Waterford Viking Triangle Interpretation Plan Final Report Bringing the Viking Triangle to Life 13th February 2012 WATERFORD VIKING TRIANGLE FEBRUARY 2012 | © BRIGHT 3D INTERPRETIVE PLAN 2 Introduction The Viking Triangle area of Waterford has been undergoing development in order to present itself as a key visitor destination within the city. Following investment into the physical infrastructure the project is at the stage where an Interpretive Plan is required to develop the story of this extraordinary area and defines the most appropriate way to tell it. In November 2011, Failte Ireland in conjunction with with Waterford City Council, commissioned Bright 3D to develop the Interpretive Plan. This plan identifies key audiences - their needs and motivations; core themes and storylines along with appropriate media to relay these stories. Following consultations with key stakeholders and support from Eamonn McEneaney (Wateford City Council), Maeve McKeever and Gary Breen (Failte Ireland) this document provides the Interpretive Plan for the Viking Triangle, along with costed and prioritised recommendations for implementation. 01 Introduction 07 The Walking Tour 02 Project Overview 08 Actor Led Tours 03 Approach 09 Audience Statistics 04 The Viking Triangle 10 Audience & Motivation 05 The Visitor Experience 11 Summary 06 The Big Idea & 12 Appendices Interpretive Themes WATERFORD VIKING TRIANGLE FEBRUARY 2012 | © BRIGHT 3D INTERPRETIVE PLAN Project Overview 3 The Viking Triangle district of Waterford, containing a number of historic buildings and museums in close proximity, is being developed by Waterford City Council and Failte Ireland as a nationally important heritage destination. This is part of a wider plan to stimulate economic Additionally, a number of individuals and regeneration of the city centre and to boost tourism organisations give guided walking tours based on revenue to the region. the heritage of the Viking Triangle. Several interpretive elements of this ambitious Failte Ireland has recognised a need for a more project are already in place or due to open in 2012: integrated approach to interpretation within the Viking Triangle in order to tie the existing • Reginald’s Tower: Treasures of Viking attractions together into an integrated visitor Waterford (operated by the Office of Public experience. One of the primary goals is to link Works) covering Waterford history from the all the stories being told to visitors under a Viking origins of the city in 914 to the fall of the set of overarching interpretive themes. These Viking town in 1170. overarching stories will be primarily delivered • Choristers’ Hall: Treasures of Medieval through a self-guided handheld tour of the Viking Waterford (in development – operated by Triangle, both within and between attractions. Waterford City Council) covering Waterford history from the 1170 takeover by the Anglo- Guidance is also being sought for working these Normans to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. themes into existing interpretive programming • Bishop’s Palace: Treasures of 18th & 19th and exhibitions, and for ‘animating’ delivery of Century Waterford (operated by Waterford City interpretive content throughout the Viking Triangle, Council) covering Waterford history from 1690 for example through re-enactments or theatrical to the 1970s. performances. • Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre & factory tour (operated by Waterford Crystal) WATERFORD VIKING TRIANGLE FEBRUARY 2012 | © BRIGHT 3D INTERPRETIVE PLAN 4 The Viking Triangle “A thousand years of history... in a thousand paces...” WATERFORD VIKING TRIANGLE FEBRUARY 2012 | © BRIGHT 3D INTERPRETIVE PLAN Our Approach 5 Our approach has been straightforward. We have got to know the requirements of the client and the other stakeholders. We have examined all those requirements in order to design, develop and deliver a clear and detailed interpretive plan which will achieve the desired goal of bringing the Viking Triangle to Life. Define Develop Deliver Briefing & research Themes and storylines Route for walking tour Conduct consultation Determine audience Defined themes & workshops routing storylines Market context Interpretive media Proposed interpretive media Current tourism activtiy Link with existing & new heritage attractions Schedule of options with Key attractions priorities & costings Reviewing best practice Current offer Current infrastructure WATERFORD VIKING TRIANGLE FEBRUARY 2012 | © BRIGHT 3D INTERPRETIVE PLAN The Viking Triangle 6 New interpretation provided via a handheld walking tour must complement existing interpretation at the key attractions. A Key Challenge Current Offer Choristers’ Hall One of the main challenges in developing an Interpretation within each of the three core