Yesterday, a press conference was held to announce the launch of the mobile application Slavic Soundwalking (slavicsoundwalking.eu), part of an interdisciplinary European project supported by the Creative Europe program. The project aims to digitally combine literature and sound design and is implemented by Hartefakt in collaboration with partners from Croatia and Slovenia.
At the Endžio Hub venue, the audience was addressed by Nina Perišić, an actress who narrated the 11 stories available for listening in our city; Katarina Mitrović, author of the story "Condom Balloons", part of her novel "All Good Barbies"; Branko Rosić, author of the story "With My Father on Tromostovje", a writer and journalist; and Igor Krstić, the composer of the music accompanying all the audio stories. The discussion was moderated by Patrik Lazić.
The event highlighted the importance of storytelling and preserving the heritage of Slavic languages. The 75 original stories—25 from each participating country—are narrated in Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian, with an English version available for international tourists. Users of the application can choose the language in which they wish to hear the stories.
The functionality of the application was also presented. Simply put, users can download the app from Google Play or the Apple Store and, while walking through Belgrade, access and listen to 75 audio stories by contemporary authors from Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia at marked locations across the city. Notable Serbian authors include Svetozar Cvetković, Branko Rosić, Tijana Grumić, Vida Davidović, Staša Bajac, Milica Vučković, Filip David, and Filip Grujić, while some of the actors narrating the stories include Katarina Marković, Amar Ćorović, Vanja Ejdus, and Nina Perišić.
The program already completed within the Slavic Soundwalking project, as well as upcoming activities planned for this weekend as part of the 32nd Belgrade Summer Festival (BELEF), were also presented.
On Saturday, June 29, at 6:00 PM, starting from the location in front of Hotel Moskva, participants equipped with the mobile application and their headphones will embark on a guided city tour. The walk will offer a new perspective on Belgrade’s landmarks while premiering stories at selected locations, including Nušićeva Street, Atelje 212, Palilula Market, RTS, Tašmajdan Park, the Main Post Office, and St. Mark’s Church. The unique walk will conclude at the Salon of the Museum of the City of Belgrade, where, at 8:00 PM, a Storytelling Event will take place, featuring live storytelling by some of the authors from the application, including Vida Davidović, Sofija Dimitrijević, Ksenija Kušec, Suzana Tratnik, Tanja Matijašević, and Selma Skenderović.
Additionally, the program for children within the Slavic Soundwalking project was announced. Storytelling for Childrenwill be held at Tašmajdan Park on Sunday, June 30, at 7:00 PM, featuring live storytelling of fairy tales by actors Mina Obradović, Andrej Nježić, and Anja Ćurčić.
Foto: Dragana Udovičić