Perfoming Arts and Visual Arts Studies
The Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR), Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada was established in 1991. This study program is the first art master's study program in Indonesia. The emergence of this study program is caused by times of need, where scholars are mandatory to continue their education at a master level. This is urgent because of the regulation of the Ministry of Education for undergraduate teaching staff. However, historical records articulate there were no arts' masters and doctorates in Indonesia in 1984. The impact of the condition, the university teaching staff obligate to take further education abroad. Meanwhile, this condition is quite difficult to reach for the majority of the teaching staff at the arts campus. According to condition, creating a arts' master degree in Indonesia was necessary at that time. The unique fact, the study program was not created on an arts campus, but it was created at a university that they did not have an arts program. Regarding talks with the Director-General of Higher Education (DIKTI), Prof. Dr. Soekardji Ranuwiharjo, the study program--that is planned by Dr. Soedarsono--could be held at Gadjah Mada University (UGM). Qualified knowledge, works of literature, and lecturers are the reasons why UGM selected as an organizer. DIKTI believes that UGM would enrich and criticize the development of arts in the future. However, the pre-study program is entrusted to the Department of History, Faculty of Letters, UGM. Dr. Soedarsono--as head of the program--does not refer to a particular department, such as dance, music, theatre, and so on; but he merges these disciplines into the study of the performing arts.
In 1986, this initiative was going well. From year to year, the number of students increases significantly. The education background of the students is not only from art campus in Yogyakarta but also from ASKI Padang Panjang and UPI Bandung. In the third year, the number of students reached 100 and in the fourth year, the number of registered students is 200 people. Regarding that reality, the enthusiasm of students for this study program is enormous. The impact of enthusiasm, the study program is separated from History, Faculty of Letters, UGM in 1991. Dr. Soedarsono named the study program, Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (Pengkajian Seni Pertunjukan dan Seni Rupa a.k.a. PSPSR). This program was officially established after the issuance of the Decree of the Director-General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia No. 07 / Dikti / Kep. / 1991. Meanwhile, the interest in visual arts was also declared in 1995. At that time, there are two classes, the Yogyakarta class and the Jakarta class. In the Jakarta class, Univ. Tarumanegara, Univ. Trisakti, and the Jakarta Art Institute were the educational background of students. When the Jakarta class has been operated for only a few years, all teaching and learning process are conducted in Yogyakarta. In 2006, the program was transferred to the Graduate school (SPS) under the decision letter of the University rector: No.89/P/SK/HT/2006. The program continues to realize its vision, mission, goals, and objectives as well as adjusting with the multidisciplinary frame as the twist of the graduate program (SPS).
Prof. Dr. R.M. Soedarsono led the study program from 1991 to 2003. After the era of Prof. Soedarsono, Prof. Dr. Timbul Haryono, M.Sc. led the study program from 2004 to 2012. During Prof. Dr. Timbul Haryono, M.Sc., the vision and mission of the study program are quite similar to that of its predecessor study program. In 2013, the head of the study program was continued by Dr. G.R. Lono Lastoro Simatupang, M.A. He was helped by Dr. Rr. Paramitha Dyah F., M.Hum. as the secretary of the study program. During the era of Dr. G.R. Lono Lastoro Simatupang, M.A., "arts and beyond" has become a critical paradigm to reveal and articulate the power of art. New courses have made, such as arts and gender, arts and politics, arts and tourism, and also performance theories. It has been more than twenty-five years that Gadjah Mada University has pioneered and provided Arts' postgraduate education in Indonesia. The Study Program has graduated more than 600 alumnus and alumna at the master level and doctoral level. The alumni come from universities in various parts of Indonesia with various fields of art, as well as from various gender and ethnic backgrounds.