Wot practices art of bridge-building<\/p>\n
Cynthia Webb, Contributor, Brisbane, Australia<\/p>\n
Wot Cross-Cultural Synergy is a cultural organization based in
\nSydney, Australia, and formed with the intention of creatively
\nbridging the space between Australia and Indonesia to enhance
\ncultural understanding. The word wot means river crossing or
\nbamboo bridge in Javanese.<\/p>\n
Wot was established ten years ago by two people who have built
\na solid bridge between the two neighboring countries, as
\ndemonstrated within their own family and by their way of life.<\/p>\n
Suzan Piper of Sydney and her husband, Muhammad Djohansyah,
\nbetter known as Sawung Jabo, have been together for 25 years. The
\ncouple relocated from Indonesia to Sydney at the end of 1992 with
\ntheir two children, Johan and Santi, now aged 23 and 18 years.<\/p>\n
Piper, whose family moved to Australia from England when she
\nwas still a teenager, is an accredited translator and interpreter
\nof Bahasa Indonesia, and she manages Wot's many activities, both
\nin Australia and Indonesia. She also works as an academic of
\nIndonesian Studies and runs their busy household. Piper describes
\nherself professionally as an \"Indonesianist of 30-plus years'
\nexperience of Indonesia\".<\/p>\n
Jabo, on the other hand, is an actor, choreographer, director,
\nsinger, composer and arranger. Piper laughingly calls him \"my
\nhusband the rock star\".<\/p>\n
Yes, he's \"the\" Jabo of Swami, Sirkus Barock, Dalbo, Kantata,
\nGengGong -- the man who co-wrote the award-winning song Bongkar
\nand many others, including Hio, Dalbo, Cinta and Lingkaran Aku
\nCinta Padamu, while collaborating with Iwan Fals. They earned a
\nplace in history when their music served as anthems of change
\nduring the period of growing unrest leading up to the massive
\npolitical changes of 1998.<\/p>\n
Although the family home is in Sydney, Jabo is located in both
\nIndonesia and Australia, always busy with his continuing role in
\nIndonesia's contemporary artistic and creative life. Therefore,
\nthe cultural bridge between the two countries plays a major part
\nin Wot's activities and in the life of this unique household.<\/p>\n
Piper and Jabo aim to use their \"bridge\" for endeavors in the
\narts, education, business and cultural exchange, and to
\ncreatively build bilateral understanding.<\/p>\n
Jabo explained: \"A lot of people have tried to create bridges,
\nin their own ways. In both countries, ordinary people are busy
\nand do not have time to spend on learning about other cultures,
\nand therefore they are easily blinded by the mass media, and too
\nquick to react.\"<\/p>\n
\"Wot Cross-Cultural Synergy could perhaps be called just one
\npillar on the big bridge of mutual relationship between two
\ncountries. There is government, and there is the mass media and
\nother smaller groups, but Sue and I are from the arts field, and
\nwe feel that the arts offer the most direct contact -- culture to
\nculture, person to person. A high standard of art and culture is
\nthe vehicle which we use to introduce ourselves to Australians.<\/p>\n
\"People can feel it, not just read from the newspaper.
\nExperience is the most important thing. If any pocket money comes
\nfrom it, that's OK, but my priority is always culture, and the
\nmutual relationship. Not money, not profit.\" said Jabo.<\/p>\n
Wot has produced many successful artistic events in Indonesia
\nand Australia since 1995, including theatrical performance tours,
\nconcert tours and a film festival featuring the neighbor
\ncountry's films.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, Wot acts as a Sydney-based tour producer of
\nIndonesian performers, such as Emha Ainun Nadjib and his group
\nKyai Kanjeng, and the Panji Kirana East Javanese dance and
\npercussion group.<\/p>\n
For concert or theater performers in either country, Wot acts
\nas both artistic director and producer, and shows often feature
\ntraditional Indonesian performing arts rarely seen in Australia.
\nWot also organized a 2002 tour of Indonesia by the acappella
\ngroup, From the Vacant Lot, from Sydney, while Jabo's Sydney-
\nbased band GengGong have also toured in Indonesia several times.<\/p>\n
Wot's most recent project, in September-October 2005, was a
\nfour-city tour in eastern Australia by Indonesia's iconic poet
\nand playwright W.S. Rendra, along with his wife and fellow
\ntheater worker Ken Zuraida, with Jabo providing musical
\naccompaniment to their readings of Rendra's poetry.<\/p>\n
This project, too, involves bridges and connections. These
\nfour have a long-standing friendship and professional
\nassociation: Jabo has been a member of Rendra's Bengkel Theatre
\nsince 1977, where he still conducts workshops and is also musical
\ndirector, while Piper joined Bengkel around 1973. She performed
\nin two plays and also wrote a thesis on Rendra's plays.<\/p>\n
\"It is of particular importance to Wot to present Rendra in
\nAustralia. He is a highly respected poet, dramatist and profound
\nthinker, who has much to say as a cultural and social
\ncommentator, and can help spearhead better understanding between
\nour neighboring countries,\" noted Piper.<\/p>\n
Piper and Jabo want the activities of their organization to
\nadd to the depth of understanding between the cultures, and they
\naim to show to Australians the depth of meaning, cultural
\nrichness and complexity of Indonesian society. These are cultural
\naspects to which it is difficult to gain access while on a short
\nholiday in the vast and varied archipelago, with its many
\ndifferent ethnic groups.<\/p>\n
\"W.S. Rendra and Sawung Jabo have such stature that this
\nenables them to have the platform and opportunity to speak out on
\ncultural and social issues, and people will listen,\" said Piper,
\nspeaking recently in Brisbane, Queensland, where Rendra delivered
\nhis final poetry reading in Australia and a seminar.<\/p>\n
Rendra, Jabo and Ken still had one event remaining in their
\nschedule before returning to Indonesia -- a drama workshop in
\nSydney on Oct. 22. The tour also involved several public forums
\nin which Rendra shared his thoughts on intercultural perceptions,
\nIndonesia's future and the issues of cultural pluralism and peace
\nin the region we share.<\/p>\n
Wot Cross-Cultural Synergy plan to continue their artistic
\nwork in supporting and strengthening the bridge between Indonesia
\nand Australia.<\/p>\n
\"The door of possibility must always be open for people to get
\ntogether and learn. We must explore every possibility. We must
\nbelieve in the possibility. Every small step is valuable\", said
\nJabo.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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