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Once you have decided on the theme of your interpretation you will know which elements you want to highlight, which to ignore, and what kind of information you want to deliver. Now it is time to structure the visit and decide on the duration and location of the activity and the order of presentation of the elements involved.
Focus on about five features that are relevant for the theme you are presenting and concentrate on them. Remember that, as with facts, people will remember just a few number of items. Even if your village/city/area boasts of having a large number of sites of interest, it will be a waste of time trying to present them all and the information will become bundled and then forgiven.
Link the features to be shown in the form of a narrative which is meaningful and entertaining. We will deal with storytelling later (Unit 3.6.), but take into account that the elements should be presented following the order of a story, rather than following the order of proximity. If this will make the itinerary too long choose different elements or change your story. An interpretive presentation should be designed as a story that informs, entertains, and enlightens.
The contents of the activity and the selection of the outstanding features to be highlighted must be planned according to the visitor profile. This selection of the features that are going to be highlighted during the development of the activity must be as impartial as possible and this impartiality depends on your prior work of thorough research. Visitors (independently of the group they belong to) require continuous motivation and encouragement and this must be taken into account when planning the itinerary. Plan for motivating/special interest spots/comments to be scattered throughout the whole itinerary and bear in mind that interpretative/educational itinerary integrate both emotional and affective aspects.
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In Jaraba, when structuring the itinerary for the theme “traditional and rural customs” we have decided to organize the elements following a typical evening of a shepherd when returning from work in the fields. We will thus start by the traditional shepherd huts outside the village, cross the devil’s bridge, enter the village through one of the roads that mark the limits of the village, and visit the traditional washing place before ending our visit at the main square. Our story will be that of the shepherd finishing its working day, crossing the bridge where some legends are told, stopping at the Peirón, meeting his wife at the washing place and finally sitting at the main square benches where most villagers met at the end of the day to socialize with their neighbors. |
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Section 3.4: Selecting the Information. Choosing a Theme | Section 3.6: Storytelling |
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