Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) Doctoral Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada held a guest lecture series titled “History and Memory Making Through Arts and Performance”. The event took place on April 6–7, 2026, at Meeting Room A of the Graduate School Building and Room 407 UGM, featuring Dr. Sadiah Boonstra as the keynote speaker. Dr. Boonstra, a Research Fellow at UGM and Honorary Fellow at Melbourne University, presented crucial material on “Politics at Play: Indonesian Wayang and Heritage Politics”. read more

Krisna Tama, one of the Master’s students from the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada, presented his research at the 5th Faculty of Education Annual Conference. Hosted by Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) on April 1–2, 2026, the conference carried the theme “Transforming Education for Future Generations: Advancing Global Justice and Innovation.”

The conference was a prestigious international gathering that attracted academic interest from across the globe. According to the Dean of the Faculty of Education at UIII, the committee received 129 abstracts and 17 full papers from seven countries, including Afghanistan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Romania, Singapore, and the United States. After a rigorous blind peer-review process, 62 final papers from Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia were selected for presentation. The conference also featured world-class keynote speakers from renowned institutions, including Union College (USA), the University of Edinburgh (UK), the Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (Thailand), and the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. read more

Sleman, February, 10 2026, Ullen Sentalu Museum, in collaboration with the Kedhaton Museum of the Yogyakarta Palace, The British Museum, and PSPSR UGM, hosted International Museum Forum, centered on the theme “Heritagisation of Museum Collections”. Held from 09:30 to 12:00 WIB, this bilingual event served as a strategic platform for international experts to discuss the future of cultural preservation.

​The theme of Heritagisation aims to make museum artifacts and objects ‘breathe alive’. This process transcends static exhibitions, involving in-depth research, re-interpretation, performing arts, and comprehensive proceedings documentation. read more

February 4, 2025 – On 4 February 2026, Two students from the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Master’s Program, Universitas Gadjah Mada, participated in CREAFTA 2026 conference: International Conference on Creative Practices in Film, Theatre and Animation. This conference is being held in a hybrid format (physical and online) by the Faculty of Film, Theater, and Animation, Universiti Teknologi Islam Malaysia (UiTM) Malaysia, from February 3-4, 2026.

The conference theme is “Innovation, Culture, and Collaboration in the Creative Arts” as an effort to reach out and observe the development of creative arts practices across countries today. The conference discuss several aspects, such as technological innovation intersecting with artistic practice, the role of art in discussing cultural identity, collaborative practices in the creative industry, sustainability and the future direction of art, as well as the creative industry and cultural policies that influence the development of art. The keynote speaker at this conference: Emeritus Professor Dr. Azizah Hamzah (Malaysia) and the Plenary Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Angelo Leonard Yu (Philippines). read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

December 2025 – On December 13, 2025, four students from the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Master’s Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada participated in INCARTURE: International Conference on Arts and Culture 2025. Hosted by the Postgraduate Program at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts and Culture (ISBI) Bandung, the conference was held at Universitas Mandiri Bandung.

​The event carried the theme “Strengthening Creativity in the Digital Era: Art, Education, and Culture” and featured five keynote speakers: Prof. Endang Caturwati, S.ST., MS. (Indonesia), Prof. Arsenio Nicolas (Thailand), Prof. Dr. Een Herdiani, S.Sen., M.Hum. (Indonesia), Prof. Urip Sulistyo, Ph.D. (Indonesia), and Prof. Valentin Yakushik (Ukraine). read more

On 19 November 2025, PORSENIGAMA once again provided a platform for Universitas Gadjah Mada students to showcase their best abilities in sports and the arts. This annual event not only promotes healthy competition but also enhances appreciation for diverse cultural expressions and student creativity.

This year, the Master’s Program in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) achieved another outstanding milestone. Ni Luh Sinta Dewi Sriantini, a PSPSR student from the 2025 Odd Semester cohort, won First Place in the Traditional Painting category. Her artwork, titled “Retakan Itu Aku” (“I Am the Fracture”), was distinguished for its powerful visual presence, technical precision, and profound personal meaning conveyed through a mature artistic approach. read more

The series of events at PORSENIGAMA 2025, held on 19 November 2025, once again highlighted the intense enthusiasm of Universitas Gadjah Mada students in expressing artistic and cultural talents. This event serves as an important platform to celebrate creative diversity and strengthen artistic expression within the academic environment.

In the arts category, the Master’s Program in Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) earned another achievement through Ketawang Ganda Mastuti, a student from the 2024 Even Semester cohort, who won Third Place in the Keroncong Vocal Performance category. Ketawang’s performance stood out for her mastery of keroncong’s musical character, the quality of her vocal interpretation, and her ability to maintain the genre’s traditional essence presenting it in a fresh and engaging format.  read more