LONTAR’S FESTIVALS
Lontar have held some festivals to promote Indonesian culture and literature.
FESTIVAL HADHRAMI
Istilah Hadhrami, mengacu pada Hadhramaut (sebuah wilayah di sebelah selatan Yaman), tempat leluhur masyarakat yang selama ini hanya dikenal sebagai etnis keturunan Arab itu berasal, jarang muncul dan nyaris terlupakan. Padahal, kontribusi masyarakat Hadhrami yang berasal dari Yemen itu telah ikut memperkaya khazanah seni, sastra, dan budaya.
Untuk mengenang dan mengangkat kembali kekayaan budaya Hadhrami, Yayasan Lontar Nusantara bekerjasama dengan Universitas Indonesia menyelenggarakan festival mini bertajuk “Festival Hadrami” yang akan digelar pada hari Rabu-Kamis, 25-26 April 2018 di Universitas Indonesia. Acara akan diisi dengan diskusi akademis yang melibatkan narasumber dari dalam dan luar negeri, gelar wicara, pemutaran film, pameran foto, dan berbagai pertunjukan seni yang berkaitan dengan tema Hadhrami.
The international significance of wayang kulit, the shadow puppet theatre of Indonesia, was testified to by UNESCO when it declared the art form a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.” The organization called for the creation of publications and audio-visual recordings, and this is what Lontar has done with its “Wayang Educational Package”. The Package presents two famous wayang episodes, one with a leadership theme, Rama’s Crown (Makutharama), and one which explores the conflict between different belief systems, The Grand Offering of the Kings (Sesaji Raja Suya).
In celebration of the plaited arts in Kalimantan (and on the island of Borneo as a whole), the Lontar Foundation, in cooperation with Total E&P Indonesie Foundation, Bentara Budaya, and other partners, will host a series of related events in Jakarta over a period of ten days
Two main events —a book launch and an exhibition— will be complemented by numerous other events, each and all aimed at raising public awareness of the beauty, creativity, and diversity of the plaited arts of Borneo
The range of events is intended both to appeal to the cognoscenti and to excite interest among the wider public: from young to old; school children to university students; designers to researchers; and even to curious traveler and food lovers.