134 Works by Sekolah Rakyat Students Enliven Awan Cerah 2026 Photography Competition

A total of 74 students from 36 Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) participated in the Children and Youth Photography Competition with the theme ‘The Young, The Cultured’ at the Emiria Soenassa Gallery, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Central Jakarta. Through 134 exhibited photographs, the students conveyed various stories about their daily lives at Sekolah Rakyat, their living environments, and cultural life from their own perspectives. The Awan Cerah 2026 Photography Exhibition and Workshop, which runs from 3 July to 1 August 2026, is open to the public. The exhibition features 1,206 photographs from participants aged 6 to 16 across various categories. This year marks the event’s second edition, following its debut in 2023. Despite being held only twice, the event has attracted significant interest, made possible with support from Danantara Indonesia and partners including BMKK, Paperina, and Ekta Imaging. One of the founders of the Awan community, Retno Audite Dini, explained that the theme ‘The Young, The Cultured’ was chosen to encourage the younger generation to reconnect with and appreciate Indonesian culture amidst the influx of foreign influences. ‘We chose culture because we want to remind children and teenagers that Indonesian culture is beautiful,’ Dite said. ‘We must nurture it so that our nation remains cultured.’ AWAN is an acronym for ‘Asuh Watak Asah Nalar’ (Nurturing Character, Sharpening Reason), while CERAH stands for ‘Cerita Ekspansif Retorik Aspiratif Hakiki’ (Expansive Stories, Rhetorical Aspirations, Essential Truths). Through photography and other creative activities, the community encourages children to engage in positive pursuits that develop their creativity and character. Dite welcomed the participation of Sekolah Rakyat students, noting that their life experiences bring a different perspective to interpreting culture. ‘This is very good. We want to embrace all children,’ Dite said. ‘These students have a different point of view from other children. That is what makes us curious about what culture means in their eyes.’ Some of the exhibited works capture the students’ daily activities while studying at Sekolah Rakyat, while others document their lives outside school through mobile phone camera lenses, presenting simple yet meaningful stories. The students’ enthusiasm was evident during their visit to the exhibition, with nearly 50 students from SRMP 6 East Jakarta, SRMA 9 East Jakarta, and SRMA 10 South Jakarta attending to see their works displayed alongside hundreds of other photographs. One participant from SRMA 9 East Jakarta, Nazila Barqiah Harum, expressed pride that three of her photographs taken with a mobile phone were exhibited. ‘Honestly, I am very happy and still cannot believe my work is displayed in a gallery and seen by many people. I hope our photos can inspire and tell a story to everyone who sees them,’ she said. The participation of Sekolah Rakyat students in the Awan Cerah 2026 Photography Exhibition and Workshop provided them with a space to express their ideas, creativity, and love for Indonesian culture through the medium of photography. Beyond developing artistic skills, the activity also strengthened the students’ confidence in sharing their stories and perspectives with the wider community.