Discover Heritage and the AHI Awards
The Discover Heritage AHI Awards shine a spotlight on the people and practices that bring historic places, cultural landscapes, and community stories to life. Rooted in a long tradition of interpretation excellence, these awards recognise the inventiveness, dedication, and professionalism that shape how we understand and engage with heritage today.
Organised under the banner of Discover Heritage, the Awards aim to raise standards across the sector, champion best practice, and inspire both established professionals and emerging talent. By highlighting outstanding examples of interpretation and engagement, the Awards help ensure that heritage remains meaningful, relevant, and accessible to diverse audiences.
The Role of AHI in Advancing Heritage Interpretation
The Association for Heritage Interpretation (AHI) has long been at the forefront of promoting high-quality interpretation across museums, historic sites, landscapes, and community projects. Through its Discover Heritage Awards, AHI showcases how interpretation can connect people with place, foster understanding between cultures, and support the sustainable stewardship of heritage assets.
Interpretation today goes far beyond labels and guidebooks. It includes immersive exhibitions, creative digital media, community-led storytelling, accessible design, and inclusive programming that welcome visitors of all backgrounds. The Awards highlight this evolving practice and encourage innovation that balances authenticity, scholarship, and visitor experience.
Recognising People, Not Just Projects
One of the distinctive features of the Discover Heritage AHI Awards is the focus on people. Alongside recognition for exemplary initiatives, there is a dedicated special award for nominated individuals rather than projects or organisations. This approach acknowledges that meaningful heritage interpretation is driven by human insight, creativity, and long-term commitment.
These individual awards celebrate those who champion inclusive narratives, mentor younger practitioners, experiment with new interpretive approaches, or dedicate their careers to connecting communities with their heritage. By foregrounding people, the Awards underscore the importance of personal leadership and vision in shaping how heritage is understood and shared.
Dr James Pardoe: Nearly Three Decades of Heritage Leadership
At the heart of the Discover Heritage AHI Awards is the deep professional experience contributed by key figures such as Dr James Pardoe. With nearly 30 years of experience in the heritage sector, Dr Pardoe brings authoritative insight into what excellence in interpretation truly looks like, from both strategic and practical perspectives.
Dr Pardoe has been closely associated with AHI since 2001, reflecting a long-standing commitment to promoting quality interpretation and supporting professional development. His work across the sector has encompassed academic research, on-the-ground practice, and leadership roles, helping to shape thinking around how heritage is presented, understood, and sustained.
Through his involvement, the Awards benefit from a nuanced understanding of the sector’s challenges and opportunities: from managing change in historic environments and supporting community voices, to balancing conservation priorities with the needs and expectations of contemporary audiences.
Why the Awards Matter for the Heritage Sector
The Discover Heritage AHI Awards serve as an important benchmark for quality in heritage interpretation. They raise the profile of exemplary work, encourage reflective practice, and provide powerful case studies that others in the sector can learn from. In an era of rapid technological change and shifting visitor expectations, this recognition is more than symbolic; it actively shapes professional standards and strategic thinking.
For heritage organisations, being associated with an award-winning project or practitioner can help secure support, build partnerships, and demonstrate impact to stakeholders. For communities, it validates the stories, traditions, and perspectives that are being preserved and shared. And for visitors, it translates into richer, more engaging, and more inclusive experiences at heritage sites of all kinds.
Biennial Awards: Space for Reflection and Innovation
The Discover Heritage AHI Awards are held biennially, a rhythm that allows time for new ideas, collaborations, and projects to mature between award cycles. This two-year span encourages depth over speed, rewarding initiatives that are carefully planned, sustainably delivered, and thoughtfully evaluated.
A biennial format also provides the sector with moments of collective reflection. Each Awards cycle invites practitioners to look back at achievements, challenges, and lessons learned, and to look forward to emerging trends in interpretation practice — from digital engagement and participatory storytelling to climate-conscious programming and inclusive design.
Celebrating Diversity in Heritage Stories
One of the defining qualities of the Discover Heritage AHI Awards is their commitment to diversity in both stories and storytellers. Heritage is no longer seen as a single, fixed narrative, but as a mosaic of experiences, viewpoints, and identities. The Awards champion projects and individuals who bring underrepresented voices into the heart of interpretation, whether through community co-curation, multilingual content, or inclusive programming.
This emphasis on diversity reflects an understanding that heritage belongs to everyone. By highlighting work that challenges assumptions, expands narratives, and invites new audiences to participate, the Awards help to ensure that heritage spaces feel relevant, welcoming, and responsive to contemporary society.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Heritage Interpretation
As technology, audience expectations, and global challenges continue to evolve, so too does heritage interpretation. The Discover Heritage AHI Awards point towards a future where interpretation is ever more participatory, multi-sensory, and collaborative. Practitioners are increasingly blending on-site experiences with digital storytelling, connecting local places to global issues such as climate change, social justice, and wellbeing.
Figures like Dr James Pardoe, with long-standing experience and a deep understanding of the sector, play an important role in guiding this evolution. Through mentoring, thought leadership, and active involvement in initiatives like the Awards, they help ensure that innovation is grounded in ethical practice, robust research, and respect for the communities whose heritage is being interpreted.
In this way, the Discover Heritage AHI Awards are more than a celebration; they are a catalyst for ongoing improvement and a platform for ideas that will define the next generation of heritage practice.