The Museum „Battle for the Wounded on Neretva River“ Jablanica realized the project „Creating Interpretive Coloring Books“ by implementing two workshops and publishing their first coloring book.

The participants of the first workshop, members of local NGO Art Assocciation “Neretva”, made drawings for the coloring book. The drawings were later digitalized, described in both Bosnian and English, and chronologically lined up and printed in form of a coloring book. The content of interpretive coloring book is focused on emphasizing the key themes of the Battle of Neretva – compassion, humanity, and solidarity in the conditions of war, which awakens the children’s empathy and encourages their critical thinking about the historical event. For the second workshop, the Museum welcomed an inclusive class of PI Elementary School “Suljo Čilić” Jablanica, among which were the children with learning disabilities. The students were presented with the Interpretive Coloring Books and material necessary for coloring. After the completion, the Museum Educator helped the children present their coloring books and acquired knowledge, which provided the accurate evaluation of the project.

The objectives of the project were fully met, and those are: to enable an adequate interpretation and presentation of important cultural-historic heritage to young visitors; to engage the local community in the activities of the Museum; and to attract the future young visitors of the memorial complex with new content. This way, the memorial complex, which is today a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is adequately presented to both foreign children, and the children of our speaking area, and will increase the access of children with learning disabilities.

The project is supported with BMN Small Grants 2022 scheme realized with the financial support of Headley Trust UK.