The treasures of medieval Waterford can be Interpretation Plan for the Viking Triangle is that attractions has been developed so that visitors feel viewed in the new state-of-the-art museum situated the interpretation within the three core attractions they are getting a complete story about Waterford above the 13th Century Choristers’ Hall and 15th (Reginald’s Tower, Chorister’s Hall, and the in a particular period. They are viewed as Century Wine Vault within the heart of the Viking Bishop’s Palace) is pre-existing or in development. standalone experiences, even though collectively Triangle. Thus any overarching themes that emerge during they tell the history of Waterford over 1000 years. the planning process must complement existing Waterford Crystal interpretive offers. Bishop’s Palace It is recognised that Waterford Crystal is Built in 1743, the Bishops’s Palace with its beautiful currently the largest attraction within Waterford New thematic content will be presented mostly furniture, paintings, glass and silver is evocative and developing a strong connection between through the proposed handheld tours which have of gracious 18th Century living. The Palace this attraction and the Viking Triangle is key yet to be fully developed, and must take care not houses many nationally significant items including to the Triangle’s future success. Discussions to duplicate interpretation already available in the a Boneparte ‘Mourning Cross’ and the oldest have already taken place with the management Viking Triangle. surviving piece of Waterford Crystal. of Waterford Crystal to establish closer links, including the possibility of the handheld tour The approach to introducing overarching themes Reginald’s Tower extending within the Waterford Crystal experience. within the existing museums has been to do so This landmark building of Waterford is situated through the handheld tours or minimal physical at the apex of the Viking Triangle. It was built by This is viewed as an important opportunity which additions in the form of introductory graphic Reginald, a Norwegian Viking warlord who founded has the potential to significantly increase the visitor panels. the city in 914AD. The history of Waterford and numbers to the Viking Triangle and engage them Ireland lies embedded within its walls - from the with the heritage experience on offer. Changing existing museum exhibits has not been scene of romance between Strongbow and Aoife, considered. to Royal Palace, Mint and Prison. WATERFORD VIKING TRIANGLE FEBRUARY 2012 | © BRIGHT 3D INTERPRETIVE PLAN The Viking Triangle [Cont’d] 7 Handheld Tour In a similar manner, the exterior handheld tour should be viewed as a standalone experience Start of Tour through which visitors get an overview of the Viking Triangle. While tours within each of the core museums will also be available on the handheld audio tour, these should be viewed and developed more as part of Reginald’s Franciscan Friary the visitor experience within each core attraction, Tower and less as an extension of the exterior tour. The content delivered through the handheld tour within each of the museums will mainly support the Undercroft period stories being told there, and make links to City Hall the overarching Viking Triangle themes. Medieval Museum All four tours delivered through the handheld audio Christchurch tour should share the same tone and style. The Cathedral Theatre shared set of overarching interpretive themes will Royal allow opportunities to link related content across tours. Bishops Palace Waterford Crystal WATERFORD VIKING TRIANGLE FEBRUARY 2012 | © BRIGHT 3D INTERPRETIVE PLAN The Visitor Experience 8 The Viking Triangle Experience begins before visitors arrive in Waterford and should extend until long after they have left. Getting There A Sense of Arrival Giving the Visitors Choice The visitor experience starts well before visitors The main entrances to the Viking Triangle District An ideal visit to the Viking Triangle will differ arrive in Waterford. Attractive and focused should be evident to everyone, either visitors from person to person. Some may wish to do the marketing both online and through print media starting the handheld tour or people visiting handheld tour and a few museums, while others should intrigue and establish a sense of Waterford for shopping or other reasons not may be interested solely in a living history tour expectation about visiting, while accurately and related to heritage. The entrances need to impart a of the Bishop’s Palace. Their individual interests, clearly stating what the Viking Triangle offers. Clear ‘sense of arrival’ to somewhere special and set the available time, and preferred mode of access signage should direct visitors to parking areas area apart from the rest of downtown Waterford.