At Jabukovac Primary School, philosophy-literary, drama, and visual arts workshops were held as part of the TRACE.hr – The Story in Your Hands project. The workshops were led by volunteer Nastja Novak together with school staff members Erija Matković and Jadranka Novak. Students, parents, and local cultural and artistic societies also took part in collecting stories. Through working with these stories, students revived the spirit of past times and forgotten customs while reflecting on values and ways of life then and now. Activities were organised in three groups, each exploring a story through a different approach.
In the literary-philosophical group, students from grades 5 to 8 analysed a poem about a girl named Mara. They reflected on Mara’s journey — from parental expectations in preparation for marriage to confronting false suitors and finding true love. The discussion connected tradition and modern life through the motifs of marriage customs and dowry, highlighting Mara’s wisdom and authenticity as a starting point for reflecting on the timeless value of love. The session concluded with a research task encouraging students to speak with their grandmothers and older family members about past wedding customs and to explore whether dowry items still exist in their homes.
The drama workshop proved especially creative and evocative, awakening students’ imagination and helping them immerse themselves in life in earlier times. Inspired by the story of “Grandfather and Grandma Ana,” they recalled family anecdotes from a time without television or the internet, when stories were shared during moments of leisure, conversation, tobacco smoking, and a small glass of rakija, recounting past events, discussing everyday trivialities, and occasionally engaging in livelyquarrels that formed part of daily life. Students designed the set, created costumes, and staged the text.
In the visual arts workshop, students used coloured pencils to interpret scenes from a poem about the unhappy love of two young people separated by the River Sava. Although imbued with sadness, the poem ends with hope: “When the Sava calms a little, I will come to you.”
The workshops demonstrated how stories can connect generations and encourage students to xplore and preserve local intangible heritage, transforming the legacy of the past into inspiration for the future.
