Preserving Betawi Culture With Abang, None Jakarta

Jakarta Globe, Fanny Octavianus, Nov 27, 2014

Members of Teater Abang None, a theater company established under the Abang
 and None of Jakarta Union, staged the annual ‘Indonesia Menari’ event on Car-Free
 Day in front of the Grand Indonesia mall in Central Jakarta. (Photos courtesy
of Teater Abang None)

More than 140 members of Teater Abang None livened Jakarta’s Car-Free Day last Sunday with the “Indonesia Menari” or “Indonesia Dances” event in front of the Grand Indonesia mall in Jakarta.

The young participants performed the organization’s signature dance, Nandak Ondel-Ondel, (Ondel-Ondel Dance)to entertain hundreds of residents.

“We are so proud to be a part of this project. This moment is priceless; when you see hundreds people joining a flash mob, dancing to traditional songs and doing traditional dancing,” said “Indonesia Menari” participant, Devi.

The annual event was initiated by Galeri Indonesia Kaya and Djarum Foundation in 2011 with the same vision as the Abang and None of Jakarta Union (Ianta): to preserve Betawi art and culture.

Contributing to this cause, Teater Abang None  — which was established by actress and model Maudy Koesnaedi — stages plays that bring the folklore of Betawi to life.

“This is our way of preserving our [Betawi] culture,” said Maudy.

The theater company has created and performed a number of productions, including “Cinta Dasima” (“Dasima’s Love,” 2009), “Si Doel” (“Doel,” 2010), “Soekma Djaja” (2013), “Topeng Betawi” (“Betawi Masl,” 2013), and “Lenggak Lenggok Jakarta”(“The Sway of Jakarta,” 2014).

Each production attracted a sizeable audience throughout their respective runs, but most importantly, they were successful in educating the public about Jakarta’s culture, such as the city’s dialect, songs, dances and martial arts.

Teater Abang None also aims to launch the entertainment careers of traditional Betawi artists by placing them in the national entertainment spotlight.

Under Ianta and specifically the Abang and None (Betawi for “big brother” and ‘Miss” respectively) beauty pageant, Jakarta’s younger generation can help in preserving traditions that date back hundreds of years to colonial Batavia (the name given to Jakarta by the Dutch East Indies in 1619). Even after their tenure is over, the crowned winners often choose to continue and stay faithful to the cause.

Former radio host and television personality Indra Bekti praises the organization, saying it has the has the ability to have a positive impact on Jakarta and its multi-ethnic population.

The organization’s social projects have played a prominent role in raising awareness about various issues currently plaguing Jakarta. In October, the contestants of the Abang None South Jakarta pageant established “Jakarta Clean,” a campaign encouraging residents to keep the streets of the capital city free of rubbish.

The group has also been actively involved in providing aid — in the form of clothing, food and medicine — to victims of natural disasters, including those hit hard by the annual floods of Jakarta during the rainy season.

None Jakarta 1995 winner Fifi Aleyda Yahya expressed the immense sense of pride she feels for having been apart of the organization’s social outreach programs, saying its activities have influenced others to create non-profit relief efforts that have vastly helped the underprivileged residence of Jakarta.

Ianta’s next social project is to establish a scholarship program for the poor in an effort to provide greater access to education for both children and young adults who are unable to afford schooling. The foundation says it sees education as the most effective tool for narrowing the massive gap between the rich and the poor in Jakarta.

One of its most recent endeavours, the brainchild of 2014 None Jakarta and Young Tourism Ambassador Vina Andani Muliana, aims to create and implement a system for sustainable farming in low-income residential areas of Jakarta that would involve the entire community.

“People can then choose to either sell or consume the harvest. We hope to give these communities the means to be economically independent through their own efforts and hard work,” Vina said.

Ianta chairman Rizkie Maulana Putra is optimistic that the future Abang and Nones of Jakarta will continue to be a positive influence on the city.

“Every year, we select 180 of Jakarta’s most promising youths to be a part of our organization. Each of them are then trained to serve as Jakarta’s Tourism Ambassador. These young men and women come from different educational and cultural backgrounds to serve for the betterment of Jakarta,” Rizkie said.

All the Capital’s a Stage

Jakarta Globe, Tasa Nugraza Barley, November 29, 2011

For nearly four decades, the annual Festival Teater Jakarta has
had a critical influence on the capital’s performing arts. As it returns
for its 39th incarnation, the festival has prepared a variety of top-notch
performances and activities for theater fans.

