The Irresistible power of strategic storytelling: Road trip to Croatia

Following the first workshop held in Belgrade, The Irresistible Power of Strategic Storytelling, was held for the second time in Croatia, at WordCamp Zagreb. I would like to share with you a great story about Zagreb, a case study done by the students. This story will entice you to visit Zagreb, and give you an example of what we learned that day.

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to read about what we learn on these workshops, have a look at the workshop breakdown and learning points. Also, my good friend Anastasios, aka CrowdedTent, put together a video of the workshop held in Belgrade.

The Case Study

The students were tasked with creating a story in 30 minutes about a travel destination of their choice. They had to decide on a place and a target audience, with the aim of creating a story that would bring more people to that destination. They could choose what format their story would be in, video, written, or a presentation. All of the groups produced stories that were interesting. Some talked about Dubrovnik and the Game of Thrones, others about the delicacies of Italy, or outdoor adventures.

The one I want to share with you focuses on Zagreb, and a mysterious guide.

Student Story

Marija Jurić Zagorka

I was in the old town of Zagreb when the sound of Grički top snapped me out of my daydreaming.  I was all alone in Zagreb, and did not know where to go next.
When I turned around I saw an old lady and she said to me, “Don’t be scared my child, my name is Marija… I can show you some great spots you can find in Zagreb. Tell me do you prefer historical places or pop culture? We offer both here.” I thought about it and answered her, “I actually love both, but I haven’t got time for it. Let’s go for a walk, so you can show me something I would like.”

So this old lady named Marija took my hand and told me, “I’ll do my best and the first place I want to show you is, the place where I used to live and write all my stories.”  She was telling me about her life and I found out many interesting things. Then she wanted to show me some places which would be interesting for young people like me, so she took me to the Museum of Broken Relationships where I found out so many sad love stories.

I was so hungry after that, she said, “OK, I’ll take you to Medvedgrad Pub to try some local food and craft beer which will boost you up for the next adventure.” I was so full so I could barely walk, but I had to keep on walking. She said there were lots of talented artists, which gave their contribution to the street culture and I had to see that naturally. Then I saw the most beautiful graffiti in my life, it was placed just behind the Westin hotel and that little girl asleep took my breath away.
It was a very peaceful picture.

Sunset was approaching and she suggested to go to Jarun Lake, so we took an Uber, so that we could come faster and avoid public transportation. There we enjoyed the most beautiful sunset ever.

But, I could not stay in Zagreb longer, I had to keep going. My adventure spirit could not settle there, so she said, “My child, you can go to Varazdin and visit the Spancierfest, there is also, Koprivnica, a town nearby, and a renaissance festival there. Or, if you are in the mood for something sweet, you can visit Samobor and eat some Kremšnita. All those are very close by train and you will have enough time to explore more.

I turned around and she was gone leaving me a note with her signature.  There it was,  Maija Jurić Zagorka, so I googled that name and found out that I was talking to a ghost.

Written by,

Daniela Marušić Gajica , Larisa Laloš, Karlo Rosenthal, Sara Demiri, Ivan Kralj, Miodrag Ljubenović & Ana Vuković 

Thank You

Thank you to all of the students who participated, and worked enthusiastically. Thank you to the WordCamp Zagreb organizers, volunteers, speakers, and the whole team that made it all happen. Thank you most of all to my good friends Emanuel and Lucijan, who are the heart of the WordPress Community in Croatia, and who invited me to hold the workshop.