Yogyakarta, 9 October 2026 – The Ullen Institute, in collaboration with the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Program, Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada, organized the “Arts & Culture: International Lecture Series”. The event was held in a hybrid format, taking place both in Meeting Room A, Graduate School building, UGM and via Zoom Meeting. Featuring Prof. Caren Carino from the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Practices (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore) and Joyce Teo, Ph.D. (Cand) from the School of Arts Management (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore), the two-hour session successfully drew a large number of enthusiastic participants eager to engage in discussion. read more

​Yogyakarta, 13 July 2026 – The Doctoral Program in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) successfully hosted a Visiting Professor Lecture on Monday, July 13, 2026. Addressing the topic “Wayang as Heritage: From Performing Art to Object of Contemplation and Immersive Experience”, the public lecture featured a prominent wayang expert from the University of Connecticut, Prof. Matthew Isaac Cohen, Ph.D., as the keynote speaker.

​The event, hosted by Indra Bulan, a doctoral student of PSPSR UGM serving as the Master of Ceremonies (MC), was open to the public and conducted in a hybrid format. Attendees gathered in person at Room 406, 4th Floor of the UGM Graduate School Building, while others joined virtually via the Zoom Meeting platform. read more

Yogyakarta, 25 Juni 2026 – The Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Program (PSPSR), Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, held its Forum 35 #2 under the theme “Formulating Nusantara Color Aesthetics: Rediscovering the Richness of Traditional Colors in the Modern Era.” The event was organized as part of the PSPSR UGM Anniversary series, serving as a cross-disciplinary meeting space for art, science, technology, and culture.

Held in a hybrid format via Zoom, this public forum captured deep attention from all participants. The discussion was highly interactive, particularly during the question-and-answer session. The event featured a Professor from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering UGM, Prof. Dr. Ir. Edia Rahayuningsih, M.S., IPU., as the keynote speaker. In her presentation, the expert—who focuses on the production and application of natural textile dyes—emphasized the importance of preserving natural colorants. According to her, this Nusantara traditional heritage is not only aesthetically valuable but also offers a tangible solution to health and environmental sustainability issues. read more

On Thursday, 30th April 2026, the Academic Sharing Session was conducted in the afternoon, organized by the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Program of the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada. This activity is a part of the PSPSR S3 student academic forum designed to promote research and facilitate cross-perspective dialogue. This event is scheduled to take place once a month. In this session, two speakers were featured: Kadek Primayudi, with his topic “Desain Grafis Vernakular: Penguatan Identitas Lokal”, and Anwar Hidayat, with his research title “Negosiasi Estetika dan Ergonomi dalam Ekonomi Simbolik: Studi Kasus Sepatu Kulit Keewa Yogyakarta”. This event was also attended by Dr. Paramitha Dyah Fitriasari, S.Ant., M.Hum., as Head of the Master’s Program. This program is also supported by Dr. Sri Margana, M.Hum. (M.Phil.), Head of the Doctoral Program in Performing and Visual Arts Studies. Approximately 20 doctoral students in the PSPSR program attended this session. We hope that the Academic Sharing Session program will continue to expand students’ knowledge, serve as a platform for them to prepare for the study stage, and continue to foster their research progress. read more

​​The Graduate Program in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) at Universitas Gadjah Mada held its inaugural discussion series, Forum 35 #1, titled “Practice-Based Research” on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 10:00 AM. Hosted in Room 407 on the 4th floor of the UGM Graduate School (SPs) Building, this event is part of the series celebrating the 35th Anniversary (Dies Natalis) of PSPSR UGM.

The event was officially opened by the Head of the PSPSR Master’s Program, Dr. Rr. Paramitha Dyah Fitriasari, M.Hum. This forum featured Dr. G. R. Lono Lastoro Simatupang, M.A. as the keynote speaker. During the session, Dr. Lono elaborated on the concepts of practice-based research and practice-led research, highlighting the fundamental differences between the two methodologies. read more

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 Dr. 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. read more

On October 29, 2025, the fourth Forum Rabu Wagen took place at the Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Featuring two Doctoral program students as speakers and attended by about 10 students of the performing arts and visual arts studies program. The first speaker, Ashar Murdihastomo, with the title of his presentation, Perubahan Visual Arca Batu Siwa Mahadewa Abad ke 14-15 Masehi di Jawa: Kajian atas Ketidakhadiran Ikon Khusus Tokoh Dewa, provided in-depth knowledge sharing on the topic. The second speaker was Anon Suneko with the topic title, Gending Pakualaman Yogyakarta Periode Paku Alam IX – Awal Dekade Paku Alam X: Garap dan Identitas. This is an interesting topic that has attracted students who want to delve further into related areas. Through this forum session, students can not only understand new topics in art studies but also be inspired to improve the quality of their studies, enabling them to make new contributions in their fields. This once-a-month event will be held again this November with two more speakers who will share their latest research results. This activity supports SDG 4 – Quality Education, by fostering academic dialogue and knowledge sharing among doctoral students, encouraging research development, and enhancing the quality of higher education in the arts. (Hajar Aznam)
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Delfin Febriansyah, a PSPSR student, achieved a remarkable accomplishment by being selected as a participant in the Indo-Tekno Scenography Workshop 2025. This intensive three-day workshop took place from September 25 to 27, 2025, at the UGM Creativity and Innovation Arena, featuring three prominent scenography experts from the University of Melbourne: Matt Scott, Martyn Coutts, and Anna Cordingley.

This innovative workshop explored the synthesis between lighting, digital media, projection, sets, and costumes in creating captivating scenographic worlds. This integrated approach serves as the key to developing the modern performing arts industry that combines technology with traditional aesthetics. read more

The 3rd Forum Rabu Wagen session was held on September 17, 2025. Two speakers from the Doctoral Program in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) at UGM were presenting their current research progress. The first speaker is Agustinus Sani Aryanto, with his topic “De(Re)Sakralisasi Gamelan Gambang: Pergulatan Musik Tradisi Bali,” where he discusses the important process of preserving and revitalising the Gamelan Gambang. It’s such an interesting discussion where the participant actively engaged with the issue that had been brought up. The second speaker is Hanafi Husni Mubaroq with his topic Pengembangan Konsep Ergonomi yang Komprehensif terhadap Parameter Keberhasilan Museum sebagai Wahana Edukasi Publik. read more

Yogyakarta, September 19th, 2025 – The Master’s Program in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) at Universitas Gadjah Mada, in collaboration with Prof. Scott Thurston and Dr. Joanna Omylinska-Thurston from the University of Salford, held the “Interlude Space: Expressive Arts for Well-Being” workshop. This event was part of the Arts for the Blues parallel session, an initiative focused on utilizing art as a medium for self-reflection and healing.

The workshop was a collaboration between Teman Ketjil, a program initiated by PSPSR UGM students (Dharajatya Tri Paramatatwai, Namira Azzahra, and Yohanna Simanjutak), and two facilitators from the University of Salford: Prof. Scott Thurston and Dr. Joanna Omylinska-Thurston. read more