For the year 2014, PAP/RAC has organised the Coast Day celebration for Croatia in Šibenik, jointly with the Šibenik-Knin County. Apart from being one of the most beautiful coastal towns of Croatia, Šibenik and its surroundings are particularly exposed to the consequences of climate variability and change, which is the topic of this year’s Mediterranean Coast Day. Also, within the MedPartnership initiative, PAP/RAC has been implementing a project in the Šibenik-Knin County aimed at preparing the Coastal Plan for the County, so it was only logical to organise there an awareness-raising event such as the Coast Day celebration. At that, PAP/RAC had full support of the County and Town authorities and organisations.
On Friday, September 19, the event was organised at the Šibenik waterfront. Already in the morning a fair of local eco-produce and traditional arts and crafts was opened. The official programme began at 10:30 a.m. with brief welcome addresses by Ms. Željka Škaričić, PAP/RAC Director, Mr. Željko Burić, Mayor of Šibenik and Mr. Goran Pauk, Prefect of the Šibenik-Knin County.
This official part was followed by sketches performed by children of all ages, from early kindergarten to high school. First to show the results of their work were the children from the “Jutro” kindergarten. They showed a puppet show entitled “Story of Friendship of a Little Red Coral from the Zlarin Island”. They were followed by another puppet show, “Troubles of a Sea Urchin”, performed by the children from the “Građa” kindergarten. The puppets were followed by real actors. The first sketch, “Squabbles between Sea and Wind”, was performed by the children from the “Osmjeh”, Šubićevac kindergarten, while the second one was performed by the children from the “Osmjeh” Meterize kindergarten and “Faust Vrančić” elementary school and was entitled “FISHPRIKA”.
Two high schools, one from Split and one from Šibenik, made a presentation about climate changes and variability. Students of the “Vladimir Nazor” high school from Split started with the climate change issues at the global level, and at the level of the Adriatic Sea, while students of the “Antun Vrančić” high school from Šibenik presented those issues and their effects at the level of the Šibenik-Knin County.
The last act of the programme was a sketch “Anuška Seeks Answers”, prepared jointly by “Mala filozofija”, Zadar, and the “Virko” theatre of Šibenik. While the programme was going on on the land, the near-by sailing club organised a regatta for their juniors.
The programme finished at noon when a number of workshops started for the children. There ranged from the presentation of a traditional sailing boat by a 77 year old mariner, over watercolour painting and a quiz, to making toys from waste. All the participants in the programme were given certificates prepared by the County and symbolic gifts. Our Centre used the opportunity to promote its work and the activities of the MedPartnership project, and distributed some promotional materials prepared for the occasion.
