Hiding Broccoli in the Birthday Cake; or, Marrying Facts with Fun
Presenter: Laurie Schwartz, Interpretation Coordinator, Banff National Park
How do we attract and keep audiences who are spoiled for entertainment choices? Novelty, emotion, connection.
That might seem out of reach when we are asked to take a set of bland facts and try to make people care about them. That’s where the art of interpretation is essential. Managers want to fulfil a mandate. Your visitors want fun, engaging, and memorable programs.
Join Laurie Schwartz as she shares her 30+ years of trial and error in tour guiding, interpretive theatre, and program development. She will show examples from her career in Banff National Park, and demonstrate concrete techniques that you can apply to your practice to make programs that nourish like broccoli but surprise and delight like birthday cake.
This session is suitable for front line interpreters and managers who are looking for creative approaches to interpretation.
Note, this PD session will follow the IC AGM. Members attending the AGM do not need to register for this session.
Presenter bio:
Laurie Schwartz is a founding member of Parks Canada's Mountain WIT, delighting audiences in & around Banff since 2003. She specializes in interpretive theatre, puppetry, coaching, and creative ways to engage audiences. She is a Master Interpreter with the Interpretive Guides Association, and guides tours with the Fairmont Banff Springs.
Cost to attend:
- IC Members: this event is free, but we invite you to choose to donate $10 to help IC cover costs of planning our professional development sessions
- Non-members: $60
Cancellation policy:
If you wish to cancel your registration and are a non-member who has paid for a ticket, please note that refunds are only offered if the cancellation is made 72 hours or more in advance of the event. No refund will be issued if you cancel within the 72-hour period. Refunds can only be offered via e-transfer and may take 1-2 weeks to be processed. To request that a refund, please email info@interpretationcanada.ca. Non-attendance at an event does not qualify for a refund.
