As part of the LIFE TRŠCA project, we have taken an important step toward bringing nature and cultural heritage closer to our youngest visitors at Notranjska Park. With the aim of helping children develop respect for the environment in which they live from an early age and grow alongside it, we have created a puppet show about the creation of Lake Cerknica.
The performance is being created as part of the broader efforts of the LIFE TRŠCA project, whose goal is to improve the conservation status of the intermittent Lake Cerknica and to involve the local community in understanding and protecting this very special piece of the world. The puppet format allows complex natural phenomena and processes to be presented to children in an understandable, playful, and experiential way.
The performance does not tell just one story, but opens up space for imagination, exploration, and co-creation. Although it does not touch on the most well-known Legend of the origin of Lake Cerknica—where love and tragic fate intertwine between a son of Šteberčan and a daughter of Karlovčan—it offers a fresh, playful take on the question of how the lake came to be in the first place—and whether there is only one correct answer.
The story follows two travelers— explorers, storytellers, and seekers of stories—who each try to explain the lake’s origin with their own tale. One is inspired by witches, the other by sheep. At first, they tease each other and insist on their own versions, but eventually they realize that the true story can only emerge through collaboration. Together with the audience, puppets, and makeshift instruments, they thus create a new, unique narrative about who actually made the lake. In this process, children are not merely spectators but active co-creators who, through play, develop their imagination, listening skills, and understanding of different perspectives on the same phenomenon.
In creating the show, the project team joined forces with the Cerknica Cultural Center and experienced creators. The script, direction, and dramaturgy were created by Miha Razdrih and Tines Špik, while Lorena Bukovec collaborated on the set design, costume design, and puppet making.
The puppet show is intended for children between the ages of 5 and 9, lasts approximately 35 minutes, and encourages active audience participation. It is also suitable for organized groups from preschools and elementary schools.
The premiere for children will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the Cerknica Cultural Center. The puppet show is free for visitors, but advance ticket reservations are required at info@kd-cerknica.si.
The performance will be staged multiple times during the LIFE TRŠCA project, continuing through the end of 2029. Through such initiatives, we aim to strengthen young people’s connection to the local environment in the long term and foster an understanding of the intermittent Lake Cerknica, thereby contributing to its preservation for future generations.
The implementation of extensive nature conservation projects exceeds the financial capacity of the local community, therefore Notranjska Park regularly applies for projects with the possibility of co-financing by the European Union.
The implementation of large-scale conservation projects exceeds the financial capabilities of the local community, therefore Notranjska Park regularly applies for projects with the possibility of co-financing from the European Union.
