Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) actively engages in various art and heritage activities, encompassing annual events, routine programs, and ad-hoc initiatives.
Annual Events
An annual event, Gelanggang Expo (GeLex UGM), introduces students to various Student Activity Units (UKM) and communities at UGM. It is held at the start of each academic year, typically around August. It features performances and information booths, facilitating student involvement in arts, sports, and special interest groups. In 2022, GeLex featured a collaborative stage performance by Student Activity Units, adapting the Ramayana wayang story with a blend of classical and contemporary arts. The performance involved 100 performers and was attended by 15,000 students. That year, GeLex also encouraged visitors to wear traditional fabrics to promote traditional attire.
UGM’s Faculty of Philosophy has been conducting an annual activity to promote Karawitan, a Javanese musical tradition using Gamelan. The activity in the year 2022 is the Karawitan Festival Faculty of Philosophy UGM and was part of the Faculty Dies Natalis. In the year 2024, a Temanggung Karawitan Festival was organised in collaboration with the Temanggung Regency’s Department of Culture and Tourism. This festival aims to preserve and promote karawitan in the community.
Routine Programs
Tour De Heritage UGM, conducted by the UGM Museum, is a program that introduces participants to the university’s cultural heritage sites. Participants tour significant locations on campus, such as Grha Sabha Pramana, the Main Office, and historical sites within the Faculty of Biology. The program aims to raise awareness of UGM’s rich cultural assets. UGM Museum also supports UGM’s contribution to art and heritage by providing free access to the Museum from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm.
The UGM Museum offers an insightful journey into the university’s historical milestones, academic achievements, and enduring impact on society. Its collections encompass a diverse array of artefacts and memorabilia that reflect UGM’s identity and legacy. Details of the museum’s exhibition can be seen here.
Ad-Hoc Initiatives
The performances and cultural activities are archived in the UGM Cultural Heritage Presevation website page with daily updates. In monthly basis, more than five cultural activities are reported.
In October 2024, UGM’s visual arts unit organised an art exhibition themed around “Jamu,” a traditional Indonesian herbal medicine called Jejamuan Art Project. The exhibition featured artworks interpreting the current state and future development of the Jamu tradition, aiming to raise public awareness about its cultural significance.
Universitas Gadjah Mada
In August 2024, UGM’s Department of History hosted a summer school focusing on building community-based historical consciousness. The Summer School on Critical Heritage at UGM included lectures and fieldwork at various heritage sites, fostering discussions on decolonising heritage and creating relevant heritage communities.
On August 8, 2024, Researchers from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (DTETI) UGM, showcased an innovative fusion of traditional Indonesian music and modern technology in the Yogyakarta Gamelan Festival. The performance was the debut of Gameltron Evo, an electronic gamelan that simplifies the traditional gamelan ensemble into a more compact and accessible form, allowing multiple gamelan instruments to be played simultaneously on a single device.
These activities reflect UGM’s commitment to preserving and promoting cultural heritage and the arts, engaging both the university community and the public through diverse programs and events. Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) actively engages in various art and heritage activities, encompassing annual events, routine programs, and ad-hoc initiatives.
References:
- Gelanggang Expo UGM
- Cultural Heritage Preservation UGM
- Karawitan Festival Faculty of Philosophy UGM
- Temanggung Karawitan Festival
- Jejamuan Art Project
- Summer School on Critical Heritage at UGM
- Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing (FK-KMK) UGM Holds Music Concert
- HI Art and Music Festival: Music Festival
- UGM KKN Students Hold Plumpang Selayang Festival
- The Annual Gadjah Mada Festival 2022 Packs a Modern Cultural Concept
- UGM PSM Annual Concert 2022 “Renjanakala”
- Performing Angkrek and Gemu Famire Dances
- UGM Residence Holds Cultural Festival