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For nearly four decades, the annual Festival Teater Jakarta has had a critical influence on the capital’s performing arts. As it returns for its 39th incarnation, the festival has prepared a variety of top-notch performances and activities for theater fans. 

Festival Teater Jakarta was the first conceived in 1973 by movie director Wahyu Sihombing, well-known for his television series Losmen in the 1980s, after he won support for the festival from then-Governor Ali Sadikin and the Jakarta Arts Council.

With performances from 14 theater groups, this year’s festival promises to satisfy almost any theater fan’s tastes, according to Dewi Noviami, the chairman of the Council. The selected groups beat 42 others in the elimination stage, held during July and August.

To accommodate as big an audience as possible, the Council has decided to stage the performances at several venues.

“This year, the festival will not only be conducted at our headquarters at Taman Ismail Marzuki,” Dewi said of the event that runs until Dec 14. “We will also hold performances at venues in the five municipalities of Jakarta.” 

The other venues include Salihara, Gedung Kesenian Miss Tjitjih, Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, South Jakarta Gelanggang Remaja and West Jakarta Gelanggang Jakarta.

This year, the council chose the theme “Membaca Aku, Membaca Laku” (“Reading Myself, Reading My Inner Self”) to highlight the process of self-realization and understanding one’s outlook in life.

“When you have a good attitude and understand yourself, you will ultimately perform better on stage,” event organizers said in a press release.

Both aku (I) and laku (one’s inner self) should be perceived from beyond a theatrical perspective, event organizers said. These elements are central to everyone’s daily lives, making the theme applicable to any person, not only performers. Theater will survive as a form of entertainment for all of society, they said.

Stage Corner Community, a Jakarta-based theater club established in 2006, will perform at the first major event tonight. This year Stage Corner won the an arts grant from Kelola, organization, which promotes arts and culture. In the festival, the group will perform their play “Techno Ken Dedes,” directed by Dadang Badoet.

Set in the era of traditional Javanese kingdoms, the play tells the story of a beautiful princess, Ken Dedes. The play, however, will also explore issues that more directly related to modern life. 

On Thursday, Teater Sketsa will perform “Malam Jahanam” (“The Evil Night”), written by Motinggo Boesje and Ujang G.B., at Gedung Kesenian Miss Tjitjih in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta.

Then on Saturday, Teater Anam will present a play, “Roman,” which was written and directed by Herman A. Rasyid, at Teater Luwes at the Jakarta Art Institute. 

Malhamang Zamzam, the festival chairman, said that this year’s festival would feature five original scripts, each written by a different theater community.

This, he hopes, will encourage more artists to try their hand at producing original scripts themselves.

In addition to stage performances, the festival will feature drama script seminars, movie documentary screenings and discussions on literature and other topics, making this year’s celebration more multifaceted than that of previous years.

Some well-known figures including movie director Riri Reza and writer and journalist Goenawan Mohammad will also take part in the festival, Malhamang said.

Two books will be launched at the event: Fandy Hutari’s “Hiburan Masa Lalu dan Tradisi Lokal” (“Entertainment of the Past and Local Traditions”) and Nano Riantiarno’s “Kita Teater” (“Theater Holy Book”).

“This year’s Festival Teater Jakarta is not only a competition, but also a real festival with a lot of unique programs,” Malhamang said. “These programs are not only targeted toward theater enthusiasts, but also toward people who want to know more about theater and Jakarta’s art venues.” 

For more information, visit dkj.or.id or telephone 021 3193 7639

Australia sponsors workshop for Indonesian actors

Antara News, Monday, December 13, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Australia has sponsored a one-week "Mind, Body and Soul Acting" workshop at Teater Popular in Jakarta for emerging Indonesian actors.

The Australian Embassy in a media release in its official website on Monday said the workshop was provided for the actors to explore creative exchange of cultural, traditional and contemporary practices between Indonesia and Australia.

The workshop was conducted from December 6 to 12, 2010 by Indonesia`s leading stage and film director Slamet Rahardjo Djarot (Teater Popular Jakarta) and Australian theater director and trainer Robert Draffin (Liminal Theatre), who has particular expertise in the Asian region.

