Economic crises typically lead to reduced consumer spending on\nentertainment. However, the opposite occurred in Indonesia during the\n1930s. Amidst widespread unemployment and poverty caused by the global\neconomic crisis, Wayang Orang performances saw a massive influx of\nspectators.<\/p>\n
The Bank Indonesia Museum, through its exhibition \u2018Ing Lakta: Wayang\nWong Dadi Saksi\u2019, reveals that Wayang Orang became one of the favourite\nforms of entertainment for the people of the Dutch East Indies to\nrelieve tension amidst increasing life pressures. \u2018Behind these\ndifficulties, interest in Wayang Orang performances actually increased.\nPerformance halls were crowded with spectators from various backgrounds\nseeking entertainment amidst the hardships of life,\u2019 stated the Bank\nIndonesia Museum regarding the exhibition held from 3 June to 30 August\n2026.<\/p>\n
For the public, Wayang Orang served as a means to momentarily forget\neconomic hardships. Meanwhile, for the performers and organisers, the\nlarge crowds provided a vital source of income to help them survive.\nThis phenomenon occurred while the Dutch East Indies was gripped by a\nprolonged economic crisis, a consequence of the New York Stock Exchange\ncrash in October 1929. The stock market collapse triggered a global\neconomic slowdown, reducing purchasing power and increasing unemployment\nrates in many countries, including the Dutch East Indies.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, many companies and factories reduced their business\nactivities or even ceased operations entirely. Waves of layoffs spread\nand poverty increased. Historian Onghokham, in \u2018The Fall of the Dutch\nEast Indies\u2019 (1987), noted that the colonial government was slow to\nrespond to the crisis, causing the impact to persist for nearly nine\nyears, from 1930 until the approach of 1939.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Wayang Orang, which was previously an exclusive\nentertainment for the royal courts, became accessible to the wider\npublic after a Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur named Gan Kam transformed\nit into a commercial performance open to the public via a ticketing\nsystem. Thanks to this change, Wayang Orang evolved into folk\nentertainment. As the economic crisis hit daily life, the art form\nemerged as a favourite escape for the people to ward off stress and\nlife\u2019s difficulties.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/amidst-crisis-this-indonesian-entertainment-exploded-as-a-stress-reliever-1780806464", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }