"I have spoken in depth with the president on May 17. I sought his presence to open the parade and the Bali Arts Party (PKB). Until now, he was scheduled for both," Bali Governor Wayan Koster remarked during a meeting. The press statement was related to preparations for holding the 41st PKB in Denpasar on Monday.
Speaking in connection with President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) arrival in Bali, Koster stated that it was also apparent from the invitation of the Presidential Palace Protocol, calling on the Bali Provincial Culture Service to be present in Jakarta on Tuesday (June 11) for the Bali Arts Festival.
"We pray that he encounters no obstacles in coming to Bali," the governor from Sembiran Village, Buleleng Regency, noted.
Koster revealed that Jokowi was being accompanied by First Lady Iriana as well as their children and grandchildren during his visit to the "Island of the Gods." Moreover, Iriana had planned to invite 15 wives of ministers of the Working Cabinet.
Koster confirmed that the president will open the parade and PKB, to be held from June 15 to July 13. This also symbolizes the high regard that the Balinese people have for Jokowi for whom they had voted during the April 17 election.
"I told the president that he had won, even with a victory of 91.68 percent, being the highest among all provinces in Indonesia," he stated in the company of Head of the Bali Provincial Cultural Service I Wayan Adnyana.
This year's Bali Arts Festival is themed "Bayu Pramana: Glorifying Wind Resources" that celebrates wind as a source of life and puts the spotlight on energy power and the power of the universal elements of air, wind, and others.
Performances, exhibitions, workshops, gatherings, and competitions are focused and integrated with the central theme of PKB.
"Starting this year, the theme and content of the program must be synchronous and harmonious. There are no themes that only become sweetener, whereas the contents of the program remain monotonous from year-to-year," he pointed out.
Koster noted that the 41st PKB was also marked by the revival of the traditional village-based "sebunan" art. Giving space to "sebunan" art aims to strengthen the preservation of traditional arts of the community to support the customs, religion, tradition, and other local wisdom.
In the meantime, Head of the Bali Provincial Culture Office I Wayan Adnyana stated that the PKB parade in front of the Bali People's Struggle Monument will be attended by 4,370 participants comprising ambassadors of nine regencies and cities in Bali, ISI contingent Denpasar, SMK 3 Sukawati Gianyar, participants from outside the regions and abroad, ISBI Tanah Papua, Department of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports of Sumenep Regency, East Java, and those from the People's Republic of China.
The PKB will be opened at 20:00 WITA at the Ardha Candra Open Stage, Taman Budaya Province of Bali and will also be enlivened by the "Bali Padma Bhuwana" Dance Oratory from ISI Denpasar.
"The PKB, to be held for a month, will feature 220 performances, with some seven performances daily, enlivened by 11 foreign art ambassadors and 21 artistic performances from various regions in the archipelago along with 38 types of competitions, 10 workshops, and so on," Adnyana, who is also an ISI Denpasar academics, stated.
Translator: Eliswan Azly
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
