First Encounter
May 23, 2017, in the square between the Elementary School “Centar” and High Scool of Construction Sciences.
May 24, 2017, at 7 pm at the Kortil Gallery
The first encounter brought together the elderly and the children and is conceptually based on verbal communication. Through transgenerational dialogue and sharing childhood experiences, communication between the elderly (54+) and the children of Elementary School ” Centar ” has been established. Through the encounter with the children, a problem of inadequate dirty schoolyard was discovered, along with other problems such as lack of a proper fence, playground and resting area. Through the encounter with the elderly, the memories of the former parks in the very center of the city arose, parks which were the soul of the city because they connected the children with the elderly.
The public presentation of the first encounter was realized twice. On May 23, 2017, with their choreography of the imagined ideal schoolyard, the children participated in the larger program of the revival of this “square” between their Primary School Center and the Building and Construction Faculty, through the event “Croatia Volunteers” organized by the Smart Association.
On May 24, 2017, at the Kortil Gallery, during the public presentation, the children met for the first time with “magic grandmother wizards” in front of their mothers, friends and audiences. They publicly expressed dissatisfaction with their schoolyard, and through communicating with “magic grandmother wizards”, the children got another insight into the context of two different eras and lifestyles in which children created their own games and toys for themselves and had much more adequate space and time for it. The ”grandmothers” encouraged them to be aware, engaged and determined. The mothers supported the initiative and expressed the desire to continue in this direction and to provide children with adequate space for growth and development.
“I appreciate the initiative of the artist who organized this gathering and workshop for our children. I remember Sušak district from my childhood and cannot stay untouched because of the state in which it is today. Our children deserve the same Sušak that I had, what my mom had and what my nun had. You gave me the impulse, which is very important to me and so I thank and congratulate you all-. The recommendation for a future gathering would be – give us more concrete information and we will bring other parents with us. Thank you for this step! Your sincerely, Silva (mother of a girl participant). ”
It is indicative that the main actors in thinking about the issues were women: 3 generations of women – girls/mothers and artists/grandmothers. The main collaborators were an art historian and head of the Gallery Kortil Jolanda Todorović, art historian Marija Vasović, head of the University of Zagreb for the third time, Jana Ažić, and staff members of the Elementary School “Centar” – director Nedjeljka Debelić and pedagogue Snježana Carević Tomac.
During the first encounter, a need to think about how public space defines children’s play was presented; can it be more or less encouraging for children to develop and how can we improve our attitudes and behaviors by enhancing the space? This is also the impulse for a new 2018
Choreographer and author: Ivana Peranić
Performers and co-authors: Students of the Elementary School “Centar”, Gabrijela Bakarčić, Lucija Dujmović, Paola Dujmović, Hana Guska, Lana Krešić, Tea Krešić, Elena Merdanović, Natali Osmani, Adriana Savić, Vivienne Shahini, Doria Sušanj, Enea Sušanj
Pensioners: Ivanka Krišković, Enza Vaccaro
Professional associate: art historian: Marija Vasović
Partners: The Cortile Live Initiative, the Elementary School “Centar”
Special thanks to Snježana Carević Tomac, Jana Ažić, the Third Age University and the Pensioners’ Matrix of the City of Rijeka!
Production: KRILA Creative Theater Laboratory in conjunction with Kortil Gallery
The project was supported by the City of Rijeka and the “Kultura Nova” Foundation
Photos: Natasa Alavanja