Children of West Sumatra Caring for World Heritage: Curatorial Introduction to Galanggang Arang Pamenan Anak 2024
HELATAN cultural event Galanggang Arang Pamenan Anak with the theme "Children of West Sumatra Caring for World Heritage" serves as a meeting space for diverse creativity to distribute knowledge and instill awareness and responsibility towards the Ombilin Sawahlunto Coal Mining Heritage (WTBOS) to the younger generation.
Held from August 17-22, 2024, at the Adityawarman Museum and the West Sumatra Cultural Park Gallery, this program places children and teenagers as the main actors in understanding, interpreting, and caring for the cultural heritage they possess. Through a participatory approach, this activity is designed to introduce WTBOS as part of their cultural identity, while also reinforcing inclusive and critical nationalism values. The recognition of WTBOS as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO is not merely an acknowledgment of the historical and industrial technological values inherited, but also about the complexity of narratives intertwined in the social, cultural, and environmental dynamics in West Sumatra. For children and teenagers, understanding WTBOS is not just about learning historical facts, but about how to internalize values that teach the importance of collective responsibility towards cultural preservation. This event attempts to invite children to move away from the colonial perspective that often dominates the discourse of world heritage, towards a local narrative that strengthens their sense of ownership of the living history around them.
One of the activities, the WTBOS Galanggang Arang Exploration, is designed as an educational tour involving participants from the Padang City Children's Forum and students from SMK Negeri 4 Padang. The locations visited include the Adityawarman Museum, the Old Town area of Padang, the Pulau Aia Station, and the Silo Gunung in Teluk Bayur as part of Zone C of WTBOS, which are sites that not only hold traces of past history but also serve as spaces for children to connect historical values with their current life context. At each location, participants are invited to observe and express their understanding through stories, drawings, and sketches, giving them the opportunity to reflect on these sites. This activity allows participants to engage directly in the process of historical appreciation in an immersive and interactive way.
In addition to the educational tour, the Learning Together with the Museum activity offers three classes that provide a creative space for children to develop their hands-on skills and imagination. The clay art workshop, which is one of the main classes, teaches basic techniques for shaping objects by hand, which in this context is tailored to the theme of WTBOS. Participants also learn about the importance of recycling in the waste-based craft class, a subject that emphasizes not only creativity but also environmental awareness, which is an important issue in discussions about post-mining impacts. The storytelling class, guided by Uda Obee and the Golin Kundang monkey puppet, introduces children to local narratives through the stories of Bara, Mak Itam, and WTBOS. These stories are chosen to connect children with the complexities of history through a simple yet meaningful approach.
Another part of this activity is the art exhibition at the West Sumatra Cultural Park Gallery showcasing the works of children and teenagers who participated in the WTBOS Galanggang Arang Exploration and the Learning Together with the Museum workshops. Not only does this serve as a space for appreciating children's artwork, but the exhibition also features sketches from Body Dharma artists highlighting the themes of trains and WTBOS properties. Additionally, there are works from children of Sanggar Kancil as well as collective memory photos and videos from the West Sumatra Children's Forum about WTBOS attributes. All works in this art and photo exhibition reflect a collective effort to instill values of history, identity, and pride in children through accessible and understandable artistic media.
Galanggang Arang Pamenan Anak also presents a performance featuring the Saandiko music group with traditional-based compositions played by children. The Indonesian Children's Dance Studio and SLB Hikmah Reformasi also perform Minang creative dance works involving children with disabilities, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in preserving and caring for traditions. The creative dance performances are no longer just about entertainment but also convey a strong message that cultural heritage belongs to everyone, regardless of background or physical limitations.
This program also enriches children's experiences with film screenings about WTBOS and the cultural heritage of West Sumatra, as well as a joint exercise attended by 500 early childhood education children from Padang City. During the event, drawing and craft classes are open for free to children, providing a platform for them to create without limitations. Every activity designed in this event invites children to actively engage and naturally internalize the values intended to be conveyed.
Children as Heirs
In the curatorial context, Galanggang Arang Pamenan Anak adopts an ethnographic approach that focuses on local narratives while not overlooking crucial issues such as the environmental impacts of post-mining. Through this activity, children are not only introduced to the history of WTBOS but are also invited to understand how this world heritage has direct relevance to their lives. They are taught that history and culture are living and dynamic entities, and that they play an important role in keeping this heritage relevant and sustainable.
By exploring local narratives and adopting an empowering approach for many cultural actors, this activity seeks to reverse the dominance of colonial discourse that often marginalizes local perspectives in the discourse of world heritage. Children are invited to understand that WTBOS is not merely a historical site viewed from an external perspective, but an integral part of their identity rich in local cultural values, courage, and togetherness. Through this process, they are expected to grow with the awareness that they are heirs, guardians of the future of the cultural heritage they possess, with a sense of pride and responsibility attached.
The meeting space of Galanggang Arang Pamenan Anak 2024 emphasizes the importance of a creative, interactive, and inclusive approach in teaching children about their cultural heritage. Cultural heritage such as WTBOS is an invaluable asset that must not only be preserved but also interpreted and revitalized through the perspectives of future generations. Children of West Sumatra are invited to care for, understand, and celebrate this world heritage, not only for local pride but also as a contribution to the richness of global culture. [*]
*This article is an official press release for the Galanggang Arang 2024 event.