At this year's Mediterranean Book Fair in Split, and at the invitation of the organizers, Kaštela writer Nataša Jukić was a traditional guest at the event, as the leader and author of two workshops and as a guest on the panel "How to Preserve and Present Speech as Intangible Cultural Heritage".
The creative writing workshops were intended for school-age children, and since this is the year of Jakov Gotovac and Ivo Tijardović, the author combined the seemingly incompatible, so the children enjoyed writing on the topics "What would it be like to bring Era from the other world to play for Hajduk" and "Little Floramye - the most beautiful flower from Split", where they together created a story about a seemingly incompatible love.
The panel itself, which took place on the stage of the large hall in Gripe, was attended by writer Nataša Jukić, academic painter and writer Hrvoje Marko Peruzović, as well as Maja Šeparović – director of the Blato Tourist Board on Korčula, and Ivana Sardelić, director of Blato Beans. The moderator's baton went to Marina Gudelj.
How important it is to find the right ways to preserve the dialect and how challenging it is could be heard in the practical examples of all participants. On this occasion, Nataša especially praised the active associations from Kaštela, especially the amateur theater Moreta and the children's theater Škatula, for which she writes texts. She also referred to the engagement of individual schools with which she collaborates, which preserve and nurture the Čakavica dialect through various events.
Čakulin Festival
She mentioned the support of the city of Kaštela, and praised the cooperation with all those who preserve tradition as sacred and recognize the importance of language as the root pillar of a people. She also announced the launch of the ČAkulin festival next year, intended for the youngest.
She also mentioned the collection of plays and recitals in the Čakavian dialect "Tašel za dušu", which she gave away a few years ago, with the support of the City, as a gift to anyone involved in any performing activities related to the dialect, as an example of how you can always find a way to introduce the dialect into speech and writing, bring it closer to children through play and entertainment, and highlight its exceptional importance.
- However, despite everything we have talked about here and what is undoubtedly important, we must not forget that language and dialect are living tissue and that the only way for them to survive and live is to be heard, spoken and lived in everyday life. Dialects will inevitably transform over time, and unfortunately also die out in front of the language of the modern era that speaks in binary codes, abbreviations, Americanized phrases, and under the influence of the population structures of a certain area. Speak to your children at least sometimes the way your elders spoke to you, be boring about it. Tell them how our language and dialects from various parts of Croatia go deep into history and constitute values that cannot be measured by modern achievements. Tell them that we have what many do not have, and that is the unquestionable value of cultural heritage – and therefore of language – concluded Nataša.
Photo: Joško Stipanović/ Mediterranean Book Festival
