Croatian Kids Meet Art Association (KMA) recognises the significance and necessity of film literacy in all of its projects. But the reasons why the project Kindergartens in neighbourhood cinemas is so beloved are many. For the ninth year in a row, KMA has been offering an interconnected and methodically structured programme Seventh Continent to Zagreb’s preschoolers, inviting them and their teachers to cinemas to explore the universe of film art.
What is more beautiful than spending time with children, their curiosity, getting to know their view of life? It is to do this in the cinema, while learning about film in a fun way. I enjoy it so much! I am thankful to all the children, their teachers, parents, to the cinemas and cultural centres for the trust they have been giving us so far. It has enabled us to enjoy the magic of film together. – says Jana Šivak, the coordinator and performer in the project Kindergartens in neighbourhood cinemas.
2023 has been a year rich with events:
– 58 screenings, including the Croatian classic Professor Baltasar, two programmes of experimental films from the Cinemini Europe selection, and the award-winning Slovenian animation Koyaa
– the screenings were visited by over 6500 children
– together with almost 400 kindergarten teachers
– 8 modulus of ANIMLAB stop-motion workshops in kindergartens
– 4 workshops of stop-animation and 8 workshops of DIY screening projectors for the teachers
Now, the spring is in full bloom for the Kindergartens in neighbourhood cinemas:
– until the end of may we will already finish over 30 screenings, including the Cannes awarded classic Red balloon and the short animation programme Magical Friendships done in the collaboration with the Croatian animation festival Animafest and the Slovenian cinema Kinodvor
– we will bring over 4000 children to 8 cinemas
– bring ANIMLAB workshops to at least 6 kindergardens with the animator Dea Jagić
And that is only the start because we have BIIIG plans for 2024!
– a cycle of workshops Importance of film literacy by Tea Dvorščak Kavur
– a cycle of workshops Optical toys, an old favourite chosen for a re-run through a survey of 100+ kindergarten teachers
– 6 media educations for parents by Tea Dvorščak Kavur
– two more film programmes: Ernest & Celestine, and new Koyaa adventures
– 7 additional ANIMLAB modulus
And that is not all: children from additional kindergartens will be able to join us in two new locations. We will be covering ten cinemas in ten different Zagreb neighbourhoods, from east to west!
Did we already mention that all the screenings are accompanied by fantastic methodological materials for teachers? That way they are able to continue working with the preschoolers in their groups. The materials are all prepared by some of the best local film and pedagogy experts, such as Višnja Pentić and Marina Gabelica.
The Kindergartens in neighbourhood cinemas are running so smoothly because of the immense enthusiasm by the kindergarten teachers included in the project, as well as our wonderful team: Jana Šivak, the best film cook in the universe, Edita Bilaver and Marija Georgiev helping in the backstage, and the new reinforcements joining us this year: Tea Dvorščak and Ana Marija Marinov. A rocking dream team!
The Kindergartens in neighbourhood cinemas programme has been financed by the City of Zagreb since 2016. The Kids Meet Art Association is supported by the Creative Europe Media, Croatian Ministry of culture and media, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Office for Cooperation with NGOs, and Kultura Nova Foundation.
Since 2011 Kids Meet Art consistently creates and develops projects with the aim to bring the audio-visual arts closer to children in Croatia. More than 170.000 children participated in their Seventh Continent programme so far (4-15 year olds).
