Tag Archives: workshops
HerMaP Mexico project gains momentum
An oral history and heritage workshop
HerMaP Mexico, HERIΤΛGE’s major initiative to support cultural heritage in Mexico’s northern border states is now in full motion. After crossing the six-month mark of the project, we carried out an intensive, month-long field visit across four states of Mexico’s northern border: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. This on-site engagement allowed us to strengthen partnerships, deliver specialized training, and continue mapping capacity needs across the region.
Throughout the visit, we engaged with a wide range of stakeholders who have been progressively involved in the project. These included representatives from local and federal government bodies, universities, key institutional partners such as the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey, and, crucially, community-led initiatives and associations working on the ground to safeguard heritage.
At this stage of the project, the numbers reflect the momentum and progress achieved so far, as well as the strong interest and commitment of heritage professionals and practitioners in northern Mexico:
- Two workshops on Oral History and Heritage have been delivered
- 40 professionals have been trained
- One formal collaboration agreement has been signed
- Two radio programs have been recorded
- Three talks were delivered to university students in tourism, arts, and social project management in the “Heritage Days” Program of Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC)
- More than 50 students have been reached through these talks
- One heritage community networking workshop was conducted
- 80+ applications have been received for the grants program
- 100 stakeholders have been mapped through the ongoing mapping process
Beyond these quantitative results, we have witnessed a deep and inspiring commitment across all sectors to the safeguarding, promotion, and sustainable use of local heritage as a driver for development.
The northern border of Mexico is extraordinarily rich and diverse. Its heritage spans marine and coastal landscapes, vast desert and sierra ecosystems, and vibrant cultural expressions rooted in centuries-old traditions. This diversity also includes significant industrial heritage: factories, railways, mining sites, and infrastructure that tell the story of the region’s economic and social transformations. Together, these tangible and intangible elements form a complex and layered cultural landscape.
Through our conversations with heritage practitioners, community leaders, and institutional actors, we have gained a deeper understanding not only of this richness, but also of the challenges that shape the region today. These include issues of preservation, resource allocation, security and the need to balance development with the protection of cultural identity.
We are excited to continue building on the strong collaborations established during this first phase. We remain deeply grateful for the generosity, hospitality, and openness we have encountered, which have been instrumental in reaching these important milestones.
In the coming months, we will expand our activities with a new series of online trainings focused on community engagement and economic development, tailored specifically to the context of the six northern border states and delivered in Spanish.
Community Tourism Planning and Development Workshop
From 5th to 11th November 2025, HERITΛGE delivered a new five-day online training course on Community Tourism Planning and Development. Led by Tim Healing, a specialist in project management and community-based tourism, the course brought together 30 participants from 18 countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe, working across 34 capacity-building cases. The training introduced practical approaches to developing tourism initiatives that support local communities, promote cultural exchange, and retain income within local economies.
The course was designed as an interactive programme, combining presentations, discussions, and group exercises. Participants collaborated throughout the week, sharing experiences and applying learning through practical activities such as designing cultural trips, developing project proposals, and creating action plans to address challenges in community tourism management.
Course Structure
Day 1 introduced community-based tourism as a people-centred approach to sustainable development. Using a case study from Kazakhstan, participants explored how local assets can be developed into tourism products while ensuring fair benefit sharing. Group exercises focused on identifying risks, building partnerships, and setting clear goals aligned with community priorities.
Day 2 focused on authentic tourism products and community-led branding. Participants discussed storytelling, local values, and low-cost marketing strategies, alongside capacity building in hospitality and communication, with attention to avoiding the commodification of cultural heritage.
Day 3 examined land rights and ethical cultural tourism. Through global case studies, participants explored community ownership, informed consent, and fair benefit sharing, as well as homestays, guesthouses, and eco-lodges as models for cultural exchange and local income generation.
Day 4 centred on visitor experience and tourism operations, highlighting culinary heritage, cultural sensitivity, and hospitality standards. A case study exercise addressed guiding, cross-cultural communication, hygiene, emergency preparedness, and responsible itinerary design.
Day 5 focused on long-term sustainability and community enterprise. Participants explored skills development, financial planning, and community cooperatives as tools for strengthening governance and ensuring tourism income remains within communities, concluding with group presentations on international case studies. These case studies included a Community-Based Tourism Initiative in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam, and Eco-Tourism Initiative at Daintree Rainforest, Australia.
Throughout the course, participants developed projects addressing diverse contexts, including heritage routes, eco-tourism initiatives, community museums, cultural landscapes, and heritage-based livelihood programmes. By the end of the training, participants had strengthened their understanding of community tourism as a tool for sustainable development, cultural preservation, and local economic empowerment, and gained practical skills to plan and manage tourism initiatives that place communities at the centre.
Reflecting on the programme, Tim Healing highlighted the strength of the group and their engagement:
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group. Their openness, collaboration, and eagerness to learn made the five days both productive and inspiring. The real highlight was the collective wisdom in the room and the willingness to share experiences and ideas.”
Find more information about HERITΛGE’s workshops here or follow us on Facebook, Twitter / X, LinkedIn or Instagram.
