Jabar Ekspres – Indonesian delegates from Sanggar Tari Gandrung Dance Studio Jakarta and student activity unit (UKM) Rampoe Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Gadjah Mada University won eleven gold and seven silver trophies from the 10th Asian Arts Festival in Singapore on July 11-15, 2023.
“I am proud that they are carrying the name of Indonesia, and proud that they are loyal to traditional arts and have been pursuing them since they were young,” Education and Culture Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy to Singapore Igak Satrya Wibawa told ANTARA here on Thursday.
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Igak said that Gandrung Dance Studio and UKM Rampoe UGM became ambassadors of Indonesian culture by performing contemporary dance that is part of Indonesia’s cultural diversity.
Their success shows that Indonesian traditional arts are still in demand among Indonesian youth and have a great opportunity to succeed in the world, continued Igak.
He noted that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MoECT) and the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore consistently support efforts to preserve Indonesian culture and traditional arts.
“We at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore will work with district and provincial governments to regularly send cultural delegations to Singapore,” said Igak.
Singapore, he said, is geopolitically interesting because it is a melting pot for many Asian cultures.
“We can dominate the discourse of cultural ownership such as batik, dance and the like if we show how we as a nation use, practice and preserve these traditional arts consistently and optimally,” said Igak.
According to him, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research has launched a cultural fund that will help sending and cultural activities abroad.
The UGM Rampoe team was also selected to make a special performance in the Festival Closing Gala as the Best Folk Dance Category of the 10th Asian Arts Festival in front of the jury and invitees from the government, embassies and cultural institutions of Singapore.
