NURTURING YOUTH IN CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING AND COMPETITION
Indonesia has acknowledged the important role of youth in the sustained existence and development of its rich variety of cultural expressions, including roles as artists, producers, and entrepreneurs. Many efforts have been carried out to provide youth with opportunities to better equip themselves as the future caretakers of cultural expressions in Indonesia, including:
- to establish platforms for young and emerging Indonesian performers to showcase their creative talents and gain recognition;
- to facilitate coaching from more established artists and producers, as well as collaborative works with other artists;
- to provide access to new markets, both domestically and internationally; and
- to educate young entrepreneurs with necessary business knowledge and skills.
At the international level, as the longest-running dance festival in Indonesia since 1992, the Indonesian Dance Festival (IDF) serves as an important performing platform, especially for young Indonesian and international contemporary dancers/choreographers. The range of activities in the IDF include:
- Main performances of contemporary and traditional dances featuring both Indonesia and international artists. In the latest IDF held in 2014, more than 100 dancers and 15 choreographers from Indonesia, Belgium, France, China, Singapore, Germany, and Japan participated in various dance and multimedia collaborations.
- Open call competition for aspiring local young and emerging dancers and choreographers from across Indonesia. The open call has drawn around 200 applications each year and is expected to increase in the future.
- Empowering and nurturing young talents through the Young Potential Choreographer (YPC) Award. In 2014, 16 young Indonesian choreographers were selected by senior choreographers to learn more about dance and choreography and are expected to perform in the coming IDF.
At the national level, the Bamboo Music Revolution Show (BMRS) has been held twice at the West Java Culture Park in Bandung to introduce the new bamboo versions of musical instruments that are normally made from wood. Activities in the BMRS mainly focus on acoustical performances of both traditional and contemporary music. In 2014, 25 young artists from Bandung and Medan introduced the bamboo version of traditional musical instruments kacapi, rebab, tarawangsa, dogdog, gambus, and guitar. In 2015, the bamboo version of cak, cuk, violin, and cello were introduced as central musical instruments of the traditional keroncong music.
Also at the national level, the Enrichment for Beginners in Films workshop was held in three big cities in Indonesia, which were Jakarta, Bandung, and Makassar. The activities of the workshop mostly focused on sharing insights from various experts for developing quality films. The workshop was held to fulfill the high demand from students and other film enthusiasts.
Specific expected results were not available at the time of writing this report.
For the Indonesian Dance Festival, government agencies have allocated from State and Provincial Budget in the combined sum of about USD 70,000 in 2010, USD 120,000 in 2012, and USD 170,000 in 2014 (approximated currency conversion from Indonesian Rupiah).
For the Indonesian Dance Festival, the following accomplishments were concluded:
- increased attendance, especially among youth;
- becoming an effective marketplace for young, emerging choreographers and emerging artists;
- inspiring several other initiatives to create new dance festivals in other Indonesian cities; and
- since 2012, the IDF has been considered by the DKI Jakarta Government as a sustainable asset and channel of collaboration between the government and artists.