Projects

The Cultural Front is one of the partners in the publishing of the literary trilogy Between the Eagle and the Lion. The series consists of three novels that include elements of a historical, adventurous, detective and fantastic genre: Krsnik, Beautiful country i Kuga's wheel.

The plot is located in the area of Istria and Kvarner at the beginning of the 17th century. The main character is a baptist, an actor of Istrian folk tradition to whom supernatural powers were attributed, such as the miraculous healing of people and cattle, the removal of spells and the fight against fantastic evil beings. In the Venetian attack that burned down the town of Lovran, his wife was kidnapped and taken to a galley. Following her trail, the baptist travels through war-torn Istria, caught in a bloody conflict between the Venetian Republic and the Habsburg Monarchy, that is, between a winged lion and a two-headed eagle. At the same time, his wife climbs the ladder of power in the Venetian ranks in order to gain the opportunity to resolve the trauma of her own past and face the scourge of her time – the Plague.

While the characters travel through Kvarner and Istria, each chapter represents one place in its specific historical attire, enriched with special cultural peculiarities, mysteries, legends, but also war episodes and political intrigues. The aim of the trilogy is to breathe life into the native history and artistically interpret and transform the folk heritage in order to create an exciting story that will conquer not only the audience of the fantasy genre, but also all lovers of the mentioned region, its past and heritage.

The books are published in co-published by the association Kulturni front, which supports literary creation and promotion of local authors engaged in fantasy, and the craft Terra Incognita, whose owner is the author of the books, Ana Cerovac. The project is financially supported by: City of Opatija, City of Rijeka and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

Completed pilot project of creative workshops with Opatija high schools.

Together with Zoran Krušvar, a well-known sf&fantasy writer from Rijeka, we conducted the "Little School of Fantasy" and the "Fantasy Laboratory" in which we gathered young creatives at literary writing workshops, and there were workshops of heraldry and veriznjača (jewellery, ornaments, chainmail, etc.), origami, and presentations and lectures on historical topics in cooperation with the Association of History Students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka – “Malleus”. The aim was to bring the world of science fiction, fantasy, advanced science, history and mythology closer to younger ages. 

As part of the project, the event “Let's get to know the night sky” was held under the guidance of the astronomer Korad Korlević and the Astronomical Society Rijeka. (see post on Poduckun.net)

The project received the full support of the “Viktor Car Emin” City Library and Reading Room, the “Eugen Kumičić” Gymnasium, and the “R. K. Jeretov” Elementary School from Opatija.

During the winter, spring, summer and autumn of 2014 and 2015, the Youth Culture Development Association ‘Cultural Front’, as part of the project ‘School of Magical Creativity – Four Worlds of Opatija’, organises four half-day programmes for children aged 5-12 that foster psychosocial development and help strengthen a positive self-image, increase self-confidence and realise their potential. The focus of the workshops is creativity and children are directed towards such expression. This type of expression implies the use of musical, visual and dramatic techniques so that the child can see the fruits of his work. The aim of the project is to ensure that children through creative work successfully develop their potential. Precisely with this idea, these workshops were designed to be one of the "auxiliary castors" for parents of children of the City of Opatija and its surroundings in the development of children's potential and affinity.

 Each of the 4 imaginary half-day programs contains several workshops; to encourage logical reasoning in children in various games, for the development of motor and cognitive abilities in children.

The project was implemented in 2014 and 2015 and is no longer active.