Heritage Interpretation Online Course

Heritage Interpretation was developed in 2017 by Sarah Oswald of The Authentic Spark in partnership with GEM and AHI. The online course brings together heritage learning and interpretation professionals to share practice, ideas and approaches, and work through some of the challenges facing the sector.

AHI and GEM continue to work together to develop CPD that reflects the increasingly varied roles and skillsets of people working across heritage. Interpretation often forms part of wider roles spanning learning, engagement, curatorial practice, visitor experience and communications, making the course relevant to a broad range of heritage professionals.

Sessions will take place on:

1. Wednesday, 11th November 2026, 10am to 11.30am
2. Wednesday, 18th November 2026, 10am to 12 noon
3. Wednesday, 25th November 2026, 10am to 12 noon
4. Wednesday, 2nd December 2026, 10am to 12 noon
5. Wednesday, 9th December 2026, 10am to 11.30am
6. Wednesday, 16th December 2026, 10am to 11.30am

Please note the different finish times of the sessions. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend the sessions live to make the most of the discussion and collaborative activities, but sessions will also be recorded and made available afterwards.

The course is designed for people responsible for planning, delivering or managing learning programmes or interpretation across the heritage sector, as well as those looking for an introduction to the principles and theory behind interpretation.

It is flexible to the individual needs and experience of participants, supporting those already involved in interpretation who want to strengthen or build upon their practice, while also providing essential skills and knowledge for those new to the field.

This six-week virtual course combines presentation of theory by course director Sarah Oswald with discussion, sharing of perspectives and experiences, and practical work both individually and in small online groups.

Across the course, participants will explore audiences, objectives and interpretive messages, how and where to interpret, budgets and programming, and evaluation.

Participants are encouraged to allocate time between the webinars to complete the ‘at home’ activities. Through these activities, you will develop an interpretive plan for a project of your choice, putting the learning from each session into practice. Resources will be provided for anyone who does not currently have a live project to work on.

Course fee:
£155 for AHI and GEM members
£195 for non-members

Participants can receive a CPD certificate from Sarah Oswald and AHI, recognising 10.5 hours of professional development completed across the six-week course.