Hello there. My name is Ivor Coleman. Hi-Clarity Communications is my independent consultancy, specialising in heritage interpretation and communication.

Since 2006 I’ve helped a variety of organisations across Britain tell their stories and inspire their visitors, by creating interpretive material that adds to the enjoyment and appreciation of special places.

Whether treasured landscapes, important buildings or historic events, I aim to bring to life their natural, social and cultural significance.

I work flexibly on projects of all sizes and am very happy to team up with others, such as designers or visitor management experts, to cover all requirements. Clients tell me that I am professional, creative, well-organised and easy to deal with.

My educational background includes an Honours Degree in Geography from Bristol University and a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

SERVICES

I offer a wide range of capabilities, based on skills built up over a previous twenty-year career in senior communications roles with major companies such as IBM:
• Devising and delivering complete interpretation projects
• Content development and copywriting for all media
• Audio/Visual scriptwriting and presenting
• Management of interpretation and communication projects
• Interpretation audits and feasibility studies
• Development of interpretation strategies and communication plans
• Brand building and promotional marketing
• Press, stakeholder and internal communication programmes
• Public speaking and event hosting

PROJECTS

Here’s a selection of my clients and projects. Please visit my website for more details.

• Withymead Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire – a nature reserve by the Thames, famed for its Loddon lilies, reed fen habitat and riverside wildlife – I developed a communications strategy and then put this into practice with new branding, signage and interpretation.

• St Nicolas Church, Pevensey – a splendid example of Early English church architecture at the heart of the Medieval seaport where William the Conqueror landed in 1066 – I wrote a heritage strategy for their HLF-funded restoration project and then created new interpretation to tell the church’s fascinating story.

• Limestone Country, NE Wales – spectacular limestone scenery near Llangollen – I researched and wrote a “Discovering Limestone Landscapes” guidebook for the local AONB, working with designer David Goodman, covering the area’s geology, biodiversity, history and walks, so that visitors could explore for themselves.

• Dylan Thomas 100 Festival – a nationwide celebration 100 years after the famous Welsh poet’s birth – I staged and performed in “Dylan Thomas Night”, an acclaimed event in Oxfordshire, interpreting Dylan’s work in the place where he spent some of his most productive years, part of the official DT100 festival.

• Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire – a strategically important Norman stronghold – I wrote and then implemented an interpretation plan, telling the story of this “Home of Welsh Castle Life” and its significance to the people of the Gwent Levels through the ages.

• Clwydian Range & Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Wales – one of Britain’s finest designated landscapes – I developed a branding programme and communications plan for the area, in support of its sustainable tourism and conservation strategy, involving research, consultation, writing and design.

• Hampshire’s Country Parks – six very popular local visitor destinations – I delivered a “visitor journey” review of their signage and interpretation facilities, as part of a wider study, led by Planning Solutions Ltd, to provide the basis for future planning and investment decisions by Hampshire County Council.

• Wales Coast Path, Monmouthshire – coastline embracing the Severn Estuary, famed for its migratory birdlife and iconic bridges – I audited signage and interpretation along the trail, then planned and delivered new facilities, including Black Rock viewpoint, in collaboration with designers ARC Creative Design.

• South Downs National Park – Britain’s newest National Park – soon after its designation I led an audit of existing interpretation across all the major visitor sites of this much-loved area of southern England, to provide a basis for planning future interpretation facilities.

• Loggerheads Country Park – a much-visited, scenic treasure in north east Wales – I wrote an interpretation plan for this major visitor attraction to provide a clearly defined basis for future interpretive provision, including research, writing and timely delivery against an urgent deadline.

• Denbighshire Coast – a hugely popular stretch of north Wales coast – I created a series of interpretation panels for Denbighshire Countryside Service along the Rhyl-to-Prestatyn section of the Wales Coast Path, collaborating with designer ARC Creative Design.

• Fforest Fawr Geopark in Brecon Beacons National Park – a globally recognised area of special geological heritage – I researched and wrote all the interpretation materials for the new Geopark Centre in Pontneddfechan, including a much-appreciated film, shot by film-maker Matthew Davies, which I presented.

• Rothiemurchus Estate in Cairngorms National Park – a famous Highland estate that embraces a major remnant of Scotland’s ancient Caledonian pine forest – I provided a strategic audit of all the estate’s marketing and communications and wrote a new booklet “The Living Forest”, with the support of the National Park.