'Bad promo leads to poor attendance'

Jakarta has hosted many arts performances, be them at a national or international level. Among those is the 2004 Art Summit from Sept. 11 to Oct. 10. The arts are considered an important form of expression. The Jakarta Post talked to people about their favorite arts events and venues in the capital.

Sugondo, 57, is a street vendor selling meatball soup in Kebayoran Lama market, South Jakarta. He lives with his family in Cipulir, also in South Jakarta:

When I still lived in my hometown of Brebes, Central Java, I often watched wayang orang (shadow puppet) performances. I enjoyed the chance of watching the shows at night. I still remember the names of the puppet characters until today even though I have lived in Jakarta for nearly 30 years.

I no longer go to shadow puppet shows now that I live in Jakarta. Luckily some TV stations regularly air such performances on weekends, which is a blessing.

However, with the wide choice of programs on TV, I now have the chance to watch mystical shows, including Nyi Pelet and Joko Tarub.

Lukman, 27, is a reporter with Rakyat Merdeka daily in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta. He lives in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, with his wife and daughter:

There are lots of arts events in the city, especially on weekends. I personally don't like plays, but I do like music performances.

Ever since I was in university, I have gone to the concerts of popular Islamic singers, like Snada or Malaysian group Raihan.

Unfortunately, many of the concerts are not well promoted so that only few people go to them. I think most arts events fail to lure a huge crowd due to poor promotion.

-- The Jakarta Post