Yogyakarta – In an effort to reweave fragments of national identity through the lens of performing arts, the community engagement program entitled “Nusa Budaya”, initiated by the Study Program of Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies, conducted a Plate Dance (Tari Piring) Workshop on 28–29 November 2025. The workshop involved 18 female child participants at Sanggar Savina and was conceived not merely as a transfer of motor skills, but as an initiative to decentralize aesthetics amid the strong dominance of Javanese court dance (pakem kraton) traditions deeply rooted in the region.
The Study Program of Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, organized a batik workshop in collaboration with members of the PKK women’s group of Pringgading Village, Bantul, on 28–29 November 2025. This activity was part of the community engagement program “Nusa Budaya: Narratives for a Cultured Society”, an arts-based initiative aimed at strengthening the creative capacity of rural communities while bridging academic practice with local social dynamics. Through this program, students were encouraged not only to apply theoretical knowledge, but also to critically examine the relevance of artistic scholarship within the context of community empowerment.
The Study Program of Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies, Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, organized a Karawitan (Javanese gamelan) workshop for older adults in Pringgading Village, Bantul, on 28–29 November 2025. Conducted over three days, this activity formed part of the community engagement program “Nusa Budaya: Narratives for a Cultured Society”, an initiative that positions artistic practice as a medium for strengthening social relations, transmitting cultural values, and enhancing the quality of life within rural communities. Through this program, students not only examined the social relevance of karawitan scholarship, but also accompanied older adults as active and productive cultural practitioners.
Bantul – The Study Program of Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR), Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), implemented a Community Engagement Program entitled Nusa Budaya, which took place on 28–30 November 2025 in Pringgading, Bantul. This program reaffirmed the role of art not merely as an aesthetic object, but as a living practice (laku) that is deeply rooted in tradition and actively contributes to sustainable community development.
Employing a participatory approach, the PSPSR UGM team initiated three main pillars of activation: a Batik Workshop, a Karawitan (Javanese gamelan) Workshop, and a Plate Dance (Tari Piring) Workshop. These activities were designed as a strategic response to contemporary challenges by repositioning traditional arts as a medium for quality education, cultural identity reinforcement, and inclusive knowledge transfer within the community context.
Magelang, November 15, 2025 – The 2025 Nusantara Arts Innovation Program (PISN) team from the Study Program of Performing Arts and Fine Arts Studies (PSPSR) at Universitas Gadjah Mada successfully revived the Janengan traditional art form, which had been forgotten for 30 years in Teneran Hamlet, Pucungsari Village, Magelang Regency. The 2025 program is supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
The Janengan art form, last performed in 1989, resonated once again through collaboration among academics, artists, and local communities at the Kolaborasa II/2025 Festival held on Saturday afternoon, November 15, 2025. The performance involved 15 male dancers from Sanggar Seni Turonggo Sekar Gadung with a combination of 14 percussion instruments and six vocalists, presenting Islamic devotional songs (selawatan) with Islamic preaching verses blended with contemporary aesthetics.
The Directorate of Visual Arts and Performing Arts, under the Deputy for Cultural Creativity and Design of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency, implemented the SERUIN Program (Akselerasi Seni Rupa Indonesia) in 2025. The second batch of the SERUIN program was specifically designed for artists who are based in or actively working in Yogyakarta. From more than 50 artists recommended by various galleries and art communities in Yogyakarta, four artists were selected through a curatorial process: Febri Anugerah from Sangkasa Gallery, Garis Edelwise from HPAM, Rudi Herdianto from the SAKATO Community, and Tina Wahyuningsih from Sangkasa Gallery.
Magelang, November 22, 2025 — Amidst the cacophony of modernity’s promises, art is often trapped as a silent object, detached from daily life. Responding to this anxiety, students of the Master’s Program in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR), at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), staged an artistic intervention titled “Aisthesis: The Body Between Ruins and Redemption.”
The event, held at Studio Mendut, Magelang, on Saturday afternoon (11/22), was not merely a performance, but an attempt to restore art as a lived practice and a communal altar.
The Doctoral Program in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) held a Dissertation Proposal Coaching Clinic on Saturday–Sunday, 13–14 December 2025. The program, held at The Jayakarta Yogyakarta Hotel, was attended by 15 PSPSR doctoral students who have not yet undertaken the comprehensive examination for their dissertation proposals. This coaching clinic served as an intensive mentoring forum well-structured, convincing, and focused dissertation research proposals.
The Head of the PSPSR Doctoral Program, Budi Irawanto, stated that this was the first time such an activity had been organized and expressed hope that it would become a regular program in the coming years. According to him, the coaching clinic is highly beneficial in helping students understand that a dissertation proposal is not merely a matter of technical writing skills. “The word proposal comes from to propose, which means to apply. A strong and convincing research proposal is not simply a reflection of writing proficiency, but rather of clear lines of thought, solid arguments, and the ability to persuade the proposal’s readers,” he explained. He also emphasized the importance of both substantive and managerial dimensions in proposal writing, including the preparation of a research timeline as a means of realistically managing energy and research focus.
In an effort to strengthen academic cooperation and expand international networks, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) conducted an academic visit to Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) on Monday, 1 December 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (WIB). The visit took place at the Universitas Gadjah Mada campus and was attended by a UiTM delegation led by the Dean, Associate Professor Dr. Wan Aida Wan Yahaya, accompanied by faculty member Dr. Norman.
The visit aimed to explore strategic collaboration opportunities between the two institutions, particularly in the development of cross-border academic programs that support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4 (Quality Education) through inclusive and internationally oriented higher education, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through strengthened global academic partnerships.
Yogyakarta, 27 November 2025 — A total of 21 students from the Graduate Program of Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) participated in a lecture on Art and Education delivered by Bayu Tejo Sampurno, M.A. The session aimed to broaden students’ understanding of the position of art within contemporary educational contexts and to examine the relationship between artistic practice, pedagogy, and sociocultural dynamics.
In his presentation, Bayu Tejo Sampurno emphasized the importance of understanding the current development of art and education, including how educators must cultivate engagement and relevance in their teaching approaches. Creativity-based and student-centered pedagogical strategies were highlighted as key components in effective arts education.