In collaboration with puppeteer Sabit Agic, writer Lamija Begagic, and visual artist Majda Turkic, the War Childhood Museum organized three new workshops for children and youth during its birthday week based on exhibits from the WCM collection.
The Importance of Toys During War Childhood
The first of these workshops, “Adventures with the Blue Rabbit,” is aimed at girls and boys aged 8 to 11. It was conceived and led by puppeteer Sabit Agic in collaboration with museum educators, drawing inspiration from one of the exhibits at the War Childhood Museum, highlighting the significance of toys for children growing up in war.
According to Agić, the workshop consisted of two groups of children. One group participated in making silhouettes, practicing animations, and stage movement. At the same time, the others, including students from the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth, were responsible for narrating the play.
“The two groups were tasked with coordinating their efforts, and the result was presented to the audience as a shadow theater performance. In under an hour and 15 minutes, we created puppets, crafted the storyline, and staged a brief puppet show. Each participant was fully immersed and motivated, fostering a positive team spirit and mutual collaboration to bring to life the tale of a blue rabbit fulfilling a birthday wish for a young girl,” Agic emphasized.
From Adela Behr’s Time to Present
Girls aged 11 to 13 had the opportunity to participate in the gender equality workshop titled “Women of Bosnia and Herzegovina Walking Through the Museum,” led by Lamija Begagic, writer and editor of the book “Women of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Children.” They listened attentively to the story of the painter and graphic artist Adela Behr and the numerous obstacles and challenges she faced as the first educated Bosnian-Herzegovinian artist at the beginning of the last century. According to Begagić, the girls asked clever and exciting questions and discussed their experiences from school and family.
“During our discussion, we compared the lives of women and girls from long ago to today, in times of conflict and peace, locally and globally. The girls reacted to the museum exhibits brilliantly. They even crafted their mini-feminist exhibition using various materials. The participation of girls from the Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Children further enriched the workshop, as we had the opportunity to involve them in collaborative work and also provide a unique opportunity for all to create tactile works and experience the world through touch and fingers,” highlighted Begagic.”
AI as a Tool for Preserving Memories
Ultimately, we marked the birthday week with a workshop on photography and artificial intelligence titled “In Search of Memories,” led by visual artist and photographer Majda Turkić, aimed at young people aged 14 to 18. Workshop participants could photograph objects from our permanent exhibition and place them in an alternative space they created with the help of the program DreamLikeArt.
Workshop leader Majda Turkic highlighted the positive atmosphere and direct communication during the workshop. “Participants openly asked all the questions, which went beyond the lecture framework, making the workshop more inspiring even for me as a lecturer,” emphasized Turkic. She added that the entire group approached the assigned tasks responsibly and conscientiously.
“I believe many participants found this opportunity to exercise their imagination on the AI platform DreamLikeArt very amusing. However, it’s important to emphasize that everyone remained aware that these objects were once spiritually significant to someone. Therefore, they respectfully placed them in another reality, giving them a new life,” concluded Turkic.
