Nusa Dua to hold arts festival

DENPASAR, Bali: At least 25 art groups from Bali and two from Jakarta and Central Java will take part in a week-long arts festival starting on Nov. 25 in Nusa Dua, head of the Bali Tourism Office, Ida Bagus Pangjaya, said on Tuesday.

Aimed at promoting the richness of Indonesian cultures, the Nusa Dua Festival will present the professional talents of groups performing traditional Indonesian dances, music and singing, he said.

The event is jointly sponsored by PT Bali Tourism Development Board, Bali Promo and Bali Provincial Agency for Culture, Pangjaya said.

The festival is also designed to involve local traditional art groups in Nusa Dua which, in turn, could narrow the gap between the increasing number of star-rated hotels in the area and local people.

"Such a scheme might help the development of local arts and, in turn, support tourism," Pangjaya was quoted by Antara as saying. (bsr)