“We look forward to more collaborations, as relations between Indonesia and the UK in musical talent have actually been realized. I am pleased to say that two musical talents have made their debut in London,” Umar said in the ministry's statement here on Wednesday.
She also said the cultural encounter between Indonesia and the UK through a contemporary dance performance by disabled dancers titled Factory Devotion, presented by Indonesian dancer Arif Setyo Budi (Arif Onelegz) and British dancer Lauren Russell, successfully created a path for both cultures to meet.
She added that her side is committed to following up on meetings with the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to establish concrete cooperation.
“Our visit to DCMS was very promising, and there are concrete plans starting next January as ‘teams on the ground’ in both countries are ready to work together,” she said.
The performance by Arif Onelegz and Lauren Russell shows a form of sustainable collaboration.
The Connections Through Culture (CTC) program initiated by the British Council aims to foster relationships and collaborations among artists, creative practitioners, and arts institutions from the UK and Indonesia.
Through this grant, many Indonesian artists have gained international networking opportunities and collaborated on innovative projects.
Some of them even had the chance to showcase their works in the UK, such as artist Melati Suryodarmo, who held an exhibition titled Passionate Pilgrim at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham in 2023, paving the way for Indonesian talent to gain global recognition and enrich cultural dialogue.
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Translator: Sinta, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
