Museums, arts and heritage translation services

Every museum, gallery and heritage organisation has stories to tell. Whether you’re bringing an exhibition to an international audience, welcoming visitors from overseas or sharing research about a historic collection, the right words make all the difference.

At Atlas Translations, we help museums, galleries, heritage organisations and creative businesses communicate with audiences around the world.

From exhibition panels and gallery catalogues to visitor guides, historical documents, audio tours and subtitles, we provide professional translation and multilingual content services that preserve the meaning, context and character of your original material.

We’ve been working with organisations in the arts and heritage sector since 1991, combining specialist linguistic expertise with friendly, practical project management.

Trusted by leading museums and heritage organisations

Over the years, our clients have included some of the UK’s best-known cultural and heritage organisations:

• The British Museum
• The National Trust
• The Landmark Trust
• Royal Museums Greenwich
• English Heritage
• Historic England

We’ve also worked with artists, art galleries, arts councils, dance companies, design and graphics businesses, picture collections, stock and image libraries, and other organisations across the creative industries.

This experience has given us a strong understanding of the particular challenges involved in translating cultural, historical and artistic content.

We know that it’s not always simply a question of finding the right word. Sometimes it’s about explaining an unfamiliar concept, preserving a historical reference or ensuring that the tone of an exhibition works just as well in another language.

Museum and exhibition translation

Making collections and exhibitions accessible to international audiences.

Exhibition text needs to inform, engage and sometimes challenge its audience. It may also need to work within strict word counts, display dimensions or design requirements.

We translate:

• Exhibition panels and interpretation boards
• Object labels and display captions
• Permanent and temporary exhibition materials
• Museum catalogues and exhibition publications
• Collection descriptions and accompanying research
• Visitor guides, maps and brochures
• Educational resources and children’s activities
• Museum websites and digital collections
• Interactive displays and multimedia content
• Audio guide scripts and video subtitles
• Marketing and promotional materials

Our translators take account of the intended audience, the purpose of the text and the specialist terminology involved.

A label for a specialist exhibition may require a very different approach from a family-friendly activity sheet or an introductory panel aimed at international tourists.

We can help with all three.

Heritage and historic building translation

Helping international visitors understand the places and stories that shaped our world.

Historic houses, monuments, archaeological sites and heritage attractions often contain references that are deeply rooted in local history and culture.

Architectural terms, historical events, traditional occupations and social customs may not have straightforward equivalents in another language.

Our translators work carefully with this material, considering both accuracy and the needs of visitors who may be unfamiliar with the subject.

We can support:

• Historic house and property guides
• Heritage interpretation panels
• Archaeological and historical information
• Conservation reports and specialist publications
• Architectural descriptions
• Visitor signage and information
• Educational and learning materials
• Walking trails and heritage routes
• Websites and promotional content
• Audio tours and multimedia experiences

We can also work with your existing terminology, reference materials and preferred style guides to maintain consistency across collections, properties or exhibitions.

Translation for galleries, artists & creative organisations

Protecting the meaning behind the work.

Artistic and creative content can be particularly challenging to translate.

An artist’s statement might be deliberately ambiguous. A gallery catalogue may contain complex critical language. A dance performance description might rely on imagery, emotion or cultural references that don’t translate literally. We understand that these details matter.

Atlas supports artists, galleries, arts organisations and creative businesses with translation of:

• Artist biographies and statements
• Gallery and exhibition catalogues
• Curatorial essays and critical commentary
• Arts funding applications and reports
• Performance programmes and promotional materials
• Dance and performing arts content
• Press releases and marketing campaigns
• Image library descriptions and metadata
• Art publications and picture collection materials
• Websites and digital portfolios
• Contracts, licensing information and commercial documents

Our aim is to preserve the original voice and intention while making the content clear and engaging for its new audience.

Where appropriate, we can also provide editing, proofreading and transcreation services.

Audio guides, voiceovers & subtitling

Bringing collections and stories to life in different languages.

Museums and heritage attractions increasingly use audio, video and interactive content to help visitors explore their collections.

We can support the multilingual elements of these experiences, including:

• Translation and adaptation of audio guide scripts
• Professional multilingual voiceover recording
• Subtitles for exhibition films and video installations
• Transcription and translation of recorded material
• Scripts for interactive exhibits
• Digital tours and visitor experiences

Writing for an audio guide is different from writing for an exhibition panel. The language needs to sound natural when spoken, and timing, pronunciation and pacing all matter. We can help you consider these practical details from the outset.

By coordinating translation, voiceover and subtitling through Atlas, you can avoid having to manage several separate language suppliers.

Working with exhibition designers & creative agencies

We know that translation is often just one part of a much larger exhibition or creative project.

You may be working with curators, designers, printers, digital developers, production teams or external agencies.

We’re happy to work alongside them.

Our services include:

• Translation from a wide range of file formats
• Advice on text expansion and layout
• Multilingual desktop publishing and typesetting
• Terminology management and consistency
• Coordination of multiple languages
• Review of translated content in its final layout
• Support with phased exhibition and publication schedules

A sentence that fits comfortably on an English exhibition panel may take considerably more space in another language. Thinking about translation early in the design process can save a surprising amount of time, money and last-minute rearranging.

Cultural understanding matters

Some of the most interesting translation challenges arise when a text assumes that its audience already knows something about a particular culture or period of history. A reference to a British historical figure, an artistic movement or a traditional custom may be immediately recognisable to one audience but unfamiliar to another.

The answer isn’t always to explain everything. Nor is it to translate every word literally. It’s about understanding the audience and deciding what information they need to appreciate the original meaning.

Our professional translators bring linguistic expertise and relevant subject knowledge to these decisions. And when something needs clarification, we’ll ask.

We care enough to ask.

Why choose Atlas Translations?

We’ve been helping organisations communicate across languages since 1991.

When you work with Atlas, you benefit from:

• Experienced professional translators, selected for their language and subject expertise.
• Cultural understanding, particularly important for historical, artistic and heritage content.
• Dedicated project managers, who coordinate your project and keep everything on track.
• More than translation, including voiceover, subtitling, transcription, interpreting and typesetting.
• ISO-certified quality processes, supported by ISO 9001 and ISO 17100.
• Practical advice, helping you choose the right approach for your audience, content and budget.
• Experience with leading cultural organisations, alongside smaller galleries, independent artists and creative businesses.

Whether you’re planning a major exhibition, updating visitor information or preparing a specialist publication, we’re here to help.