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President expected to open month-long Bali Art Festival
Dicky Christanto , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Fri, 06/06/2008 9:47 AM | Bali
The 30th Bali Arts Festival, to run from June 14 to July 12, will be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and feature hundreds of local and international performers, says a local official.
Bali governor's assistant Made Adi Jaya said the annual event, costing around Rp 3.9 billion, aimed at providing opportunities for artists from all over the resort island to present their creations.
"These artists have spent their time perfecting their performances, so this will be their chance to perform in public," he told a press conference Tuesday.
The festival will be held at several venues throughout Denpasar, including the Bajra Sandi monument in Renon and the Indonesia Institute of Arts.
The festival's main venue will be the Werddhi Budaya Art Centre on Jl. Nusa Indah.
Troupes from 12 foreign countries, including the United States, Venezuela, Japan, South Korea, China, New Zealand, Thailand and the Netherlands, will participate in the festival.
"They will perform their respective traditional art forms as well as performing new art forms created in collaboration with Balinese artists," he said.
An official of the Bali Cultural Agency, I Made Santa, said this year's festival was special compared to those previously as it would offer colossal parades and dance dramas.
"Thisfestival marks 30 years of Balinese dedication and commitment to organizing the festival, so there will be more spectacular performances to show our gratitude," he said.
When asked about how the local administration would handle security for the festival, since it would coincide with an event held by the Bali General Elections Commission, Adi Jaya said he wasn't worried.
Police have reportedly assigned 100 officers to secure the festival's venues on a daily basis.
"We will also place some officers in the field to monitor movements and prevent any disturbances," an officer said.
