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AUSTRALIA - JAKARTA. MELBOURNE — After more than three years of dimmed artistic activity in Yogyakarta due to the pandemic storm, the cultural connection between Indonesia and Australia is reigniting. From Melbourne, a significant program has been launched: IndoTekno, a flagship initiative of the University of Melbourne specifically designed to elevate the professionalism of Indonesian art workers to the international stage.
“The collaboration between the State Government of Victoria and the Special Region Government of Yogyakarta is being held again this year. The University of Melbourne, ISI Yogyakarta, and Gadjah Mada University are once again part of this crucial collaboration circle,” said Kate Ben-Tovim, Co-Director Training World Lead IndoTekno Program University of Melbourne, when met at her office in Melbourne, Thursday (20/11).
Kate vividly recalls how cultural activities in both regions came to a halt due to Covid-19 in 2020–2022. Many artists lost their expressive spaces, stages were empty, studios were dim. Therefore, this year's program is deliberately designed to revive the creative spaces that were once dormant.
“We created a cultural hub in Yogyakarta. The activities range from production standardization, technical training, to performances that meet international standards. There is even a professional certification that we encourage so that Indonesian artists can compete at the global level,” said Kate.
In Yogyakarta, this series of activities directly touched the heart of the art ecosystem. Stage workers, production managers, to lighting and sound engineers were trained with industry methods applicable in major Australian theaters. The culmination was a joint festival held as a showcase and a professional practice laboratory.
This collaboration is also strengthened by Asialink, a cultural institution under the University of Melbourne. Sabrina Estelita Alday, Program Lead Art & Culture Asialink, said that cooperation with the Indonesian art community is an essential part of the people-to-people relationship between the two countries.
“We are working with Padepokan Seni Bagong Kussudiardja in Yogyakarta. In addition, there is a similar program in Makassar. This is our way of building a real cultural relationship, not just a ceremony,” said Sabrina.
Asialink also brought this activity format to other countries, including Malaysia, and has showcased the results in an art festival in Tasmania.
Not only through Asialink, but support also comes from the broader University of Melbourne art ecosystem. The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), a leading art faculty under the university, regularly opens spaces for Indonesian artists through exhibitions, film screenings, academic visits, and short residencies. VCA is known as a creative education center that produces filmmakers, theater practitioners, dancers, musicians, and visual artists who open international collaboration spaces.
Meanwhile, Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta (UGM) continues to be involved in creative dialogue with the University of Melbourne through academic forums and joint research. This network is what makes Yogyakarta and Melbourne have a strong foundation in the exchange of art ideas and practices.
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The IndoTekno program itself becomes a crucial point to raise the standard of show production in Indonesia. For four weeks, Indonesian stage technicians attended an intensive workshop on the Melbourne campus, learning directly from Victoria art companies and world-class industry tutors. They returned home with technical knowledge, managerial skills, and international networks.
The ultimate goal is clear: to give birth to a new generation of Indonesian art workers capable of managing performances with global standard professionalism.
Through this cross-country collaboration, Yogyakarta is once again becoming a center of vibrant artistic energy. And Melbourne, with its series of training and industry support, is present as a partner that helps push Indonesian artists to stand tall on the world stage.
With the spirit of "we rise together", the return of this collaboration is not just about art—it's about hope, sustainability, and the revival of a creative ecosystem that was once nearly halted.
