-meaning and well-placed joke or comment can do a lot to liven the mood of an interpretation, and visitors remember times when they felt especially happy or light-hearted. If you can attach a fact in with your joke, it is more likely to be remembered. Humour helps to boost fact-retention, especially with children (for more information, see this article: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/laughter-learning-humor-boosts-retention-sarah-henderson) 2. Find and make connections between past and present. When describing things to younger audiences, ask them what is similar or different from their own surroundings and life experiences. Asking an open-ended question is always a good start, and facilitates intellectual exploration. For older visitors, this can sometimes foster deeper intellectual discussions about historical narratives. Oftentimes, I use this opportunity to talk to visitors about more difficult history (xenophobia, misogyny, and so forth). 3. Be dynamic. Gesturing with your hands to artifacts, holding things in your hands, walking over to certain items of interest and pointing out constituent parts are all important things to do. Walking around the space you are in can help too; if you are in an open space it allows visitors to literally follow you at their own pace. Enthusiasm is nothing if not infectious, and if you are enthusiastic about your material, your audience will be too. We hope that you have enjoyed these tips about interpretation!
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