Re-creating rural performing arts for tourism in Indonesia

Abstract

This article explores the creative process driven by an understanding of local values and how villagers wished to present their life, land and culture to the tourists visiting the area. The local community brought their knowledge of both the artforms and the significance they held in terms of village identity and cohesion, whilst the research team helped to integrate the chosen elements into a coherent large-scale performance. The practical steps involved the philosophical underpinnings in terms of authenticity. A typical member of the public’s idea of authenticity may be of something that is traditional, that has remained unchanged for countless generations. In practice, the arts do not operate in this way, both artforms and the meanings they hold for people are in a constant state of flux, changing to meet the changing needs and aspirations of society. Therefore, in creating a performance that could present an ‘authentic’ view of village life for tourists, we began by understanding the values of the community, and allowed the performance to develop organically from this, based on a local legend that expressed both the history of the area and the values of the villagers.

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