SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 14: Life Below Water | SDGs 15: Life on Land | SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The XXIX National Cultural Gathering was successfully organized by I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa State Hindu University (UHN) which took place on Sunday-Friday, from November 5th until 10th, 2023. The theme of the 2023 National Cultural Gathering was “Sabda Budaya: Mukhti Luwir Nihan Segara”, which means “Cultural Echoes: Thundering like the Ocean”. The theme intends to highlight the richness of Indonesian culture that is still thundering amid the current era of globalization. The activity lasted for five days with various agendas including the National Deliberation, Wimbakara (Competition), and National Seminar. It ended with the Awarding Night as well as the closing of the XXIX National Cultural Gathering activities.

In this XXIX National Cultural Gathering, the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), sent eight delegates to participate in the entire series of events. The UGM delegation consists of Nurma Aisyah (class of 2021) as the head of the delegation, Vighna Rivattyannur Hernawan (class of 2020), Bima Muslih Wicaksono (class of 2022), Haryo Untoro (class of 2022), Kintan Dewinta Putri (class of 2022), Muhammad Siswoyo (class of 2022), Alma Syahwalani (class of 2023), and Meifira Arini Pitaloka (class of 2023).

There were six contested activities, including the Cultural Parade, National Scientific Writing Competition (LKTIN), Poetry Musicalization Competition, Comic Strip Competition, Cultural Tiktok Competition, and Cultural Reportage Competition. Of the six competitions, the delegation of Universitas Gadjah Mada won five competitions, including:

• 1st place in the Cultural Reportage competition (Alma Syahwalani)

The Cultural Reportage competition raised the theme of Taman Sari Yogyakarta, a historic water garden site, as a reflection of the splendor and majesty of Indonesian culture that is passed down to this day.

• 2nd place in the National Scientific Writing Competition (Haryo Untoro and Muhammad Siswoyo)

The National Scientific Writing Competition entitled Reflection of the Entity of the Agrarian Tradition in the Track Record of Cowongan Song Verses, raised the Cowongan ritual song verses as material objects that contain elements of agricultural in the form of various plants and animals. The elements are then associated with their classification in Javanese culture and reveal the inheritance related to the name of the agrarian elements and the agrarian mythology behind them.

• 2nd place in Comic Strip competition (Meifira Arini Pitaloka)

The Comic Strip competition with the theme “environmental conservation based on local wisdom” tells the story of young people who want to reforest by paying attention to the philosophy of these plants.

• 3rd place in the Poetry Musicalization competition (Nurma Aisyah and Bima Muslih Wicaksono)

The Poetry Musicalization Competition raised the theme “Sabda Budaya: Mukhti Luwir Nihan Segara” brought poetry created by Muhammad Siswoyo about the beauty and majesty of the nation’s culture. The poem was performed with a recitation combined with singing and musical accompaniment, thus mesmerizing the other participants.

• 3rd place in Tiktok Nusantara competition (Kintan Dewinta Putri)

Cultural Tiktok competition featuring traditional games, including Dakon or Congklak, Clogs, and games accompanied by dolanan cublek-cublek suweng songs.

The achievement of the UGM Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program in winning various competitions is a concrete manifestation of UGM Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Students in promoting, appreciating, and preserving the diverse cultures and traditions in Indonesia.

With the existence of the XXIXth National Cultural Gathering activities, it is hoped that they will motivate students to be interested in promoting this cultural heritage and tradition. Furthermore, this National Cultural Gathering activity can strengthen relationships between students of regional literature study programs throughout Indonesia and implement sustainable development goals, especially in improving the quality of education, extracting local wisdom that is in tune with the ecosystem, and working together to preserve and explore the nation’s cultural potential.

We would like to thank all those who have participated in the success of this event. Hopefully, Imbasadi can continue to accommodate students majoring in regional literature throughout Indonesia in developing and preserving the nation’s culture.

Indonesia is diverse, and Imbasadi unites.

SDGs 4: Quality Education | SDGs 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The Sleman Regency Culture Office (Kundha Kabudayan) holds a Memetri Magazine Writing Training Workshop every year. This year, the workshop took place on Thursday, (02/15/2024) at Floating Resto Sleman. This workshop was attended by various groups, including Pasbuja (Javanese Cultural Arts Society), FGSM (Sleman Teachers Forum), and five students of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program class of 2023. They are Rafif Wicaksono, M. Rafi Nur Fauzy, Audrey Gizella Islamey, Rela Sazkia, and Zidna Nabila.

This year’s “Memetri” Magazine Writing Training Workshop was devoted to writing Javanese-language feature works. The goal was to train the participants to write features, increase creativity, and preserve the Javanese language. There were various materials presented by the speakers, such as formulas for writing features, methods of writing features, and how to choose references for features to be written. Dra. Wiwien Widyawati Rahayu, lecturer of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, was also a resource person in this workshop. She conveyed the method for finding feature sources.

Audrey Gizella expressed her opinion on the workshop. “Alhamdulillah, this workshop was very fun, not boring, and I gained new knowledge to write features.” Rafif Wicaksono added, “This activity is very useful for us, especially since our study program is also related to literature. Therefore, we can know the intricacies of good and correct feature writing,” he said.