Heritage Interpretation Workshop
From 13th to 16th October, HERITΛGE delivered an online workshop on Heritage Interpretation, bringing together 22 heritage managers from 17 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Through 22 capacity building cases and 22 case studies, participants explored how interpretation can generate meaningful connections between visitors and heritage.
“This is the first time I have taken a course in heritage interpretation. All topics were relevant and sparked my interest.”
Dounama Biri
The workshop was led by interpretation specialist Valya Stergioti who introduced participants to the core principles of heritage interpretation. Sessions highlighted how interpretation moves beyond facts to reveal meanings, provoke reflection and foster stewardship.
Day 1 focused on the foundations of interpretation. Participants shared stories of memorable guides and discussed the qualities that define good interpretation, from sensory engagement to contextual storytelling. They examined Freeman Tilden’s definition of interpretation and reflected on how interpretation as an educational experience should encourage exploration rather than the delivery of isolated facts. The day concluded with an introduction to the interpretive triangle and a practical group activity on applying the four aces to selected heritage phenomena.
Day 2 explored meanings, values and universal concepts. Through an illustrative exercise on the idea of “home”, participants discussed how words carry different meanings across cultures and contexts. The session introduced the theory of frames and highlighted the importance of language in shaping interpretive outcomes. Participants worked in groups to link phenomena with universal concepts and later developed their own sets of open ended questions. These questions were framed around four types: focus, transfer, process and evaluation, each designed to encourage dialogue, reflection and participation.
Days 3 and 4 centred on interpretive themes, interpretive services and the development of participants’ own projects. Participants created themes for personal heritage objects, aligned them with sustainability goals and collaborated in groups to design exhibition concepts such as A Day in the Life of a Fisherman Across the Globe and Legacy of Ancestors. They also examined the strengths of personal and non personal interpretation through a structured debate and discussed the essential role of local communities.
“I became more confident about the educational methods and universal concepts which will help me to interpret my site.”
Habab Idriss Ahmed
The workshop concluded with presentations of individual projects, ranging from Lamu Old Town in Kenya to the Royal Palaces of Abomey in Benin, the Paper Trail of Hand Produced Paper in Assam and the Armero Town Ruins in Colombia. Each participant presented a phenomenon, a theme and the interpretive services they would employ.
By the end of the training, participants had strengthened their skills in crafting themes, engaging audiences and building meaningful interpretive experiences.
Find more information about HERITΛGE’s workshops here or follow us on Facebook, Twitter / X, LinkedIn or Instagram.
Legacy Builders: Srishti Jauhri
Srishti Jauhri | Heritage Expert, Development and Research Organisation for Nature, Arts and Heritage (DRONAH), India
Which workshop(s) did you attend?
I attended the Interpretive Writing for Natural and Cultural Heritage online workshop in November 2024. Over the course of the workshop, we explored the foundations of interpretive writing and practiced crafting compelling narratives that can help visitors connect more deeply with heritage.
Was the training an opportunity to enhance your connection with your peers?
Absolutely. The workshop fostered a highly interactive environment through breakout discussions and collaborative exercises. I had the opportunity to work and exchange ideas with peers from across the world – including heritage practitioners from Africa, Europe, and Asia.
This was especially enriching because it highlighted how people interpret heritage differently based on their backgrounds. Understanding these varied perspectives helped me deepen my own interpretive approach and build a small but meaningful global network of colleagues.
Has the training contributed towards the improvement of your career?
Yes, very much so. Interpretation is central to my work and this training significantly strengthened my expertise in this domain. It boosted my confidence in writing for diverse audiences and helped me refine a skill set that is now directly supporting projects related to heritage interpretation and audio-visual storytelling.
The experience also added credibility to my professional profile, as interpretive writing is a critical yet specialized role in the heritage sector.
Do you feel that your ability to perform relevant tasks has improved?
Yes — in several practical ways. The training helped me:
• Learn how to develop clear interpretive themes
• Transform plain descriptive information into engaging narratives
• Structure text differently depending on the medium (panels, scripts, audio guides, etc.)
• Create catchy titles and key messages that hold attention
• Critically assess readability and engagement in interpretive writing
This shift in mindset — from “informing audiences” to “connecting with audiences” — has now become core to my interpretive writing approach.
Following the completion of the training, has your project benefited? How? (please briefly explain what your project/ organization is about and how it benefited from your training.
Yes — I applied my learnings directly to our project on the development of an interpretation centre for a monument of national importance in the south of India – the Kailasanathar Temple in Kanchipuram. After completing the workshop, I applied the methods learnt to draft audio guide scripts, write narrative content for the website, design the structure for an audiovisual presentation in the centre, and begin shaping the text and key messaging for physical interpretive panels. The training helped me establish strong interpretive themes and translate complex architectural and religious concepts into accessible, engaging storytelling that invites curiosity and emotional connection. These skills have strengthened the foundation for creating a visitor experience that is both informative and meaningfully immersive. The centre is still under development, and I am excited to see how our interpretive content shapes visitor experiences on the site!
Would you recommend this training to others?
