JP/7/Project

JP/7/Project

Yogyakarta art and cultural center underway again

Sri Wahyuni
The Jakarta Post
Yogyakarta

Following a year-long delay, the Yogyakarta Taman Budaya (TBY)
art and cultural center project has resumed in order to meet a
deadline set by the Japanese government, which is financing the
project.

The chief of the center, Suprapto, said the Japanese
government, which has pledged a donation of 40 million yen to
finance the project, threatened to withdraw its offer if the
project was not completed by the end of this month.

In the time since construction work, Suprapto said here
Tuesday, has taken place "day and night"

"We want the project to be completed in time," he said.

The project was halted because of the lack of coordination
between the central and provincial administrations, following the
implementation of regional autonomy provisions.

The central government, which was in charge of the project,
assumed the Yogyakarta provincial administration would take over
the effort, since the provincial government had said it was a
project to be financed by the Japanese government.

Of the two-hectare area earmarked for the cultural center,
only some 3,500 square meters had already been developed for a
concert hall an exhibition room.

The Japanese government said it would pay for the concert
hall's sound system set so it could meet international standards;
the building has a 1,400-seat capacity.

Yet the Japanese once acknowledged that TBY would unlikely be
able to finish the building by year's end, due to the application
of regional autonomy, which threatened to switch the allocated
funds to other country.

"We immediately reported this to the local government, and it
decided to give us Rp 4 billion to complete the project," said
Suprapto.

The fund, he said, was only disbursed by the beginning of the
month (December), adding that he had only a month left to finish
all the interior finishing activities.

These included providing the concert hall with seats, carpets,
stage vinyl, soundproof walls and roofs, generator sets, and air
conditioner sets.

The Rp 12.5 billion building was actually part of the main
buildings of the planned complex, which consists of twin two-
story buildings situated on the south and north sides of the
complex.

The concert hall is located in the upper floor of the north
building, while the exhibition room is in the lower floor of the
same building.

The south building, on the other hand, is designed to
accommodate art and culturally related business activities.

A multipurpose hall is set for the upper floor, while the
lower floor earmarked for art markets and workshops, as well as
art shops offering handicrafts.

A cine club offering both documentary films and box office
movies will also be added to the south building, along with an
international restaurant, money changers, and cargo outlets.

These exclude additional buildings for a fine art gallery, a
close theater, an open theater, and a documentary building.

"All are designed to meet with international standards," said
TBY's Vice Head Dian Anggraeni.

TBY, which was established by the government as the technical
unit (UPT) of the Directorate General of Culture of the Ministry
of the Education and Culture, is currently occupying a complex of
some 9,000 square meters at the Gadjah Mada University campus.

The complex, however, is designated more for students'
activities. The present complex is considered to be far from big
enough to accommodate art and cultural activities in the city,
which is home to some 8,300 art workers, including some 650
painters and fine sculpture makers.