In the new TEHIC handbook, the Betina Museum of Wooden Shipbuilding is highlighted as an example of best practices in heritage interpretation in Europe, among other prominent examples, including the Istra Inspirit project from Pula, Croatia. You can read the handbook at the following link: TEHIC-Handbook_of_best_practices
The handbook elaborates on the parameters by which the criteria for heritage interpretation are met, and our Museum meets all relevant conditions as an example of best practice:
Authenticity and preservation of tradition
Interactive content and innovative interpretation strategies
Cooperation with the local community
Education and promotion, and continuous work on heritage preservation
Sustainability (sustainable tourism)
These elements are recognized in the TEHIC handbook as excellent examples of how museums can effectively interpret and valorize cultural heritage, ensuring active participation from the community and visitors.
We were particularly struck by the introductory part which states: “The Betina Museum of Wooden Shipbuilding is, in essence, an eco-museum (although the word is not in its name) where the synergy of traditional ways of life (shipbuilding, fishing, agriculture) meets new realities (dominated by tourism). It offers tourists an insider’s view of life before mass tourism and provides insight into what life could be like.“
TEHIC stands for “Towards a European Heritage Interpretation Curriculum” and represents an EU project aimed at creating a standardized curriculum for heritage interpretation at the higher education level and related educational programs across Europe. The TEHIC authoring team brings together partners, heritage experts from various EU countries, including the University of Zagreb from Croatia. Among the authors, we highlight Dr. Darko Babić from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, who, among other things, was a reviewer of the concept of our permanent exhibition in 2014 and played an important role in the realization of the museum with his advice and guidelines.
The authoring team in the handbook defines heritage interpretation as a profession, provides guidelines for designing an educational syllabus for the interpretation of cultural and natural heritage in Europe, in a way that is accessible to all, to be used in universities and institutions offering postgraduate and other programs. The handbook emphasizes the need to reach a consensus on curriculum content, develop qualified educational programs for heritage interpretation at the European level, promote the employability of heritage professionals, and valorize and conserve cultural and natural heritage.
Among the goals of the project are:
- Developing a standardized curriculum for heritage interpretation to be used across Europe,
- Improving the skills and competencies of professionals working in the field of heritage through educational programs,
- Enhancing the quality of interpretation of cultural and natural heritage to better communicate with visitors,
- Promoting an interdisciplinary approach to heritage interpretation, including history, culture, ecology, and technology,
- Education and training.
The project involves collaboration among various institutions across Europe, including museums, universities, research institutes, and civil society organizations, through the networking of professionals to foster the exchange of ideas, experiences, and best practices in heritage interpretation. The project contributes to creating a coherent and comprehensive approach to heritage interpretation in Europe, improving professional standards and ensuring that visitors have a rich and informative experience when encountering cultural and natural heritage.
You can learn more about the TEHIC project at the link: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/2022-1-SE01-KA220-HED-000085564