Educating public about trauma with `wayang'<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
When young puppeteer Made Sidia was commissioned to create a
\nspecial shadow puppet show of Wayang Kulit by the International
\nMedical Corps (IMC) in an effort to spread educational messages
\non trauma in late October last year, he realized he finally had
\nthe financial support and creative freedom to develop the kind of
\nperformance he always wanted to present.<\/p>\n
Despite it's complex and powerful story-line, drawn largely
\nfrom Hinduism's most important epics, the Mahabharata, the
\nRamayana and the Wayang Kulit which are all ancient Balinese art
\nforms. It's 2.5 meter x 1 meter screen, which was illuminated by
\nan oil lamp, could only project black and white images, thus, was
\nvisually inferior compared to the dynamic colors of modern visual
\nentertainment.<\/p>\n
Moreover, it's ancient Kawi and Balinese language narration
\nplayed a role in further alienating the majority of Balinese
\nyouth, who have not been encouraged to speak their native tongue
\ndue to the pervasiveness of the Indonesian national language of
\nBahasa. In short, Wayang Kulit was decaying.<\/p>\n
"Visual attractiveness is a critical issue that must be
\naddressed if we want to revive the public's interest," the 35-
\nyear-old Sidia said.<\/p>\n
Ever since he studied at the Denpasar Arts College (STSI),
\nSidia has been experimenting with various methods of enhancing
\nWayang Kulit's visual presentation. One of his pieces involved
\nthe utilization of three separate screens to narrate the story of
\nBima Ruci. Lack of funding and suitable stages prevented his
\nexperiment from gaining greater popularity.<\/p>\n
"I was also fascinated by the PowerPoint-based presentation of
\nmy lecturers, and wondered how similar technology could be
\nemployed in Wayang Kulit performances," he said.<\/p>\n
"The commission from IMC provided me with the necessary
\nfunding and excuse to once again pursue the dream of creating a
\ncontemporary Wayang Kulit performance," he added.<\/p>\n
At that time, (October 2002) Bali was still deeply engulfed by
\na range of intense post-bomb emotions from overwhelming rage to
\ndepressing grief.<\/p>\n
IMC, which has been working intensively with the victims of
\nthe terror attack, realized the public's needed to be educated on
\nhow to identify and cope with their trauma and stress.
\nEventually, they decided on including educational messages on
\ntrauma into a Wayang Kulit performance.<\/p>\n
One month later, in November 2002, Sidia completed the
\nproduction process of the Wayang Dasa Nama Kertha (Ten Elements
\nof Peace). The contemporary wayang has been performed six times
\nsince in various places including the villages where many of the
\nvictims came from, Kepaon and Kuta.<\/p>\n
The latest performance, funded by UNICEF through the Yayasan
\nKemanusiaan Ibu Pertiwi (YKIP), was staged last Thursday,
\nshowcasing a Wayang Kulit that was both visually engaging and
\nbeautifully narrated. A powerful computer beamed pre-recorded
\nstill images and moving images via a projector onto a large 5.5
\nmeter X 3 meter screen. The traditional musical was accompanied
\nby a variety of sounds provided by a Korg synthesizer. The result
\nwas captivating, both for the eyes and ears.<\/p>\n
To cope with the large screen, Sidia was assisted by five
\nother puppeteers, or Dalang. With the help of a rolling platform
\nthe puppeteers glided to and fro throughout the show. The rolling
\nplatform inspired the nickname, "Wayang Skateboard" as coined by
\nthe expatriate community in Bali.<\/p>\n
"It's very difficult to animate the Wayang while
\nsimultaneously trying to avoid collisions with the other Dalang.
\nOf course, we have already set the fixed courses and movements
\nfor each scene, but things get very chaotic sometimes," Sidia
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
To attract the younger audience, Sidia deliberately introduced
\ninto the performance numerous animal characters and several
\n"modern" people characters, including a girl with that famous
\ngyrating hip movement.<\/p>\n
Dasa Nama Kertha basically was the story of Lord Siwa the
\nDestroyer, who in the form of the demon Kala Ludra, wreaked havoc
\nupon earth. Lord Brahma, Wisnu, Bayu and Iswara took the forms of
\ndancers and puppeteers and engulfed the cosmos with the beauty of
\ntheir performance and, thus, helped Siwa regain his true form.<\/p>\n
"I asked my father for input on a suitable story line for a
\ntrauma and stress-related wayang performance and he gave me the
\nidea for the Dasa Nama Kertha. In the story, the God explains
\nabout ten elements, for instance, man, animals, trees, water,
\nfire and gods, that should exist in harmony and balance in order
\nto guarantee the continuation of peace," Sidia told.<\/p>\n
Sidia's father was none other than Bapa Sidja, the eccentric
\nmaster Dalang famed for his ability to transform and animate even
\na single leaf or a cigarette butt into a wayang character.<\/p>\n
For the messages on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),
\nSidia went to the island's leading psychiatrist Dr. Robert
\nReverger for help.<\/p>\n
"One important message is that trauma can be healed and that
\ntraumatic experiences should not give people a reason to commit
\nviolence toward other people," Reverger said.<\/p>\n
"The performance is a good medium to reach people and educate
\nthem, particularly to reach children, who are difficult to reach
\nthrough conventional media, such as face to face interviews," he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Efforts are currently underway to show it at various
\nelementary schools on Bali.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/educating-public-about-trauma-with-wayang-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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