The workshop is part of a larger production by Teater Populer Jakarta and Melbourne`s Liminal Theatre to create a new piece of theatre drawing on cultural and universal perspectives of the story of Oedipus entitled The Ghost of Oedipus: Universal Eye of the Future.

"This theatre performance will draw on contemporary practices of multi-media theatre and performance, interwoven with traditional Indonesian practices of song, dance and shadow puppetry producing a unique Indonesian and Australian collaboration. We are delighted this workshop will develop further the cultural exchange between artists from both countries," said Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty.

The project, which is sponsored by the Australian Government through the Australia- Indonesia Institute, will build on strong people-to-people relationships between Indonesian and Australian theatre specialists and artists.

"This close cooperation at a cultural level is just one of the practical ways in which Australia and Indonesia are working together as close neighbors," Moriarty said.

Introducing Drama to Indonesian Children

The Jakarta Globe, Tasa Nugraza Barley

Members of the Sekolah Cikal drama club performing “Playground of Andalas,” a musical written by their teacher, which exposed them to the traditional arts of Sumatra. (Photo: Tasa Nugraza Barley, JG)

Malik, look what you’ve done to us!” Jasmine cried out. Malik looked guilty — he knew he’d done something terrible. He tried to speak but his mouth wouldn’t form a single word.

Malik had accidentally pushed a button on the Professor’s teleportation machine. Now the group didn’t know where they were, and the Professor’s face turned pale as he realized the machine was broken. They wouldn’t be able to go back if he couldn’t fix it.

“Where are we?” Nana asked, looking very afraid.

“I think we’re in the jungle,” Ega said, glancing around cautiously. He was amazed by the thickness of the jungle. He saw big trees and weird animals that he’d never seen before.

While the Professor tried to fix his broken teleporter, the children decided to explore the jungle to see if they could find someone who could tell them where they were. While they were struggling through the bushes and dodging jungle insects, they heard a melodic sound in the distance.

“Wait, do you guys hear that?” Nana asked excitedly. They all began running, wanting to find out where the sound was coming from.

They finally came upon a group of beautiful young women in traditional Indonesian clothes. Not only were these women chanting, they were also dancing.

“Oh, I now what that is,” Jasmine yelled to her friends. “It’s an Acehnese dance called saman.”

“That means we’re in Aceh. We’re in Sumatra, guys,” Nana shouted.

In mid-November, Sekolah Cikal, a national plus school, held three days of activities at the Salihara arts complex in South Jakarta. The event was titled “Playground of Andalas” (Andalas is another name for Sumatra).

Besides displaying artworks inspired by the nature and culture of Sumatra, members of the school’s drama club performed a musical of the same name. The characters in the play had the same names as the children who played them.

The cast spent three weeks rehearsing to develop the show, which told the story of a group of children who ended up on the island of Sumatra after they accidentally pushed the wrong button on a teleportation machine invented by their friend, a genius professor.

By the end of the story, which was written by their teacher, the children had shown their audience how beautiful Sumatra is, through song and dance.

Though subjects such as art, drama and music should be part of mainstream education, they are often seen as non-academic and left off the curriculum.

Syanda Kunto, Sekolah Cikal’s project and development manager, said it was unfortunate that theater was not a more popular activity in Indonesian schools.

“Most parents don’t see the connection between studying theater and a child’s future success,” Syanda said.

“Many people are scared to speak in front of others — which is related to their confidence — despite the fact that it’s a very important skill in the work field. Through learning theater, kids can practice that skill in a fun environment.”

Theater is also a way for children to explore ideas and emotions in a safe environment.

“Through theater, kids have an opportunity to act out different roles. They can be a father, a mother, a happy person, a mad person or anything else. By doing that they can express their emotions and also develop sensitivity,” Syanda said.

Rizki Pradana has been involved in the theater club at the State University of Jakarta for nine years. He also teaches drama at several schools across the capital. He said that over the years young people had started showing more interest in such extracurricular activities, and more and more schools and universities in Jakarta now had theater clubs.

Dwi Cahyadi, a playwright from Teater Canvas (Theater Canvas), agreed that many schools in Jakarta had added theater as an after-hour activity.

But both Rizki and Dwi said that, in general, theater was still often seen as only for children who were artistically gifted.

“Most people in Indonesia still see theater as an exclusive world that can only be enjoyed by [an elite few],” Rizki said.

He said that was a misleading perception and in many other countries people embraced the theater as entertainment everyone could enjoy.

To counter the attitude here, Dwi said it was important for schools to introduce drama and theater as soon as possible to their students.

“We need to familiarize our children with theater as early as possible,” Dwi said. “By letting the kids learn about theater as early as possible, they can see that drama is another exciting activity, like sports and music. Who knows, some of them may grow up to become Indonesia’s next generation of famous playwrights, actors or actresses.”

He added that participation in theater programs could improve children’s intelligence and teach them to be more creative by letting them play different kinds of characters.

Syanda said that theater also helped children develop other talents and skills. “Through drama, children can improve their confidence by practicing talking and acting in front of many people,” Syanda said.

Jasmine, 10, is in the 5th grade at Sekolah Cikal. She has been in the drama club for more than three years and acted in “Playground of Andalas.” She said she joined the club because she wanted to build her confidence, and that she enjoyed participating in theater because it allowed her to explore many different characters.

Jasmine said the things she found the most challenging were trying to portray emotions through facial expression in her acting and memorizing dialogue.

Rengga Radwifa Pradityo, 10, another drama club member, said he used to be very shy, but through his involvement in theater he had gained the courage to speak in front of people. He said his confidence has increased and he now participates more actively in classes at his school.

Besides directly learning things such as public speaking skills, Rizki said that theater could be used as a bridge for students to learn other things, such as language skills.

“Some of my plays are in English, so by practicing drama my students also learn how to speak English with confidence,” Rizki said.

Arswendy Nasution, the head of theater at the Jakarta Arts Committee, said that it was important for the government to support the theater so that more young people could participate.

Previously, he said, Ali Sadikin, Jakarta’s governor from 1966 to 1977, supported the development of theater by building art and cultural centers in Jakarta.

But that was back during the glory days of Indonesian theater, when such well-known playwrights as WS Rendra, Teguh Karya, Arifin C Noer and Putu Wijaya provided a significant portion of the nation’s entertainment.

It was also before TVs were available in almost every household and soap operas, variety shows and infotainment had taken over families’ evening leisure hours.

“Today, our government doesn’t give enough support to the theater world. Artists always find it hard to get a venue,” Arswendy said. He argued that this lack of funding and lack of visibility for the arts made young Indonesians reluctant to join theater groups.

Arswendy said the government needed to use more than just simple economic facts in making spending decisions.

“Culture is not considered important in this country. And that’s so wrong because culture is actually a very critical investment in every country,” he said.

Teater Tanah Air
Children aged 6-16, every Sunday from 2:30 p.m.
Taman Ismail Marzuki
Jl. Cikini Raya No. 73
Tel. 021 7181721

Sanggar Abul
Children aged 12-18, every Sunday from 10 p.m.
Bulungan Sports Center
Jalan Bulungan Raya No.1
Tel. 021 96248374

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Culture behind bars

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 03/25/2009 2:57 PM

Four female convicts in Semarang state penitentiary play a theatrical depiction of a story adapted from the Hindu epic tale of Mahabharata titled “Srikandi Ngadek Senopati” or (Srikandi becomes a warrior) on Wednesday. The theater show is part of a cultural education program for the convicts. (Antara/R. Rekotomo)

Socialites take center stage to save dying troupe

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta | Sun, 03/01/2009 11:22 AM 

 

 A group of actors rehearses at the Jakarta Playhouse ahead of the Clones of Srikandi performance on March 2-3. The charity performance is aimed at raising funds to help the dying Javanese traditional performance troupe Baratha. JP/R. BERTO WEDHATAMA
 

For some people, there is nothing more interesting than a good piece of wayang wong, a dance drama that portrays episodes of the famous Hindu epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. 

Wayang wong , also called wayang orang (Javanese opera), comes with dance, talk, jokes in Javanese with music played on gamelan, an ensemble of tuned gongs. 

On March 2-3 an exceptional performance takes place at the Jakarta Playhouse. The performing troupe will be a mix of professionals from the Bharata group based in Jakarta and semi- or nonprofessionals, the latter consisting of socialites who are rediscovering the beauty of their culture and wishing to help preserve Javanese culture such as wayang orang. 

