A workshop on re-enactment, and living history held at Oxford in November 1998, concluded that the difference between academic history and living history was the inclusion of standards. Academic history has an internal system of quality control due to research being peer reviewed. Following this the Institute of Historical Interpretation was set up, a non political, non group specific but multi-period organisation with four main aims:
Following the inaugural meeting in November 1999 the name was changed from the Institute of Historical Interpretation to the Historical Interpretation Forum. Re-enactment and live interpretation are powerful communication tools, with the capacity to change people's perceptions on history or to perpetuate myth. The HIF is a forum in which academic historians and heritage professionals, can exchange views with re-enactors and live interpreters. It should allow the opportunity for heritage professionals and historians to influence the type and content of historical live interpretation currently being presented to the public. It gives live interpreters access to current historical thinking, and an informal medium in which to discuss future requirements with potential sponsors. The Institute hopes to promote training, firstly by giving visibility to relevant training courses already being run by colleges, rural life institutions etc. and later by organising it's own courses covering subjects such as health and safety, visitor management, marketing, and customer care as well as learning historical techniques. Seminars are proposed, and an annual conference. Obviously all this will take time and will be a gradual process, but as a starting point the Institute is producing a biannual journal. It is aimed at a more academic audience than the current re-enactment magazines and hopes to promote discussion amongst all interested parties. Potentially it may give history, heritage and archaeology students the opportunity to be published for the first time, as well as publishing papers from academics, live interpreters and heritage professionals.
The first issue of the Journal is now available from Anyone with an interest in heritage, public history, academic history, living history and re-enactment is encouraged to join, so their ideas and views on the future of live interpretation at historic sites can be heard.
Contact the HIF at hif@livinghistory.co.uk
English Heritage Events Forum (18th March)
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