Promoting Cultural Advancement in the Digital Era
Jakarta - The rapid development of digital technology and social media has significantly changed the landscape of art and culture. Art and culture in the digital era have transcended physical and geographical boundaries, creating new spaces for expression, exploration, and cultural promotion. In this context, pop promotional strategies have become one of the important strategies to stimulate cultural advancement in the digital era.
Cultural promotion (publication) is one of the important tasks mandated by Law Number 5 of 2017 on Cultural Advancement. Whether as a means of protection or in various ways of utilizing each cultural advancement object, promotion plays a crucial role. The promotional strategies used in the digital era require agility in facing the dynamics of social change and the ability to respond to the needs, interests, and consumption patterns of various generations. Through a combination of engaging promotional content (audio, video, text, and graphics) and innovative approaches, the expansion of cultural dialogue spaces can be realized, which forms the basis of a powerful strategy to stimulate cultural advancement in the digital era.
Djoko Waluyo, in his notes published in the Semi-Scientific Popular Mass Communication Magazine by the Human Resource Development and Research Communication and Informatics Agency (BPSDMP Kominfo), stated that local culture needs to be preserved and passed on to younger generations through traditional art performances adapted to the times and the demands of today's society, including traditional art performances through social media. Although utilizing contemporary mediums, traditional art should still be introduced with wise steps while maintaining its traditional values and various attributes attached to that traditional art.
In line with Djoko, the promotion of pop culture arts in the digital era has great potential to revitalize various traditions that are on the verge of extinction, connect generations, and advance local culture from a global perspective. However, this effort needs to be balanced with awareness of the challenges that arise, as well as efforts to ensure that its authentic values can be converted to remain relevant in the rapidly changing digital era.
A survey by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) shows that internet users in Indonesia reached 215.63 million people in the 2022-2023 period. This means that the opportunity to spread art and culture to all segments of Indonesian society through the internet is enormous.
Pop Cultural Arts Promotion
Social media, online video platforms, and various content-sharing applications allow artists, cultural figures, and even content creators to reach a wider audience without the constraints of time and space. An effective strategy is to leverage trending topics and memes, combine them with cultural elements, and create socially relevant content.
Pop promotions will certainly attract the attention of the millennial and Z generations—who have high exposure to technology. Content such as viral challenges, cultural memes, or parodies with local elements can go viral quickly and raise awareness about certain cultures. An example is the phenomenon trend "Goyang Dua Jari" or "Jerusalem Dance Challenge" which has been successfully adopted in cultural events to connect the audience with local values through familiar media.
Another successful example of a popular arts and culture strategy in the digital era is when the Cultural Media Center of the Directorate General of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) launched the film Nyantrik on Monday, August 7, 2023, at the Ki Narto Sabdo Art Building, Raden Saleh Cultural Park, Semarang City. This film is broadcast serially on the Indonesiana TV cultural channel.
Directed by Lasja F. Susatyo, Nyantrik features young actors and actresses including Kelly Tandiono, Samo Rafael, Clara Bernadeth, Karina Salim, Ravil Prasetya, Omara Esteghlal, Tatyana Akman, Cindy Nirmala, and Daniel Adnan as cantrik (students). They learn and delve into the art of acting in the Mahabharata from maestros such as Kenthus Ampiranto from Wayang Orang Bharata Jakarta, Ali Marsudi from Wayang Orang RRI Surakarta, Wasi Bantolo, a lecturer at ISI Surakarta, Agus Prasetyo from Wayang Orang Sriwedari Surakarta, and Nanang Hape as the scriptwriter and puppeteer.
The Nyantrik miniseries was created as a response to the concern over the widening gap between classical traditional arts and the younger generation. Fragments of the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics, rich in wise advice, are packaged in an engaging and entertaining manner with a blend of visual technology, yet still with a touch of distinctive classical art.
“This strategic program of Indonesiana TV is expected to play an important role in the development and utilization of culture. As a media platform, Indonesiana TV serves as a bridge between traditional arts and the current generation,” said the Director General of Culture at Kemendikbudristek, Hilmar Farid.
The film has also received appreciation from the Governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo. According to him, through a film that synthesizes several processes of the development of wayang orang, it presents beautiful visuals with an interesting narrative so that the public can consume traditional arts in a fresh way without losing its roots. Through Nyantrik, young generations learn art and culture from the wayang orang stage.
Furthermore, Indonesiana TV has created a platform to combine cultural traditions with digital innovations through various cultural activities such as virtual festivals, online traditional music concerts, and digital art exhibitions. Indonesiana TV has successfully built a bridge to cultural heritage for the millennial and Z generations who tend to interact through gadgets.
The activities presented are also not trivial. These activities integrate traditional elements with modern technology, for example, utilizing 3D visualization or augmented reality to recreate cultural artifacts or historical sites. This provides an interactive and immersive experience for the public in helping them feel and understand better about the nation's cultural heritage.
Educational and Informative Programming: Revitalizing Cultural Heritage
In addition to various cultural activities, educational and informative programming also plays an important role in the popular arts and culture strategy in the digital era. Indonesiana TV has gone further by presenting content such as the film Nyantrik, the animated wayang program Desa Timun, and stories of local traditions and cultures from the archipelago.
In an era where audiovisual content increasingly dominates, films like Nyantrik have great potential to convey cultural messages to a broader audience. Similarly, the animated wayang program Desa Timun packages folklore in an attractive and modern animation style. Such initiatives help to “revive” various traditional tales and teachings to remain relevant for younger generations. Because if not introduced to the public through digital media, such traditional arts are at risk of not developing and gradually becoming extinct.
Stories of local history and culture presented through digital programming provide a deeper understanding of cultural roots and national identity. This is important in the context of globalization, where local cultures are often marginalized by global culture. By understanding the origins and values held by their ancestors, younger generations can feel more connected to their heritage and more motivated to preserve it.
The popular arts and culture strategy in the digital era can stimulate cultural advancement in engaging and relevant ways for the millennial and Z generations. Through pop promotions, cultural activities, educational and informative programming, online media platforms successfully bridge the gap between modern technology and cultural heritage. In an increasingly digitally connected world, such strategies have great potential to preserve and revitalize our culture while continuing to encourage various innovations and creative expressions.