Bandung to host Braga festival

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A wide range of activities -- from theatrical oratory, a photo exhibition, a glass painting exhibition to jazz music performances and a tea walk -- are set to liven up the streets of Bandung during the upcoming Braga festival.

Scheduled to run from Dec. 26 to Dec. 31, the festival will be centered around Jl. Braga, Jl. Naripan and Jl. Asia Afrika and the organization will open buildings -- including the historic Asia Africa Culture Center, Merdeka and Preanger hotels -- to the public.

The festival's director, Wawan Djuanda, said the festival was planned by the West Java Culture Office, which is jointly organizing the event along with Pikiran Rakyat newspaper and other groups.

The event, he said, would try to show the government's efforts to promote art and culture to the public while involving artists in the process.

"So the moment is also used to call artists to 'report' their creative work over the last year for the public to see, to let the West Java people know what the artists have been working on the past year," Wawan said.

During the festival, the Merdeka building is scheduled to host a theatrical oratory -- where director Wawan Sofwan plans to turn West Java Governor Danny Setiawan's speeches into a contemporary theatrical work, as well as contemporary dance performances and a poetry reading by Acep Zamzam Noor and Godi Suwarna.

The West Java Documentary Photo Expo, jointly put on by Pikiran Rakyat and Bandung-based photojournalists, as well as the West Java Documentary Forum, will be held at the PWI building from Dec. 26 to Dec. 31.

"This exhibition will show West Java province's process of introspection through photos," Wawan said,

Bandung's prestigious Hotel Preanger will host a glass painting exhibition by artists from the West Java town of Cirebon as well as tarling music performances from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30.

Around the Asia Africa Cultural Center, Jazz Break and Street Rhythm will entertain music lovers along Jl. Braga from Dec. 28 to Dec. 30, with the scheduled performances of renowned artists like Dwiki Dharmawan and Trie Utami.

Apart from enjoying performances and exhibitions, the festival's visitors can also take part in the Bandung Tea Walk where they can savor the afternoon atmosphere while learning about the history of tea in the area.