The Association for Heritage Interpretation (AHI) is a membership based organisation for people actively involved or concerned with
heritage interpretation
Heritage interpretation refers to all the ways in which information is communicated to visitors to an educational, natural or recreational site, such as a museum, park or science centre. More specifically it is the communication of information ...
.
AHI began as the Society for the Interpretation of Britain’s Heritage in 1975 and later became the Association for Heritage Interpretation. It has a membership of over 400 interpreters from around the world. It is managed by an Executive Committee which meets four times a year and holds an AGM at the Annual Conference in the Autumn.
AHI’s president was
Lord Sandford (1920-2009) and its patron is Loyd Grossman.
The Association states
that it:
AHI offers a focus for ideas, debate and networking. The association brings together people actively involved or concerned with interpretation of natural and cultural heritage. Some work as interpretation or heritage officers, park rangers or countryside managers, others as designers or illustrators, planners, teachers, curators, consultants, academics or people from many other professions with an interest in our environmental inheritance.
AHI publishes its journal ''Interpretation'' two times a year, produces bi-monthly newsletters and organises a series of training events each year. In 2007, AHI worked with
Interpret Scotland Interpret Scotland is an inter-agency initiative between Scottish organisations concerned with heritage interpretation. It was begun in 1997 and its key aims are to :
* Improve the quality and quantity of interpretation in Scotland
* Promote the c ...
to hold
The Vital Spark Interpretation Conference
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
in Aviemore, in 2017 AHI partnered with
Interpret Europe
Interpret Europe – European Association for Heritage Interpretation is an international membership-based association with charitable status that serves all who use first-hand experiences to give natural and cultural heritage a deeper meaning. ...
to hold a joint conference in
Inverness. The vibrant annual AHI conference is hosted in different venues across Britain and brings together interpreters to meet each other, present papers on interpretation practice and visit local visitor sites to see case studies of interpretation. Recent hosts have included Bournemouth, Cardiff, Newcastle and Shropshire.
Awards
The current iteration of the Awards are the Engaging People Awards.
The AHI offered Discover Heritage Awards in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
From 1984 to 2007 the Interpret Britain and Ireland Awards were awarded annually, "recognising innovative and inspiring interpretation".
References
External links
*{{official website, http://www.ahi.org.uk/
Cultural heritage of the United Kingdom
Heritage organisations in the United Kingdom
1975 establishments in the United Kingdom
Organizations established in 1975
Heritage interpretation organizations