Among these aficionados are well-known business owners, artists and professional celebrities: Wiwoho Basuki, a prominent businessman in the oil-serving industry, his artist wife Kartini Basuki, Tuti Roosdiono, painter and antismoking activist, Atilah Soeryadjaya, artist Astari Rasjid, Yani Arifin, Carloluigi Castel, an Italian national who represents Pirreli in Indonesia, Made Widjaya and Ted Sulisto from Satmarindo. 

Many among them are keen observers of traditional art, or were born into traditional culture but were then more interested in Superman and the like. 

"But now, we want to know who we are", explained Ted Sulisto when asked how he came to join in this group. 

"In this global culture today, we need to have our own identity", said another participant. 

 

 ASTARI RASJID: JP/R. BERTO WEDHATAMA
 

Astari was drawn for other reasons: she uses the experiences as a source of inspiration to make paintings, sculptures and installations in contemporary modes. 

The Clones of Srikandi unfolds the story of Arjuna, whom Benedict Anderson describes as "the whole man to the older generation of the Javanese: an unequalled warrior in the battlefield, yet physically delicate and beautiful like a girl, a hero whose wives and mistresses are legion". 

In this part of the epic, Arjuna decides to put the faithfulness of one of his wives, Srikandi, to the test. He disappears from the palace and transforms into the guise of king Wijayakusuma who everyone knows desires Srikandi for his wife. 

The story becomes very complex when clones of the real Srikandi appear with her before king Wija-yakusuma. 

In the Javanese wayang, Srikandi is a beautiful, strong woman and a skilled archer in her own right. She proposes a duel between her and the king, if he wins, she will become his bride. But for the second time Arjuna, now in the guise of Wijayakusuma, disappears. No duel takes place, but the truth is revealed in mystical ways. 

As in most wayang stories, there is a patriarchal undertone. Here is the philandering Arjuna wanting to test his wife's fidelity, but the irony is lost in the overall atmosphere of constant jokes, and general silliness, a standard feature of wayang orang. I wonder whether preserving tradition should not go hand in hand with reinvention and adjusting longstanding biases to the norms of the present. 

For now, however, the dire state of the Bharata Teater members needs a helping hand. 

The Bharata Wayang Wong Theater has been performing in Jakarta since the early 1970s, but neither their accommodations nor their livelihoods have improved much. The building at Jl. Kalilio is dilapidated, leaking even when it's not raining. 

The aficionados have set up a partnership with the troupe, Mitra Bharata Wayang Orang, to help improve the livelihoods of the Bharata artists. Proceeds from their performance on Monday and Tuesday will be used to help traditional artists better cope with daily living and improve their living quarters. 

Another major objective is to bring traditional culture to a new audience and shine a spotlight on this gem of comic performace for a wider public. 

For tickets @ Rp 250,000, Rp 350,000, Rp 500,000, Rp 750,000, Rp 1 million. Please call Pak Murtadji of Mitra Wayang Orang Indonesia 0813 8013 8118, or before the performance at the Jakarta Playhouse.

Malaysia drops Indonesian dances from tourism campaign following protests

The Jakarta Post

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia will drop two dances that originated in Indonesia from its overseas tourism campaigns following protests from the neighboring country, officials and a report said Tuesday.

Activists demonstrated outside the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta last week, slamming Kuala Lumpur for promoting Indonesia's traditional Barongan masked dance as part of Malaysian culture in its tourism campaigns, the national Bernama news agency said.

It quoted Tourism Minister Adnan Mansor as saying that the Indonesian government also sent him letters pointing out that the Endang dance performed recently by a Malaysian group in Japan originated in Indonesia.

"We will stop using the two dances in our tourism promotion program," a Tourism Ministry official said.

The two dances are popular in parts of Malaysia which have close cultural links with Indonesia.

The official, who declined to be named because of ministry policy, said cultural officers from the two countries will meet to resolve the issue to prevent it from sparking a diplomatic row.

The two countries share Islam as their main religion and have similar national languages. But they also have a history of testy relations.

In October, Indonesia accused Malaysia of stealing a Malay folk song - "Rasa Sayang" or "Feeling of Love" - as the theme song for its overseas tourism promotions. Jakarta said it may sue Kuala Lumpur for breach of copyright.

Malaysia rejected the allegation, saying the song has origins in both countries and doesn't belong solely to Indonesia.

Indonesian lawmakers have also accused Malaysia of taking credit for other traditional Indonesian arts such as batik fabrics and the shadow puppet theater.