Schools must also function as cultural centers

Schools must also function as cultural centers

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian arts schools should not only function as learning institutions but also as art and cultural centers, an expert said.

Mursal Esten, a professor at the University of Andalas in Padang, West Sumatra, told the First National Arts Congress here yesterday that many arts institutes merely produce "graduates of arts school" but not "real artists".

"It's because they teach the theory but don't provide any room for students to experiment and to display their creations," Esten explained.

If this condition continues, Indonesia will soon experience a shortage of talented artists and scholars, he said.

Held at the Kartika Chandra Hotel, the congress was opened on Monday and will conclude tomorrow.

A good art institute is obliged to document traditional arts as well as contemporary local and international arts to enable students, artists and the public to study the subject thoroughly, Esten said.

The professor also said that such an institute could be developed into a research and development center of the national art and cultural activities.

"Indonesia's documentation of its arts development is poor," Esten said. "Many local artists learn their ethnic arts in various foreign universities which have complete references on our traditional arts. It is saddening."

Indonesia today has a number of famous arts schools, mostly located in Jakarta; Bandung, West Java; Yogyakarta and Surakarta, Central Java; and Denpasar, Bali.

"If each of this school documented the traditional arts of its region, we could preserve our valuable cultural heritage," he said.

A number of working papers were discussed yesterday by some 500 participants from Indonesia's 27 provinces. The congress is aimed at providing a forum for the government and local artists to hold discussions and to share ideas on encouraging artistic creativity.

Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri, a professor of environmental law at the Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta, spoke about the role of the government and the private sector in the development of arts, and about art as a commodity.

He said the government and the private sector should work side by side to encourage local artists.

The government, he said, must create an environment which fosters, instead of curtails, artists' creativity.

He called on both the government and the private sectors to subsidize various art projects. In countries such as France and Britain, the governments provide financial support for arts development.

"Every art activity needs subsidy because it is a costly business and most artists cannot afford to finance their own projects," he said.

Citing an example, Indonesia now has Dana Mitra Lingkungan, a non-profit foundation which actively raises funds to finance environmental projects.

The foundation has successfully solicited support and donations from large companies and rich individuals, he said.

"We should establish a similar foundation to boost cultural activities in Indonesia," Koesnadi said.

Another interesting paper on the arts and tourism was presented by R.M. Soedarsono, a professor of arts from Gajah Mada University. Soedarsono said that the arts have an important role to play in promoting a country's tourism industry.

"Indonesia is rich in art and culture, but due to poor promotion little of it is recognized abroad," he said.

If you look at Thailand and the Philippines, Indonesia is lagging behind in promoting its arts, he said. (raw)