Heritage Interpretation

Wessex Archaeology's Studio team specialises in providing a wide range of Heritage Interpretation.

Why to choose us? 

Wessex Archaeology is an education charity, a leading provider of heritage and archaeological services. We work to leave a positive legacy of social cohesion and wellbeing within local communities, through knowledge and skills sharing.  

Established for over 40 years, we offer an unrivalled range of heritage services. With over 400 industry experts working across a network of international offices, we provide a unique in-depth understanding of heritage resources.   

Our highly skilled Studio department is accredited by the Association for Heritage Interpretation. The team comprises of 18 creatives who bring the past to life through a comprehensive range of content creation services including, but not limited to: presentation and exhibition design, photography, video/audio production, 2D/3D animation, comic books, design and typesetting, digital reconstructions, 3D interactive models, immersive experiences (including VR, AR), 3D scanning, virtual repairs, 3D printing, and designing digital interfaces.   

We work in partnership with clients across a variety of sectors to deliver practical, sustainable, sympathetic solutions to effectively manage heritage. Our experience and knowledge help our clients achieve successful planning outcomes, engage communities and stakeholders, and enhance the value of national historical assets. We are happy to provide bespoke interpretive content either alone or in collaboration, to ensure the perfect heritage solution is achieved for our clients and their visitors.

As part of our commitment to our clients, our creatives are assigned for the duration of each project. This ensures consistency of product and style. Styles can range from photorealistic representations to artistic interpretations, depending on the situation and subject matter.

Our clients range from museums, heritage consultants, historic properties, housing and infrastructure companies, and people in the retail industries.

• Reconstruction & Visualisation
• Animation
• Structured Light Scanning (SLS)
• 3D printing
• Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Games
• Video & Photography
• Exhibition & Display  
• Design & Typesetting

Wessex Archaeology’s Studio team can provide all the Heritage Interpretation content you require. We pride ourselves on our quality. We are ISO accredited as well as a member of the Association of Heritage Interpretation.

As part of one of the largest heritage and archaeology organisations in the UK, Wessex Archaeology's Studio has the added benefit of support from a full range of heritage specialists, who are able to offer insights and advice on the historical aspects. This helps us ensure our heritage interpretations are as accurate as possible.

What is Heritage Interpretation?

Heritage interpretation is an effective way of engaging people with the past, providing a sense of place and a deeper understanding of the lives of others both past and present.

We believe that heritage interpretation can not only help people understand the past, but can enrich their lives through emotional connections and experiences. It is a recognised fact that people who engage with heritage have an improved sense of wellbeing. 

The term 'Heritage Interpretation' covers a wide range of products. It can be as simple as an on-site display board explaining what archaeological remains were discovered during an excavation, or as complex as an interactive 3D Virtual Reality experience designed to inform and engage.

Some interpretations are created for short term use such as events or press releases while others are for more permanent display, such as information panels or museum exhibitions. Whether you are seeking to promote historic remains visible in the landscape, a beautiful historic building, or a handful of archaeological artefacts, heritage interpretation can make it come alive for your audience.

Who is heritage interpretation for?

Heritage interpretation is not just for museums, it can appear almost anywhere:

• incorporated into new buildings such as schools and show homes, 
• promoting the past in busy urban areas,
• to explain historic properties, 
• to enhance engagement at heritage attractions,
• continuing the visitor experiences in retail areas.

Most good heritage interpretations are accessible to people of all ages, but not all are designed for a wide age range. There are many excellent interpretations designed with a more niche audience in mind. Interpretations can be designed to: fit in with school curriculums, for those with limited attention spans, created with a more elderly audience in mind, or for people with disabilities. More complex heritage interpretations can provide information designed to engage more than one of the senses, with sound, moving images, touch and even smells! 

If you need a reconstruction, Heritage APP trail or Augmented Reality App, informative video, digital or analogue display panel, or even a Virtual Reality experience we are here to help. Below are a few of the projects we have worked on. If you have a project, no matter how big or small, why not get in touch. 

Find out more about our Heritage Interpretation Services here