Spring

Educational platform is centered on major Estonian texts – Oskar Luts’ novel Spring and the eponymous film adaptation by Arvo Kruusement. At the same time Spring is much more than just a book and a film. The plot and characters have strongly influenced various aspects of everyday life, while the quotes have become part of the language. What is the secret behind the popularity of Spring and what role does it play in contemporary Estonian culture? Whereas it is hardly possible to answer these questions, we will at least try. 

Spring blurs borders between the mass and high culture by demonstrating that a popular and accessible text can also become a classic. This can be applied not only to texts but also to skills. Drawing inspiration from Spring, we have created a course that not only scrutinizes the classic text but also helps to develop digital literacies. We believe that the ability to shoot videos, edit music or use Photoshop are no less important than writing and reading skills.  

The project consists of three parts: at first, we will consider Spring as an example of canon; secondly, we will explore the world of modern retellings of Spring; finally, we will try to create our own DIY-version of it. The material is meant to be used by secondary and high school students from the seventh grade onwards, as well as in interest-based education.

The project is based on the transmedia approach, while it explores the multiple versions of Spring as parts of a transmedial whole. By analyzing memes, graffiti, rap songs and other adaptations of the text in various media, we aim to acquire a new perspective on the source and dive deeper into its fascinating world.