Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Artists' Workshop & Collaboration, as part of Bedog Arts Festival 2008, 8 – 12 August 2008, Studio Banjarmili, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Report by Martinus Miroto/Studio Banjarmili
III. PROGRAM REPORT
A. First Day Program: August 8th, 2008
1. Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony was held at 8.00 and started with welcoming speech from the coordinator of the festival's organizational committee Mr Angger Jati Wijaya and local government. The festival was opened by sultan's daughter, GKR Pembayun as the young community coordinator in Jogjakarta and followed by planting trees surround Bedog River and releasing fish in the river as a symbol of our concern to protect the environment. This ceremonial was attended by 100 people and involving community surrounds the village.
2. Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Arts' Laboratory (Workshop #1)
This program was held at 1.00 pm-2.45 pm and facilitated by Ir. Eko Prawoto, M.Arch.
3. Traditional art performance “Jathilan”
This traditional art was performed by Turonggo Jati Manunggal Group; they came from north part of Jogjakarta, Cangkringan, ±30 km from the venue. This performance started at 3.00 pm and involving 40 dancers and traditional musician and divided into two session. First session was performed by 12 man dancers and the second was performed by 12 woman dancers. There was an exciting part of this performance where the dancer felt into “trans” condition, they ran through the river toward a big Luh tree and did special ritual under the tree. The people in the village and surrounding believe that the tree was occupied by ghost. There were 400 attendances that enjoyed it. The performance was ended at 5.30 pm.
4. Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Arts' Laboratory (Workshop #2)
This program was held at 7.00 pm – 9.pm and started by participant introduction and followed by discussion about collaboration and “Re-Environment”.
B. Second Day Program: August 9th, 2008
1. Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Arts' Laboratory (Workshop #3)
This program was held at 10.00 am – 4.00 pm and started by participant introduction. Every participant presented their work and followed by discussion. This activity was enhanced participants understanding about concept, shape and technique of each participant's work. This introduction leads trust, respect and amazement of each work among them.
Technical Rehearsal for next three days programs
Time/Place/Presenter
2.00 - 4.00 pm / River/ Sastra Tutur
4.00 - 6.00 pm / River/ Kethoprak
7.00 - 9.00 pm / River/ Totem Dance
9.00 - 11.00 pm / Banjar/ Mawar Dance
C. Third Day Program: August 10th, 2008.
1. Seminar: Arts, Environment, and Community
Time/ Place/ Presenter
9.00 - 12.00 am / Banjar / Garin Nugroho, Prof. Dr. Bambang Sugiharto, Dr. M. Baiquni, MA (Moderator: On Suntoro)
12.00 am - 1.00 pm / Banjar / Lunch
1.00 - 3.30 pm / Banjar / Nindityo Adipurnomo, Angger Jati Wijaya (Moderator: Naomi Srikandi)
Note: There were 100 participants attended this seminar.
2. Film screening and Mawar Dance
Time/ Place/ Program
4.30 - 6.00 pm / Banjar /Children Movies Screening
8.00 - 8.30 pm / Banjar / Mawar Dance
8.30 - 10.30 pm / Banjar / Opera Jawa Film
Note: children's movie was attended by 50 children. Mawar dance performance and Opera Jawa film were attended by approximately 300 spectators including Mr. Tay Tong from ANA.
D. Fourth Day Program: August 11th , 2008
1. Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Arts' Laboratory (Workshop #4)
This program was led by Dr G. R Lono Simatupang (anthropology expert) as the instructor. The session was started by presentation and than followed by visiting key persons in the Banjarmili village to gain information about Bedog River existence.
Nyi Darmo (80 years old) was the first key person and during the discussion with her, participants knew that the river flow had shifted because of flood that happened in 1970 and then continued to visit Mr Pardi, he is 60 years old and works as a farmer and an indigenous practitioner. He explained the history of the river's name that correlated with Ki Ageng Mangir activity to catch a snake in the river and Javanese people named this activity as “mbedhog” and than people named the river as Bedog River. He also explained that the river has a magic power that could help healing process and give some spiritual power to them who did spiritual devotion by doing meditation in the river at night (Topo Kungkum : Javanese). At the end of workshop Dr Lono explained that this was the first time he implemented the method in a workshop with artist. The participants very impressed to this method and said that the workshop was very useful as an initial research and give them a foundation to create the art works in nature.
2. Traditional performance
Time/ Place/ Program
8.00 - 8.10 pm/ River/ Jejer Banyuwangi Dance
8.10 - 8.20 pm/ River/ Welcome Speech by GKR Pembayun
8.20 - 8.40 pm/ River/ Topeng Bali Dance
8.40 - 8.50 pm/ River/ Senandung Kidung Kali
8.50 - 9.20 pm/ River /The Literature of Tutur
9.20 - 11.00 pm/ River/ Multi Cultural Kethoprak of “Legenda Nawang Wulan”
Note: There were 500 people attended this program including senior artist, foreign guests and government representative such as Jenifer Lindsey, GKR Pembayun, Garin Nugroho and Jajang C.Noer.
E. Fifth Day Program: August 12th, 2008
1. Traditional Performance
Time/ Place/ Program
7.45 - 8.15 pm/ River/ Music Group of Adiluhung
8.15 - 8.45 pm/ River/ Cultural Speech by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X
(duty by: Suhartuti Sutopo)
8.45 - 9.00 pm/ River/ “Mbis” dance by Darlane Litaay (Papua)
9.00 - 9.10 pm/ River/ Welcome Speech by DISBUDPAR Sleman
9.10 - 9.30 pm/ River/ “Totem” Dance by Kinting Handoko
9.30 - 9.50 pm/ River/ Cultural speech by Garin Nugroho
9.50 - 10.30 pm/ River/ Re-Environment: Visual & Performing Arts’Collaboration Performance
Note: There were 700 people attended this program including senior artist, foreign guests and government representative such as Garin Nugroho and Jajang C.Noer and Budi Subanar.
F. EPILOG
This first art festival program in Sleman District got a positive response from the community. Planting tree around Bedog River and releasing fishes into the river in the opening ceremony were effective symbols of our concern to protect the environment. These activities need to be continued by the community along the Bedog River routinely and supported by the local government to keep the environment surround Bedog River.
Visual art and performance art workshop program was attract senior's artists interest such as Nindityo Adipurnomo, S Teddy D, Hedi Haryanto, Royke B Kophan, Mugiyono Kasido, Hanny Herlina, Bimo Wiwohadmo, Setyastuti, etc and because of their enthusiastic response, the workshop is focused in conducting collaboration between them which aim to create a new art. Junior artist were involved in this workshop to learn from their senior creation activities during the workshop. Collaboration was performed in nature, choreographer created the performance structure, the musician create the music based on the structure made by choreographer. Strength of the theme was raised by visual art Hedi Haryanto which made plastic bag and water fill balloon installation along the river. Hedi's creation was than responded by another participant and finally be the theme of structure of participant's creation. The collaboration work between visual and performance art was very successful. Based on this experience, there was a need to conduct the laboratory work which focused on junior visual and performance artist and the senior artist as an observer and gave their expertise in mentoring and guiding to the collaboration work.
Art performance from various areas in Indonesia revealed Indonesia's culture diversity which needs sustained maintenance and development. Positive responses which came from many government and non government institutions, artist and community showed us that such festival needs always to be hold and develop in the future.