Head of Makara Art Center (MAC) Universitas Indonesia (UI) Dr. Ngatawi Al-Zastrouw leads a cultural mission delegation that will go to Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The 20-person delegation consisted of artists, students, academics, and professionals in the field of arts. They will hold art performances and dialogues to introduce Indonesian culture, as well as visit art communities and cultural centers in the two countries.
According to Syamsul, operational manager of the cultural mission, the program which carries the theme “Brotherhood and Peace Between Faiths Through Arts and Culture” has two main objectives. First, socializing the peaceful, tolerant and moderate Islamic culture of the archipelago to the world community, especially Turkey and Saudi Arabia, through art and culture. Through this activity, it is hoped that the international public can get to know and see the treasures of Indonesian art and culture, especially those with religious nuances, to minimize negative impressions of Islam.
Second, introducing several forms of religious art used by archipelago saints and ulama in preaching Islamic teachings in the archipelago. Viewers will see up close that the da’wah approach and cultural approach have not only given birth to various types of religious traditions, but have also shaped the peaceful and beautiful character and face of Islam.
“To realize this goal we chose Dr. Ngatawi Al-Zastrouw, Head of MAC UI, as the head of the team who will lead the delegation,” said Syamsul. He added that the appointment of the head of MAC UI as head of the delegation was a form of appreciation from the artists to MAC UI for providing a lot of assistance and guidance to artists and art communities in various regions.
Arifatul Choiri Fauzi, road manager for this program, explained that the delegation will depart on 29th of October 2023 and return to Indonesia on 11th of November 2023. On their visit to Turkey, they will hold a cultural dialogue in Istanbul, and hold a cultural performance in the city of Bursa. In Saudi Arabia, the group will hold art performances in Riyadh and Jeddah. “In Riyadh and Jeddah, the delegation will perform in front of diplomats and officials. Based on information from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Saudi Arabia, there will be around 500 diplomats and invited guests who are present to watch the art performance of the Indonesian cultural delegation,” said Fauzi.
This cultural mission activity was carried out in collaboration with Yogyakarta artists who are members of the Ki Ageng Ganjur studio with the Indonesian Embassy in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the Indonesian Students Association (PPI) and the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Special Branch Management (PCI), and supported by the Directorate of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) and the Jeddah Hajj Affairs Office, Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia.
