Mega Festival Indonesia Bertutur 2024: Embracing Harmony with Nature and Culture in Bali

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), through the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media, Directorate General of Culture, will hold the Mega Festival Indonesia Bertutur (Intur) 2024 with the theme "Subak: Harmony with the Creator, Nature, and Fellow Beings". This event will serve as a guide and a platform for artistic expression in various forms, such as performing arts, visual arts, film, and inspiring media arts.

Previously, Intur was held in 2022 in Borobudur coinciding with Indonesia's G20 presidency. This second edition of Intur will take place from August 7-18, 2024, at three locations in Bali: Batubulan, Ubud, and Nusa Dua.

Embracing the spirit of 'Experiencing the Past, Nurturing the Future', Indonesia Bertutur aims to explore the knowledge of Indonesia's cultural heritage from prehistoric times to the 15th century through the mediums of film, music, media, and performing arts.

The Director General of Culture at Kemendikbudristek, Hilmar Farid, emphasized the importance of culture as a resource for finding solutions for current and future conditions. The organization of the Mega Festival Indonesia Bertutur 2024 is an effort to explore and communicate this cultural heritage.

Furthermore, Hilmar stated that by utilizing the diverse cultures and technologies presented, the Indonesian people can see the relevance between the past and the present and understand their role in preserving culture as a source of future life. The philosophy of Subak embodies the meaning of balance between humans and the creator, fellow beings, and nature, known in Bali as the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana. The Subak system itself was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 2012.

The philosophy of Subak highlighted in Indonesia Bertutur carries the meaning of balance between humans and the creator, fellow beings, and nature, known in Bali as the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana. The Subak system itself was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 2012.

The Director of Film, Music, and Media at Kemendikbudristek, Ahmad Mahendra, stated that every organization of the Mega Festival Indonesia Bertutur always prioritizes the spirit of sustainable and inspiring cultural preservation.

Mahendra explained that Indonesia Bertutur is part of a continuous effort to advance culture with the aim of connecting local knowledge with the 4.0 era, encouraging the active role of the younger generation in protecting and utilizing historical legacies, providing a collaborative platform for cross-disciplinary artists, and making the heritage of knowledge a source of national creativity.

“The Mega Festival Indonesia Bertutur embraces all groups to promote cultural locality within a sustainable ecosystem. By involving more than 900 cultural practitioners from 15 countries, I am optimistic that this cultural festival will be enjoyed by all generations,” said Mahendra in Jakarta.

The Artistic Director of Indonesia Bertutur 2024, Melati Suryodarmo, stated that this festival invites cultural practitioners to raise knowledge related to food sources and agrarian life in Indonesia, paying attention to the harmonization between humans, nature, and God.

In line with this, the Director of the Indonesia Bertutur 2024 Festival, Taba Sanchabakhtiar, hopes that this festival will provide a new experience for the community in exploring the diversity of the nation's arts and culture.

“Supported by the design of the area in three locations, the involvement of more than 900 cultural practitioners collaborating, and 100 works to be displayed, it is hoped that this festival can build dialogue and explore inspiration from local knowledge and Indonesia's cultural heritage,” concluded Taba.

The icon of Indonesia Bertutur 2024, Dian Sastrowardoyo, expressed her appreciation for being involved in the production of works as well as being a figure for Indonesia Bertutur 2024. Dian hopes this program will be a good start for advancing and developing national culture.

“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to be involved as the Icon of Indonesia Bertutur 2024 and to produce film works that will later be showcased. I hope this will be a good start for advancing and developing Indonesian culture on national and international stages, now and in the future,” Dian concluded.

The Indonesia Bertutur 2024 festival will feature eight main programs inviting the community to explore various forms of arts and culture. These programs include Kathanaya, Visaraloka, Ekayana and Anarta, Layarambha, Samaya Sastra, Kiranamaya, and Virama.

For 12 days, this festival will be open for free to the entire community at eight locations in Bali. The festival opening will be held on August 7, 2024, at the Chandra Muka Batubulan Field, while the Intur program in Ubud will take place from August 8-18 at five different venues, and a series of activities on Peninsula Island, Nusa Dua, will occur from August 14-18, 2024.

Indonesia Bertutur 2024 is the result of collaboration between Kemendikbudristek and various stakeholders, including InJourney Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) which supports the event locations in Nusa Dua, as well as collaboration with cross-disciplinary artists.[*]