RE-ENVIRONMENT: VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTISTS' WORKSHOP & COLLABORATION, AS PART OF BEDOG ARTS FESTIVAL 2008.

Background
Yogyakarta is a cultural city where many visual artists and performing artists actively explore new art approach possibilities. For example, the exploration of environmental art, which their exhibitions or performances are at the nature environment or public spaces. Some visual artists have been provocatively creating environmental arts since 1980s (Heri Dono, Dadang Kristianto, Entang Wiharso, etc) and continued from generation to generation until now. On the other side, production of environmental performing arts like "Meta Ekologi" (Sardono W Kusuma, 1970s) or "Kembali ke alam" (Bagong Kussudiardja, 1980s) did not followed by young generation. Nevertheless, some young performing artists lately work on the environment spaces.

It was an important momentum when Angela Liong, site specific choreographer from Singapore created and performed a new piece "Borrowed Scenery" at Bedog River Yogyakarta in 2002, based on her exploration at this river (part of Yogyakarta Arts Festival). Her unique choreographic staging approach at nature environment and public space where there was no distance between audience and performers with installation art by Han Sai Por, was a new performance approach for Yogyakarta audience. Then, in 2003, another environmental performance "Tamansari Mangsa Rendeng" happened at Tamansari site, Yogyakarta, directed by Hendro Martono. Both Liong and Martono's environmental work were significant examples toward contemporary environmental performance approach. Since then, every year we could see environmental performances in Yogyakarta and other cities in Indonesia. A big step recently was made by Garin Nugroho through his new film "Opera Jawa". In the process of making this film, he encouraged very naturally the collaboration between visual artists and performing artists in the environment which he then organically filmed. Although the creations of the environmental performing arts have not been as far developed as the visual arts movement, there is a strong indication that the environmental performing arts would grow in the future.

Concept
Based on the observation above, it is a time now to create a cross-disciplinary forum where performing artists and visual artists could share their creative ideas toward environmental arts. It is one of the reasons why Banjarmili Dance Studio hosts: "Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Artists' Art Workshop, Collaboration, & Performance". This forum focuses on the power of cross-disciplinary approach in the arts which is not only important for the environmental arts exploration possibilities and to strengthen its function in society, but also much important to bring life environmental issues when, in fact, our life environmental condition has been seriously damaged which caused so many disasters and global warming.
The goals of this project are: 1. Creating opportunity for visual artists and performing artists to meet, dialogue, share, express, and do collaborative work. 2. Discussing the power and challenge of the environmental arts and relating to its function in society and life environment. 3. Raising issues of life environment care and rebuild human relationship with the life environment through a cross-disciplinary approach in the arts. 4. Investigating environmental arts platform possibilities.

Schedule
Friday, 8 August 2008, 08:00-10:00hrs
Opening the festival by Sleman Regent (Ibnu Subiyanto) Tree planting and release of fish at Bedog River

8-12 August 2008, 09:00 – 17:00hrs
Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Artists’ Environmental Art Workshop & Collaboration Instructors: 1. Dr. G. R. Lono Lastoro Simatupang (Anthropology Expert, UGM) 2. Dr. Baiquni (Geography Expert, UGM) 3. Ir. Eko Prawoto, M.Arch. (Architect, UKDW)

Sunday, 10 August 2008, 09:00 – 14:00hrs
Seminar Keynote Speaker: - Drs. H. Ibnu Subiyanto, Akt. (Sleman regent, Yogyakarta) "Arts, Environment and Community"- GKR Pembayun (Ketua Karang Taruna Prov DIY)- Bambang Sugiharto (Ahli Media dan Budaya, Jakarta)- Heddy Shri Ahimsaputra "Multidiscipline in Art Making".- Garin Nugroho (Sutradara Film, Jakarta)- Angger Jati Wijaya (Pengamat Budaya, Yogyakarta)- Nindityo Adipurnomo (Seni Rupawan, Yogyakarta)

16:00- 17:30hrs Children’s movie screening

19:30 – 21:30hrs Movie screening "Opera Jawa", directed by Garin Nugroho

Monday, 11 August 2008,19:00 – 21:00hrs
Pentas Seni Tradisional 1. Macapat and Sastra Tutur (Sleman) 2. Tari Jaipong (Bandung) 3. Tari Jejer Banyuwangi (Surabaya) 4. Kethoprak (Sleman)

Tuesday, 12 August 2008, 19:30 – 22:30hrs
Cultural speech by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X

Contemporary performing arts show: Music by Adiluhung (Yogyakarta) Dance "Mbis" by Darlane Litaay (Papua) Dance “Totem” by Kinting Handoko (ISI Yogyakarta)

Re-Environment: Visual Artists’ & Performing Artists’ Collaboration Performance - Sally Dean (Dancer, USA) - Florence Peake (Actress, U.K) - Anouk Wilke (Dancer, Holland) - Souichi Iwamoto (Composer, Japan) - Hanny Herlina (Choreographer, Jakarta) - Bimo Wiwohadmo (Choreographer, Yogyakarta) - Setyastuti (Choreographer, Yogyakarta) - Mugiyono (Choreographer, Solo) - Dwi Windarti (Dancer, Solo) - Nita Azhar (Fashion, Yogyakarta) - Memet Chairul Slamet (Composer, Yogyakarta) - Naomi Srikandi (Actress, Teater Garasi) - Visual artist (Yogyakarta) - Visual artist (Yogyakarta) - Visual artist (Yogyakarta) - Young artist participants (10 Students)

