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International Panji Festival to visit eight Indonesian cities
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A Panji performance in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. (JP/Stefanus Ajie)
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fter a successful run in Kediri, East Java, last year, the International Panji Festival is set to return this year, taking its performances across eight cities in Java and Bali from June 27 to July 13.
The event will involve foreign participants from Thailand and Cambodia who will showcase art performances based on Panji tales.
"It serves as proof that Panji is the only Indonesian literature and culture that spread not only across the archipelago but also to Southeast Asia," the festival's program director, Wardiman Djojonegoro, told The Jakarta Post in Surabaya on Saturday.
The former education and culture minister added that Panji more than just showcased literature, as it had became the source of inspiration for various works of art, from music, dance, mask art and theater to comic books, media art and film.
"There are at least 40 different tales of Panji with different character names in each region," said Wardiman.
Read also: Great Indonesian literature: Tales of Panji
Despite its cultural significance - Panji tales were recognized by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Program on Oct. 31, 2017 - the literary works risk being forgotten by the public, especially among younger generations.
"Efforts are needed to regrow the public's interest in Panji culture through this festival, so it can be appreciated as the cultural heritage of the Majapahit kingdom," he added.
Themed "Awaken Panji Literature and Cultural Heritage", the festival is a collaboration between the Education and Culture Ministry's Art and Culture Directorate General and the administrations of Bali, East Java and Yogyakarta.
Open to the public for free, International Panji Festival is scheduled to be held in Denpasar in Bali; Pandaan, Malang, Blitar, Tulungagung and Kediri in East Java; and Yogyakarta and Jakarta.
Other than art performances, the festival will also host workshops, seminars and exhibitions on ancient texts, paintings, masks and various Panji-influenced artwork and artifacts.
The festival committee's public relations head, Henri Nurcahyo, said events based in East Java would be held under a different name: Archipelago Panji Festival.
"The [Archipelago Panji Festival] is part of the International Panji Festival that will be held annually in the East Java cities," he said. (kes)
