Indonesia Bertutur 2024: An Island-Wide Cultural Showcase Unfolds Across Bali 

Art, culture, performance and even history converge in an epic 12-day festival here in Bali. Indonesia Bertutur 2024 takes place from 7-18 August 2024, showcasing the works and performances of more than 900 artists across seven venues.

Indonesia Bertutur (i.e. ‘Indonesia Speaks’) is an initiative created by Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, specifically the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media from the Directorate General of Culture. As such, it is a colossal annual event, created as a means to showcase the country’s diverse cultural heritage, local histories and folklore, artistic developments and exchange of knowledge. The first edition was held back in September 2022 at the ancient Borobudur Temple complex, Central Java; now, Bali has the honour of hosting this festival of international scale.

This 12-day festival is completely free to the public, an invitation for local residents and tourists to immerse themselves in the smorgasbord of events, exhibitions and performances. Indonesia Bertutur 2024 — themed ‘Subak’ this year — celebrates traditional, modern and contemporary genres, and in some cases brings them all together, for example, classic Balinese dance may be backdropped by scenic video mapping, creating an immersive theatrical display.

Different programme categories are held across seven venues: Neka Art Museum, Museum Puri Lukisan, ARMA Museum, TONYRAKA Art Gallery, Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets, Lapangan Chandra Muka Batubulan (until 9 August only) and Peninsula Island in Nusa Dua (14-18 August).

Indonesia Bertutur 2024 is free to join, simply REGISTER on the website to get your QR Code ticket.
Download Schedule here and make sure to follow @indonesiabertutur on Instagram for highlight events and updates. 

Programme Categories

Visaraloka focuses on contemporary art through various mediums, including installations, performance art and multimedia presentations. This programmes showcases the cutting edge of Indonesia’s experimental creativity and technology.

Kathanaya celebrates the stories and folklore of the archipelago, bringing traditional performances of Indonesia to the stage in rich and dynamic ways, focusing on bringing the country’s diverse regional arts to the fore.

Samaya Sastra is a discussion space, whereby high-level performers, artists, academics, curators will share their thoughts on Indonesia’s current and future arts, literature and culture.

Layarambha is a special programme for screening dances films, merging the cinematic world with experimental expression through movement.

Ekayana gives up-and-coming young artists a platform, presenting selected performances from a special ‘Temu Seni’ programme, an art laboratory aimed at developing the new generation of performers.

Nusa Dua-only Programmes:

Anarta is a showcase of large scale performing arts shows. Here, Indonesian and international artists from the realms of dance, theatre and more will take stage with the latest artistic arrangements.

Kiranamaya is a light festival that includes new visual works such as light installation art and video mapping, utilising the latest technology in the field of light and space engineering.

Virama is a music stage, where a curated selection of popular music performances will be brought to life by some of Indonesia’s most artists and musicians!

Opening Ceremony: Indonesia Bertutur 2024

If the festival will be anything like its opening ceremony, visitors and audience can be sure of an impressive roster of performances and exhibitions throughout Indonesia Bertutur 2024.

Held on the evening of 7 August at Lapangan Chandra Muka Batubulan, one of the festival venues, a sensational collage of Balinese dances, music and theatre converged on stage, flanked by a full Balinese gamelan orchestra.

The full production, titled Maha Wasundari, presented a seamless flow between Bali’s three genre of dance: Wali, Bebali, and Balih-balihan (sacred to profane). From the sacred Sanghyang Dedari chants of Geriana Kauh Village in Karangasem, the Baris Jangkang dance of elderly dancers from Nusa penida, a masterful kebyar solo (dance and singing) by maestro Ni Luh Menek, a full ‘human wayang’ (wayang wong) theatre and to close, an entire troupe of all the various barong came to stage in a collaboration performance.

Beyond that, the lamak-themed backdrop transformed with every routine, as video-mapping transported performances to forests and caves, or made a spectacle at highlight moments. It was a monumental, 1,5 hour performance that reimagined Bali’s traditional dances and will likely reinvigorated interest in the arts — which indeed is was Indonesia Bertutur is all about.

Indonesia Bertutur 2024 is free to join, simply REGISTER on the website to get your QR Code ticket.
Download Schedule here and make sure to follow @indonesiabertutur on Instagram for highlight events and updates. 

indonesiabertutur.kemdikbud.go.id 

Edward Speirs

Edward, or Eddy as he prefers to be called, is the Managing Editor of NOW! Bali and host of the NOW! Bali Podcast. He enjoys photography, rural travel and loves that his work introduces him to people from all walks of life.