A child comes into this world with the potential for language.
Research shows that certain wholes are created in the prenatal period, and that memory stems from those depths.
Many things are needed to develop speech: we are aware of some things, but not of others.
CROSSWORD takes us through life from the prenatal age to the very end, when memory is erased at drastic speed – right to the very beginnings.
The show is permeated by the poem Blue Bunny by Duško Radović, one of the most renowned children’s poets in the Serbian language.
This year, 2022, marks the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Complete text (English version, pdf)
Credits
Genre • Documentary
Series • Family story
Title • CROSSWORD
Duration • 17' 36''
Recording technique • studio of Radio Belgrade 1 and mobile phone
Author • Vesna Ćorović Butrić
Music • Biljana Krstić, Petar Vujanović, Aleksandra Aleksandrović
Directed by • Vesna Ćorović Butrić, Aleksandar Petrović
Sound Designer • Aleksandar Petrovic
Professional Assistant • PhD Nada Ševa, psycholinguist
Coordinator of the project Creative Europe for RTS, Radio Belgrade • Nikoleta Dojčinović
Show Material • Preschool children and parents who read and learn new words with them, special purpose music from the archives of the Educational Program for Children, Youth and Family of Radio Belgrade 1 and recordings from the Archives of Radio Belgrade
Translation • Radojka Jevtić
Biographies
Vesna Ćorović Butrić graduated from the Faculty of Philology in 1981, obtaining a degree in Teaching Yugoslav Literature and Serbo-Croatian Language. She joined Radio Belgrade in 1983. In 1993, she transferred from Radio to the Education Department of Television Belgrade. She came back to Radio Belgrade in 2003 to work as Editor-in-Chief of the Education Programme for Children, Youth and Family. Vesna wrote and edited the following books: Džepno pile, 1989 (Pocket-Size Chicken), Šta je unutra, 1995 (What’s inside), Ulica na ljuljaški, 1999 (Street on a Swing) – Neven Award, Kuća na koncu, 2000 (House on a String), Biću snovoslagač, 2001 (I’ll be a Dreamsetter) - Sigridrug Award for Best Children’s, Monodrama - with Slobodan Beštić, Ostaviti kod Ruže, 2003 (Leave it at Ruža’s Place) – “Rade Obrenovic” Award for Best Children’s Novel, Dobro jutro deco, 2004 (Good Morning, Children) - with Jovan Ljuštanović and Bratislav Milanović, Vidim te - ne vidim te, 2005 (Now I see you – Now I don’t) – short stories, Unatraške, 2007 (Backwards), Žuto je plavo, 2008 (Yellow is Blue), Znam, 2011 (I know), C,c,c, 2017 (Tz, tz, tz) – street stories (for adults), Izmislica, 2018 (Fiddle-Faddle) - „Gordana Brajović” Award, Bongo i družina retkih kućnih ljubimaca, 2019 (Bongo and the Rare Pets Society). Vesna Ćorović Butrić is also winner of the Sundial Prize of the “Sirmium” Centre of Culture from Sremska Mitrovica. In 2021, she received the Award of Zmaj Children’s Games for her creative contribution to contemporary expression in children’s literature.
Aleksandar Petrović, a Musician, sound designer and journalist, editor of complex programmes, employed at the Education Programme for Children, Youth and Family in Radio Belgrade 1. After completing secondary school in 1989, he joined Radio Belgrade as electrotechnician for receiving and studio radio technique and started working in the Technical Department of Radio Belgrade, where he worked until 2006. During that time, he also started his music career as songwriter and lead vocalist of the band Orthodox Celts. Very soon he started his career as programme host and editor, as well. In 2000, he earned his license and title of Sound Designer. In 2006, he transferred to the Education Programme for Children, Youth and Family in Radio Belgrade 1, where he has worked to this day, editing, producing and hosting programmes, and writing scripts and short stories for children for the purpose of the programme. He works as a rock critic for many media. Since 1993, he has been the songwriter and lead vocalist of the band Orthodox Celts. Together with the band, he released six studio albums. He has won many recognitions in the field of popular and rock music. In 2016, he represented Radio Belgrade on an international project “World Music Day” with a radiophonic piece titled “Sindidun Mitologike”. He wrote two books, “Usnuli zmajevi” (Sleeping Dragons) and “Kuća od pesama” (House Made of Songs) – published by the department he works in. With the band Orthodox Celts, he has performed more than 1000 times all over the world.
Nada Ševa, PhD, is a research associate at the Institute for Pedagogical Research. Her fields of interest and research are developmental psycholinguistics, early literacy, family contest and cognitive development, drama. She's a graduated philologist in general linguistics. She holds a PhD in Psycholinguistics from the Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK. She participates in projects of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, as well as in other projects. She is a member of the editorial boards of journals, monographs, reviews of scientific papers and projects, as well as pedagogical work.
