Govt urged to include wayang in school curriculum

Jakarta, NU Online
The Indonesian Puppeteers Association (Pepadi) called for the government to include wayang (traditional puppet show) in the national school curriculum so as to promote the tradition to Indonesia's youth.
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Pepadi’s head of development, Ekotjipto, said on Friday that the organization had submitted a proposal with regard to this request to the Education and Culture Ministry.

“We are waiting to discuss the concept with the Ministry. If they agree, a program would be implemented through a pilot project first, as a trial,” he told thejakartapost.com, adding that there were no specific details yet because the process was still in its early stages.

However, to begin with, Java would likely be the starting point of the program, Ekotjipto added.

The program design would not only focus on Javanese puppets but would comprise of wayang traditions from all regions in Indonesia.

Pepadi is currently hosting the sixth Child Puppetry Festival at the Fine Arts and Ceramic Museum in Kota Tua Jakarta, held from Nov. 20 to 22.

The festival presents performances of children puppeteers aged 8 to 15 years old from all over Indonesia.

“This event is an opportunity to preserve the traditional culture; to educate young children about the art of wayang and to create a new generation of puppeteers,” Pepadi chairman Kondang Sutrisno said.

In 2003, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized Indonesia's wayang kulit (leather shadow puppets) as one of the world’s Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. (masdar)