The organization of the “Memetri” Magazine Writing Training Workshop is a concrete effort to train the younger generation to be able to write features as well as participate in the preservation of Javanese culture. Educational efforts and cooperation from various parties in preserving culture are in accordance with the goals of sustainable development, namely improving the quality of education (point 4) and partnerships to achieve goals (point 17). 

Author: Zidna Nabila | Editor: Haryo Untoro

n commemoration of the 74th Anniversary of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), UGM held various events and activities. One of the events was a wayang kulit performance titled “Banjaran Dwijawara”. The performance was a cross-style collaboration, combining the Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Banyumasan, and East Javanese styles in one wayang performance. The event was held on Saturday (16/12/2023) at Grha Sabha Pramana.

The story “Banjaran Dwijawara” is a compilation of the biographies of Rama Bargawa, Resi Dorna, and Arjuna. These three characters are faced with various complex problems. Rama Bargawa faces the oligarchs who act arbitrarily, Resi Dorna faces the issue of inclusivity, while Arjuna is in an era of gender equality.

In the implementation, students from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program participated in enlivening and making the wayang performance a success. Their participation was manifested in their roles as the crew, the performers as musicians and singers who are members of the Keluarga Kesenian Mahasiswa Universitas Gadjah Mada, and Muhammad Siswoyo, a 2022 student, who became the dalang (puppeteer) of the East Javanese wayang kulit performance.

The story “Banjaran Dwijawara” is not only a form of entertainment, but also a means of learning through moral messages about how to behave and make decisions when facing a problem. In addition, this wayang kulit performance also serves as a medium to introduce and preserve wayang kulit art and its various styles, which are a form of cultural wealth in Indonesia. The introduction and preservation of Indonesian culture through this wayang performance is in line with point four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Quality Education.

Nine students from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) have successfully implemented a teaching program for students at SMA Negeri 1 Seyegan. This teaching program is a collaboration with the principal of SMA Negeri 1 Seyegan, as a joint effort to preserve Javanese culture, particularly the use of Javanese script. The program was held from December 12 to 21, 2023, and concluded with a competition on December 22, 2023.

Nine students from the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program participated in this program. They are Sindi Virninda, Nanda Nursa Alya, Rafael Raga B.P., Faradila Putri M., Ahmad Nur Astha, Enjang Prasetyo W., Fazi Arifian Pradara, Novita Nurhasanah, and Inayah Milati. The teaching was conducted using creative methods, with the hope that students could understand Javanese script comprehensively.

Nanda Nursa Alya, one of the teaching participants, expressed her joy in an interview, “It was very exciting because we were able to interact with the students.” Nanda explained that this program not only benefits students but also develops their skills of students, “This program trains us as students to be able to become teachers as well as friends for the students. In addition, this program also demands the creativity of students in creating good and enjoyable learning methods and media for students.”

With the implementation of this teaching program, Nanda hopes that the activity can be carried out every year. “I hope this program will always be there every year,” she said. This teaching program is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially the fourth point, Quality Education, which aims to improve the quality of education.

The elected Chair of the KAGAMA FIB-Ikasasdaya Alumni for 2022-2027, Paksi Raras Alit, is a graduated student of Javanese Literature at his Bachelor’s level and Master of Literature at his Master’s level at from Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University. This man, who was born on June 16th 1985 in Jogja, apparently has had the blood of an artist since birth. How could it not be, he was born into a family and environment of artists. His mother, Noor W.A (rest in peace), was a Jogja theater figure who founded the Jeprik Theater and initiated the sampakan theater genre in the 1980s. Since he was a toddler, Paksi has even been involved in staging several Jeprik theater plays, such as “Megatruh (Sendrek)”. During his school era, his artistic skills were further honed by regularly representing his school in several art competitions and winning several trophies and awards. He continued his enthusiasm for art at school after entering college. 

During college, Paksi increasingly demonstrated his existence in the world he was interested in. He was a part of several music arts communities and several bands such as Revolver, Community of Terang Bulan Acoustic Malioboro, Bonanza, and Jasmine Akustik which released an album in 2011. It wasn’t enough just to join, Paksi then created the Mantradisi Arts Group which explored music and Macapat, and released works in the album compilation of Tembi Music Festival in 2016. Paksi then acted as a scriptwriter, director and musician in Mantradisi’s works. Apart from Mantradisi, Paksi also founded a group called PAKSIBAND. This Javanese keroncong group has successfully released several singles such as “Keroncong Suka-suka” (2021), “Gembira Loka” (2022), and “Keroncong Lebaran” (2022).

Beside being busy in the world of music, Paksi is also involved in the world of acting. He was involved as an actor in the performance “Dongeng Cinta-Ceuk Aing” (2020) by Sujiwo Tejo, and played as the main actor in the musical film “Ayun-ayun Negeri” (2021) by Garin Nugroho. In the world of literature and culture, Paksi is active in the movement to preserve Javanese language and script. This is proven by him establishing the Jawacana community which is involved in Javanese literature. This community consists of UGM Javanese Literature alumni as well as Javanese literature and culture activists in Yogyakarta. Paksi Raras Alit also has activities in organizing arts and culture festivals in Yogyakarta. Amazingly, Paksi was appointed as a member of the Yogyakarta City Cultural Council in 2021.