Profile: Bedog Arts Festival 2008 Linking the river with the cultural community through the arts

Background
For centuries, the river has had an important meaning for life on earth. Beside its nature as a part of natural resources, the river and its social cycle components have provided cultural space which been continuously developed. The relation between the river and the communities, which live along it, has created many crafts which have artistic value. Many arts, works and sciences were born through this dynamic interaction. Wickerwork, fishing rods, kail (hooks), wuwu (fish traps), kepis (fish containers), rafts, bridge technology, and irrigation systems are examples of valuable crafts which are still very useful today. Knowledge is developed from this dynamic interaction: Knowledge about species that live in the river, plants that control the currents, and season management, as well as oral literatures such as legends, tales, and amazing myths created by the community to safeguard the unity of river as an autonomous social cycle against various threats.

Time is dynamic and change is unavoidable. Recently, our environmental resources that relate to the natural productive cycle are suffering from severe damage, including our rivers. Today, there is a shifting of the river's function and role. In the beginning, the river was one of facilities provided by God to maintain the sustainability of life, but now the river is becoming a commodity and object of exploitation. The natural cycle and ecosystem are interrupted by cultural development and other dimensions. The growth and development of modern cities with capitalist characteristics, the presence of industrial units, the broadening of investment areas, and the operation of modern markets that influence land management are causing the monopolization of public areas. High population density becomes unavoidable. The cause of this phenomenon is the neglect of the reality of culture that supports the sustainability of the social cycle in the development process.

These changes produce direct and indirect problems that influence the condition of the river. These are: 1. Modern agriculture system management that forces productivity by using chemical fertilizer and pesticide. This influences the water flow, especially when it passes the affected agricultural land. The water is contaminated by dangerous chemical substances; 2. Low monitoring and weak law enforcement cause industrial units, especially household industries, to discard their industrial waste into the river. On the other hand, only a few medium industrial units have built their own waste water management installations; 3. The gap between local development that increases urbanization and the narrowing of land resources, causes high population density in the river plains that serve as alternative spaces within the city. This makes the river the only place to discard household waste. As a result, the river water flow in the city becomes a canal of various waste causing pollution; 4. In the last 20 years, most of the river mouths located in coastal areas have significantly decreased in depth. This is caused by waste stack from the city which is difficult to decompose, and the development of elite residences that use ocean views as a commodity; 5. The presence of modern cultural facilities has separated the community from the river as an open cultural space known since childhood, including various types of expression, and experimentation with games that explore nature, through a sense of emotional union with the river.

These five problems proceed from collective erroneous management of cultural changes, where awareness of maintaining the natural resources inheritance for our next generation is never considered. Development planning, investment and the desire for modernization are guided only by capitalist accumulation.
The question arises; When we are going to use the river as a mirror, now that various kinds of damage of natural resources has happened in most areas of our environment, what should we do and where should we start to save our environment?

The answer is not easy, but we could start to save our environment by prioritizing a simple approach. The problems causing damage to the river and all of its cultural initiatives have become a new form of cultural cycle. Logically then, the only way to start saving our environment is though culture. This might activate counter culture action towards the erroneous development orientation which has happened.

There is a need to force a new point of view on everyone with authority in development planning, area management, facilitation of community interest, and monitoring and law enforcement. This effort has an important role in positioning environmental sustainability and related cultural resources as a foundation in policy or decision-making. Indeed, we should immediately prioritize collective efforts through art to link the community with the river.
The Bedog Art Festival 2008 was designed and planned based on this concept. The Bedog River is one of the rivers that pass the Yogyakarta Special Province and connect the Mount Merapi crater with the South Java Ocean. This festival is held to remind us that there are serious river problems that need to be addressed, and to give the arts and culture their place of responsibility in addressing environmental problems.

Vision Linking the river with the cultural community through the arts

Mission Giving a creative space to artists to present their art works with environmental themes and encouraging the community to create use of the river as a culture zone

Goals 1. Create opportunities for visual artists and performing artists to meet, dialogue, share and do collaborative work. 2. Raise environmental awareness and link the community to the environment through a cross disciplinary approach in the arts. 3. Build community awareness of the significance of the river culture 4. Investigate environmental arts platform possibilities.

BEDOG ARTS FESTIVAL 2008
Opening: 8 August 2008 at 8:00hrs, Closing: 12 August 2008 at 12:00hrs

Program 1. Tree planting and release of fish at Bedog River 2. Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Artists’ Art Workshop & Collaboration 3. “Arts, Community, and Environment” Seminar 4. Movies screening 5. Traditional and contemporary performing arts show 6. Re-Environment: Visual Artists’ & Performing Artists’ Collaboration Performance 7. Environmental visual arts exhibition 8. Cultural speech by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X