The Gedung Kesenian Jakarta playhouse is back with an array of events scheduled throughout the year to cheer up its audiences, presenting some big names and sealed with a go green theme.
The playhouse, known as GKJ, has prepared its own five annual festivals and dozens of solo art and cultural events in collaboration with individual artists and cultural organizations.
These events are marked with a special theme for this year: "Culture in Green: Greening the World through Arts and Culture."
GKJ's director Marusya Nainggolan said the theme was part of their campaign to promote respect for the environment through artwork and performances.
The first festival is a children's art festival, Pesta Kesenian Anak Mutiara Indonesia. The seventh time around for this annual event, set for March 20 to 22, will present dozens of individual and group performances by children from local and international communities and schools.
They include: a ballet performance by Sumber Cipta Ballet, a traditional Balinese dance performance by Bali Art Institute Saraswati, a traditional Aceh dance performance by Jakarta's SMPN 13 junior high and a concert by Taman Suropati Orchestra and Liquid Harp Ensemble.
"Eighty percent of the artists are children and only their tutor or mentor will be allowed to provide assistance," said GKJ artistic assistant Wisnu Adi Reksodirdjo.
The second festival is the Jakarta Anniversary Festival which will be held for the seventh time as well. The festival will be held from June 2 to 30 to celebrate the 482nd anniversary of the founding of the city.
Artists from around the country will be contributing to the festival in a range of performance that include classical music concerts, jazz concerts, ballet performances, theater performances and traditional art performances.
To celebrate the country's independence day, the GKJ will hold the Indonesian Independence Art Festival from July 28 to Aug. 15.
GKJ's marketing rep Lia Nugrahati said the third Indonesian Independence festival will be looking out particularly to engage younger artists to showcase their talents.
The fourth festival is the Eighth Schouwburg Festival, which will take place from Oct. 13 to 31 to celebrate the playhouse's 22nd anniversary. The playhouse celebrates its birthday on Sept. 5 each year, but the festival will be postponed slightly to avoid overlapping with the Islamic fasting period.
Wrapping up the year, the GKJ will hold a festival in December titled "Gedung Kesenian Jakarta's December World Music Festival", presenting musical perfomances by national and international musicians that have used traditional Indonesian elements in their work.
Beside the five annual festivals, the playhouse has also organized its regular slate of activities in cooperation with embassies and cultural representative organizations of foreign countries in Jakarta.
The first event will be a performance by Hungarian violinists Zolt*n M*ga and Ferenc S*nta, Jr., on Feb. 1, 2009.
Zolt*n M*ga is a world-renowned soloist who formed the Budapest Gypsy Band, and Ferenc S*nta, Jr., is a member of the G*teborg Symphony Orchestra. Ferenc was known for his brilliant interpretation of 19th and 20th century classical and pop music in gypsy Hungarian style.
For this achievement, he was awarded the Kossuth Prize by the President of the Republic of Hungary in 2007. The performance will be held in conjunction with a photo exhibition Budapest and Rebirth.
French jazz musician Fran*ois Lindemann will perform on Feb. 7, 2009, with nine of his group members, as part of a three-month tour to four countries: India, Indonesia, Morocco and Thailand.
Lindemann's performance in Jakarta is the second stage of his tour project titled Meeting of Rhythms, a collaborative project with musicians from the four countries he is visiting.
German noted dancer and choreographer Susanne Linke will also make her return to Indonesia, performing at GKJ on March 14, 2009. Linke, who has already presented her performances in Indonesia several times since 1974, is known as a principal figure in Germany's prestigious Tanztheater group and a contemporary dance innovator.
The world famous violinist Jaroslav Sveceny of the Czech Republic will also perform a program April 29 at the building. Sveceny is a famous promoter of violin playing; his TV, radio and concert performances attract audiences of all age groups.
He is the first Czech violinist to record a CD for Sony Classical. In 1996, he was awarded a prestigious prize by the Masaryk Academy of Arts for his creative art activity.
"We will work together with all related institutions, asking them to embrace today's environmental consciousness. We have decided the themes of all five festivals are to be about or at least centered on environmental issues," Wisnu said.
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