Absolutely. I would highly recommend this workshop to heritage interpreters, museum professionals, and anyone engaged in public-facing heritage communication. It offers practical tools and thoughtful guidance that greatly enhance one’s ability to communicate heritage values in compelling, visitor-focused ways!
From Nyamasheke to Kigali: Empowering Communities Through Cultural Heritage in Rwanda
By Eirini Oikonomidi, Rwanda Projects Manager
During the recent, nearly month-long visit to Rwanda, two successful and highly engaged workshops were conducted under the theme: “Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage.” The training gathered 37 heritage practitioners who offered valuable insights, exchanged knowledge, and shared on-the-ground experience.
The workshops were led by Lena Stefanou and Aris Anagnostopoulos, whose expertise guided participants through practical strategies for community involvement.
The first workshop took place in the southwestern region of Rwanda, in Nyamasheke. This location was strategically chosen because the area is considerably more remote from Kigali, marking a significant step in expanding our programme’s on-site presence. Partnering with IVOMO, who provided crucial organisation and coordination support, the workshop focused intensely on local needs and specific challenges faced by communities in the Great Lakes region. The week spent in this tropical landscape underscored the importance of reaching remote areas to ensure a broad national impact.
Following the Nyamasheke session, the second workshop was hosted in Kigali, the capital of the country. This session broadened the discussion to encompass a wider range of stakeholders, organisations, and dynamic national applications. Our essential partner, the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA), as always, provided excellent logistical support, including the necessary room and materials at the Kandt House Museum.
Ultimately, both intensive workshops provided fertile ground for the exchange of knowledge, the development of strategies, and the reinforcement of the role of local communities in the protection, preservation, and utilisation of cultural heritage as a driver for sustainable development.
Field Visits and Strategic Engagement
Following the successful completion of the workshops, the remaining weeks of the mission were dedicated to crucial field visits and high-level stakeholder meetings across Rwanda. As the Country Manager, I embarked on an extensive schedule to personally visit projects on the ground, covering a significant geographical expanse—from the tranquil shores of Lake Kivu in the west, across to the Ngoma District in the east, and down into the Southern Province.
This commitment to comprehensive on-the-ground presence yielded two vital outcomes for both our organisation and our local partners.
First, for me, the visits provided a vastly improved and granular understanding of the actual situation. Observing the projects firsthand allowed me to gain immediate clarity on their evolution, their current state, the specific difficulties local teams face, and their overall trajectory. This practical insight is indispensable for effective strategic planning.
Second, the impact on our local partners and the communities themselves was equally profound. By prioritising this on-site presence, we achieved a deeper connection that served to empower the local teams significantly. Our physical presence demonstrated a genuine interest and commitment, signaling the high value we place on their efforts and achievements. We had the opportunity to meet the dedicated individuals face-to-face, fostering stronger personal and professional relationships that reinforce the communities’ sense of ownership and dedication to the long-term sustainability of their cultural heritage work.
In short, these field visits transformed our theoretical understanding into tangible knowledge, strengthening both our project oversight and the foundational local partnerships necessary for lasting impact in Rwanda.
*** The visit and workshops are part of HERITΛGE’s HerMaP Africa initiative, generously supported by the Mellon Foundation.
Strategic Planning for Heritage Managers
From 9 to 11 May 2025, HERITΛGE hosted an online workshop on strategic planning for heritage managers, led by Dr Alexandros Papalexandris. The workshop brought together 18 participants from 13 countries across Africa and Europe, aiming to strengthen strategic thinking, build organisational capacity, and support long term planning in the heritage field.
Over three days, participants explored key concepts such as vision and mission setting, stakeholder engagement, SMART objectives, and the role of values in strategy. They learned to use practical tools including SWOT and PESTEL analysis to assess internal and external environments, and examined the differences between planned and emergent strategies.
Working in teams, participants applied these concepts to four real projects: digitising rural culture in South Africa, preserving traditional African sports and games, creating a youth heritage club in Uganda, and documenting a historic monastery collection in Ethiopia. These case studies encouraged collaborative learning and practical application.
The second day featured a guest lecture by Debashish Nayak, a leading architect and heritage expert, who shared insights from over three decades of work on urban conservation in India. His talk highlighted the importance of community involvement and education in heritage preservation, drawing on his experience leading Ahmedabad to become India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City.
The course leader really articulated everything till I really understood and I appreciate his patience through out. [The course will help me to] strategic plan and execute our vision and mission and align them.
~Paidamoyo Mandizvidza, Deputy Director Digital Content and Multimedia Broadcasting at African Traditional Sports and Games Confederation
The final day focused on competitive advantage, strategic implementation, and evaluation. Participants discussed how to align resources with organisational goals and studied cases from institutions such as the British Museum and Cirque du Soleil. They also explored the use of feasibility studies and business plans to support strategic initiatives.
The workshop was a great success, equipping participants with practical tools and strategic insights tailored to the needs of the heritage sector. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the value of real case studies, expert guidance, and peer learning.
For more information about HERITΛGE’s workshops, go to our open courses page, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter / X, LinkedIn or Instagram.
Countries represented: Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.