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Developing Interpreting skills of the learners by writing interpretive texts for exhibitions

What makes local culture?


Author: Sustainable Development Association- Meryem Tatlıkiraz

Introduction

People visit the 12th edition of Contemporary Istanbu (Photo by Elif Öztürk, Middle East Monitor)
People visit the 12th edition of Contemporary Istanbu (Photo by Elif Öztürk, Middle East Monitor)

Interpretation is a communication process that seeks to explain the connection of cultural heritage through relationships with objects, artifacts, landscapes, and sites. It is the presentation of information and the specific communication strategy used for people to translate this information from expert language into the visitor's everyday speech. Interpretation allows the museum to communicate the collection, connect with users and interact with a diverse audience. The best technique for Interpretation for museums is to write interpretation texts. Interpretive text is written or spoken expressions used to explain the meaning behind museums, collections, or objects.

Museum workers use collections to convey meaning, and Interpretation is one of the most effective ways to achieve this. It is about how to display the collection to the user. Museums and galleries use collections to tell stories and convey identifiable meanings. An interpretive text is a quick way to interpret museum collections, buildings, sights, and events. Well-planned, written, and placed text is a valuable and effective way to encourage visitors to become interested in collections and their meanings. By Interpretation, a museum can share the spectacle of the collection, connect with users and interact with a diverse audience.

What’s the activity?

Minsk Exhibition - Interpretation about the exhibition. Photo by Tatiana Matlina, Wikimedia Commons
Minsk Exhibition - Interpretation about the exhibition. Photo by Tatiana Matlina, Wikimedia Commons

The role of interpretive text is to show the object in its larger context while allowing the visitor to make his own decision. Consider an object in a museum without any explanatory text. Museum visitors will reflect on this object and its meaning, drawing on their past experiences, interests, and knowledge. There are some techniques to interpret the museum collection. The most significant way to write an interpretive text is by using labels. This is possibly the most easily accessible interpretive resource and is the backbone of Interpretation.

As a cultural mediator,  your task is to create labels for an object in the museum you visit to hold visitors' attention and set up the ideal conditions for learning; we first need to attract their attention. The minimum number of objects you will write labels will be seven. By writing labels, you will obtain some qualifications and skills related to Interpretation. For example, you will get strong interpersonal skills, enthusiasm, flexibility, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment, convey information concisely and articulately, and know the information about the art or local history. You will gain language proficiency.

Interpretation skills are concerned with grasping the information on paper and correctly understanding oral lectures and other pieces of information. Grammatical, syntactic, and contextual patterns are required to provide better interpretive skills. These skills have various components, such as redundancy and active and passive listening. When necessary, it is essential to apply the required features. To understand the text, the learner needs better empathy to connect with the presentation. They are in the best emotional state possible aids in better interpretation.

Therefore, listening, interpreting, and emotional skills also develop while analyzing.

What am I going to do?

There is information about what to do in the document section, review that document. In the resources section, there are some documents to help you interpret museum objects. First, you should learn the meaning of the cultural interpretation. There is an examples of   writing labels for museum objects. You can watch the video or review the "Online Object Labels" document.

To label museum objects, you will follow the instructions below.;

  • It would help if you were clear and concise.
  • The labels are limited to 100 words.
  • It would be best if you split your texts into short paragraphs. 
  • Labels should also have personality and rhythm, which will favor visitors' imagination and pique their interest.
  • The texts should be enjoyable as well as informative. 
  • A label should make a direct reference to its object. 
  • Carefully select each word you use so that either a narrative is developed, the reader has learned something, or their interest is stimulated. 
  • Use text to place objects in their historical and cultural context.

What will I learn?

Knowledge Acquired:

  • ● Learners will demonstrate skills of observation and description of objects
  • ● Learners will acquire the cultural and historical knowledge of the objects

Skills Acquired:

  • ● Active Listening
  • ● Communication
  • ● Analytical thinking
  • ● Creativity

Attitude Acquired:

  • ● The learners will gain experience by observing people
  • ● The learners will be able to empathize with interpreters by understanding how difficult it is to interpret.

 

What will I take home?

With the interpretive text you write, you will allow the visitor to make their own decision while showing the object in its broader context. If you consider objects closely and from many different viewpoints, you might find that things can provoke different meanings in the person experiencing them.

After doing the activities in this quest, you will evaluate yourselves by asking the questions below.

Do you think you will achieve the aim of this quest? Is it useful for you?

Do you think this method is good for improving your interpretation skills?

What did you learn?

What kind of understanding or perception did you have due to your activities?

What kind of experiences have you had with the collections or the subject?

How did you perceive your interpretation?

What do you think went well?

Could you do better at what you do?

Have you wondered and researched what else is being interpreted in your local area?

Resources

Click each section below to see all resources available.

 

Frontline Worker Toolkit

Aims and Objectives:

  • ● Aim is to use interpretation techniques to reflect the reality and diversity of local cultural and heritage contexts through institutions such as museums.
  • ● Helping to establish good neighborly relations with local people in terms of protection of the cultural materials.
  • ● Enhances a place's image and strengthens bonds between local communities through quality interpretive programs and events.
  • ● Helping the museums and other cultural areas to achieve their goals about audience and stakeholders.
  • ● Arousing and increasing the interest of local communities in the natural or cultural heritage in which they live.

Top tips:

 

Tip 1. Try understanding the local culture

What is local culture?

What is local cultural elements?

How do you promote local culture?

How are local cultures sustained?

How can we preserve the set of behaviours, beliefs and customs of the local community?

Tip 2. Try interpreting the local culture

How does culture influence interpretation?

How does interpretation affect the culture?

Tip 3. Explore the stories behind the objects

Tip 4. Encourage your learners to view other people's work and provide feedback. Encourage them to discuss their tasks.

Tip 5. Get ideas about the objects from the experts in the museum and involve visitors in the active interpretation of the objects in the exhibition. Audiences' opinions are always very important.

Participation and Receptivity in the Art Museum
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337295208_Participation_and_Receptivity_in_the_Art_Museum_-_A_Phenomenological_Exposition

Frontline worker/Educator Videos

 

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