BackForum for Young Choreographer and Composer
(FYCC) 2007
Submitted by GEOKS Singapadu-Gianyar Bali
1. Background
Over the past fifteen years, a great number of new innovative works of music and dance have been created by young choreographers and composers in Indonesia and in other countries in Southeast Asia. This is a strong sign of the increasing enthusiasm of creativity among talented young artists in the region. Most of these works, however, have never been presented in national or transnational forums or festivals. As a result, these brilliant new works have little impact on the development of mainstream contemporary performing arts in Asia. In response to this, Geria Olah Kreativitas Seni (GEOKS), a private art organization, based in Singapadu village of Gianyar-Bali (Indonesia), organizes a biennial international event entitles Forum for Young Choreographers and Composers (FYCC), beginning in August 2007.
2. Project Description and Goals
FYCC is a transnational performing arts event to provide space and resource for competition and dialogue among new and emerging choreographers and composer. This is a forum for young artists to share their creative experiences and to learn from each other. The main activities of the forum include production/performance, workshop, discussion, and collaboration (participated by chosen artists from Indonesia and foreign countries).
FYCC has the following goals:
To help foster artistic creativity among young Indonesian artists as well as those from other Southeast Asian, especially choreographers and composers;
To provide space and opportunity for competition and dialogue among young artists, especially choreographers and composers;
To help establish networking and contact among artists of the younger generation both internationally and internationally.
To increase local, rural, and urban audiences for contemporary works.
3. Time Frame
As stated above, the forum is planned as biennial alternating the forum of the local (Bali or Indonesian) and of the international scale each year. The International FYCC 2007 has been preceded by the Bali FYCC took place in August 2006.
The 2007 FYCC is a four-day event, from August 10th through August 13th. All activities will be focus at GEOKS-Singapadu/Gianyar Bali. The first two nights will be focused on the presentation and performance of the individual works of the participating artists. In order to give the opportunity for all participants to present their creative process and approaches, there will dialogue and discussion in the last day of the forum. Selected artists of three countries (Indonesia, Cambodia, and Taiwan) will be given time to work collaboratively to work on a piece of new dance to be staged during the cultural evening on the last day of the forum. A team of observers, selected by GEOKS, will informally present their observation as feedback to the artists. To enrich the cultural experience of the participating artists, traditional dance drama of the best local performing art group will be staged during the last day of the forum.
4. A Glimpse of GEOKS and Singapadu
Geria Olah Kreativitas Seni (GEOKS) is a non-government organization based in Singapadu, village of Gianyar-Bali. Since its inception in 2004, using its new performing art space located in the village of Singapadu, GEOKS has organized various performing art activities including performances, seminars, discussion, lectures, and workshops. Many of these activities have featured international artists and scholars (See the list of GEOKS’ three years activities enclosed).
GEOKS, the host of FYCC, is uniquely situated in the center of Singapadu village, the home of various forms of performing and visual arts, so that, it will give remarkable rural setting to the forum. Away from noisy urban areas, the setting fosters the kind of reflection and meditation necessary for the creative process.
Since 1948 Singapadu has become well known for its “Barong and Kris Dance.” In addition, this village also preserves a number of fine performing art genres, such as gong kebyar, gong luang/saron, topeng dance drama, kecak dance, arja dance drama, to mention only a few. In this village also dwell a number of visual artists, such as wood carvers, sculptures, and painters, many of whom hold both national and international recognition. Due to this fact, Singapadu audience is famous for being artistically receptive and knowledgeable. Over the past twenty years, however, the reputation of Singapadu as “the village of arts” or one of the most prolific villages with art and cultures activities on the island of Bali has gradually dropped. This in part is the result of the decreasing intensity art activities in the village.
5. The Setting of the Forum
FYCC is designed as a village based performing arts forum, or an art event taking place the village, for a mixed of both rural and urban audiences. Singapadu, a village in the western part of Gianyar District, is located about ten kilometers north of Denpasar City or about equal distance south of Ubud village. Singapadu can be reached between fifteen to twenty minutes, by motorbike or car, from both points, via the main road of Denpasar-Kintamani. Situated between the culturally rich Celuk and Batubulan villages, Singapadu serves as an ideal location for FYCC.
The intended spectators of the forum are invited audiences ranging from contemporary art lovers in the neighboring villages, students, teacher and faculties the performing arts studios and schools in eight districts and city in Bali. In order to make this event accessible to the public, some activities of the forum will be covered by radio and television, as well as local and national newspaper. The entire event will also be documented.
The accommodation for the participating artists will make use of village houses, and activities (performance, discussion, workshop, and collaboration) for the forum will take place in the village (Singapadu). By having the forum centered in the village, it will not only increase the appreciation of the local audience in contemporary art works, more importantly, it provides golden opportunity for all participating artists to experience the living artistic tradition of Singapadu village. Ultimately such an experience will inspire them to explore the artistic potential of the villages, or perhaps to revitalize village cultural centers, in their home countries.
6. The Participating Artist
The 2007 FYCC will feature Indonesian choreographers and composers, with foreign choreographers from Cambodia and Taiwan (In the future, the Forum hopes to invite artists from other parts of the world). Participants will present a new piece that can be a solo, duet, or small group of 3 to 5 performers, lasting between ten to fifteen minutes long.
The Forum will be participated by 10 choreographers and 4 composers with a mixed range of reputation, from local, national, and international. The 10 choreographers are 4 from Bali, from Surabaya, Yogya, Solo, and Jakarta, each place is represented by one choreographer. The two foreign choreographers come from Taiwan and Cambodia. The 4 composers are 2 from Bali, 2 from Solo and Yogya. The 4 observers are 2 from Jakarta, and 2 from Bali and Yogya or Solo.
7. The Impact of the Forum
The forum will have positive impact not only to the development of art and cultures of the Singapadu village but also of Bali as well as of Indonesia.
To Singapadu, this forum will revitalize the village’s reputation as “the village of arts”. The works featured in the forum will stimulate and inspire local artists to create new works, as well as to give them new ideas to utilize and integrate in the performance of their traditional performing art forms.
To Bali, this forum provides a space and place for the contemporary artists, especially of the younger generation, to learn (by watching) from creative and innovative artists from other parts of Indonesia as well as from foreign countries. More importantly, this forum serves as alternative event to mount new innovative art works The Annual Bali Art Festival has never been able to fully accommodate.
To Indonesia, this forum serves an important mean for its contemporary artists, especially of the younger generation, to learn (by watching) from creative and innovative artists from other parts of Indonesia as well as from foreign countries. In addition, this forum is an event for the young performing arts creators on Indonesia to establish a network to share their artistic vision with others in the region.
8. Conclusion
Designed as a village based performing arts forum, FYCC 2007 is an important event for young creators of Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia to exhibit their talent, to develop their work, and to contribute to the development of contemporary performing arts of the region. This forum will also give a golden opportunity for these artists to develop social and cultural contact with other members of the local and international arts community. With the support of regional and international art organizations, these are the primary goals GEOKS wishes to achieve with a successful FYCC 2007.
March 30, 2007
I Wayan Dibia Ph.D.
The Director of GEOKS