At the press conference, the multimedia project Slavic Soundwalking was announced.

DOWNLOAD THE WEEKLY PROGRAM HERE

Zagreb, May 29, 2024 - A press conference announcing the multimedia project Slavic Soundwalking, the launch of the eponymous app, and numerous accompanying activities such as Pričigin on Tour, a concert by the band Cry Babies, panel discussions, literary forums, and creative workshops, was held on Wednesday, May 29, at the Cultural Information Center, which is also the project sponsor. The presentation was attended by Jelena Remetin, head of the artistic organization YELO and author of the app, Andrea Grgić, deputy director of the Cultural Information Center, Patricija Horvat, artistic director of the Pričigin festival, and Dijana Vincek, president of the Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, along with an interpreter.

Short stories by contemporary authors

"Slavic Soundwalking is an interactive mobile application that offers users a unique experience of listening to short stories on their smartphones while walking through cities. The goal of this two-year literary initiative is to preserve the Slavic language, promote Slavic literature, and develop users' listening skills and literary literacy," stated the project author and multimedia artist Jelena Remetin.

The app features unpublished short stories by contemporary authors from Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia that reflect today's urban society and the time in which they were created. The stories, performed by professional actors with musical and sound backgrounds, are activated by users walking through public spaces in the cities of Zagreb, Belgrade, and Ljubljana.

Digitalization, collaboration, interaction, and inclusivity

All 75 short stories can also be read in Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, and English, as well as in sign language, making them accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Additionally, the stories can be read and adapted for people with reading difficulties.

Although the multimedia project Slavic Soundwalking impresses with its technical performances – from excellent sound and acting performances to options like "measure steps and report noise" – it did not remain just in the digital space but truly connects authors, as evidenced by a series of accompanying activities and literary events.

Pričigin on Tour and a rich literary program

Patricija Horvat, artistic director of the Pričigin festival, announced Pričigin on Tour, which will be held on June 4 at the KNAP Center in Zagreb, on the day of the activation of the Slavic Soundwalking app, featuring guests Ankica Tomić, Ivica Ivanišević, Marinko Koščec, Branko Rosić, Svetozar Cvetković, Adriana Kuči, and Zoran Knežević, as well as a performance by the band Cry Babies.

The rich program continues in the following days – highlighted Aleksandra Orlić, the media conference host and one of the authors included in the Slavic Soundwalking project – from literary forums to be held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb, in the Memorial Apartment of Marija Jurić Zagorka, the KNAP Center, and the House of Europe, through creative writing, sound, and sign language workshops to literary sound walks through the city offering a new perspective on the contemporary urban-literary scene. Admission to all events is free, and the entire program can be found at https://slavicsoundwalking.com/hr/raspored-dogadanja-promocija-mobilne-aplikacije-ssw/

PHOTOS BY MATIJA KRSTIČEVIĆ