ICHCAP

From 2 to 7 November 2025, the city of Surakarta in Central Java hosted a series of events as part of Wayang and Gamelan Week 2025. During this period, the Sinden and Gamelan Festival for Youth was also held, encouraging the participation of young people who will carry forward the future of Indonesia’s traditional performing arts.

The programme took shape as a community festival bringing together local artists and students. On the opening day, a parade featuring cultural practitioners set the tone, creating an environment where the wider community could naturally engage in efforts to safeguard traditional arts. The closing day featured Gamelan performances and Wayang shows, offering residents opportunities to experience and share Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage firsthand.

At the heart of the festival is Gamelan, Indonesia’s iconic traditional music ensemble composed of metallophones, drums, strings and other instruments. It was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021. Sinden refers to the tradition of female vocalists who sing in accompaniment to Gamelan, an essential element shaping the aesthetic and emotional character of Javanese performing arts.

The Ministry of Culture positioned this festival as part of its broader youth capacity-building initiatives in the arts. Yayuk Sri Budi Rahayu, Director-General of the Cultural Values Promotion and Facilitation Office, emphasized that “young people are the nation’s assets and the inheritors of our culture,” noting that sustained youth participation is essential for the continued safeguarding of traditional arts. She added that “the involvement of young participants goes beyond festival engagement—it is a process of nurturing future practitioners in the traditional arts sector.”

Reference : https://lrl.kr/dEMLh