As many as 1,400 students from 33 provinces will attend the 14th National Student Art Week (Peksiminas) in Yogyakarta from 15-21 October. The students will compete in 16 competitions such as dance, vocal group, poetry writing, monologue, painting, and poster design.
Governor of the Province of Yogyakarta Special Region, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, said in his remarks read out by Deputy Head of Cultural Agency Yogyakarta, Singgih Raharjo, the competition in arts was expected to develop the student’s appreciation of arts, literary writing, and painting.
“I think the Peksiminas can add to the student’s knowledge, soft skills and appreciation of arts in a broader spectrum,” said the Governor when opening the event in Pancasila courtyard, Grha Sabha Pramana UGM.
According to Sri Sultan, there was a high passion among the young people that love arts as proven by the students who hone their artistic expertise even though their education is not related to arts. “Many students are competent in arts even though they have different majors in college,” he said.
The Governor welcomed the event to improve the student’s quality in arts. “I would like to warmly welcome the competition like this as it serves as the forum for the students to express their talent and it is expected to inspire people to appreciate arts,” he said.
Chairman of Arts for Students Supervisory Board (BPSMI) as well as Student Affairs Director in the Research, Technology, and Higher Education Ministry, Dr. Didin Wahidin, said this event was expected to increase the student’s quality in arts, respect fellow humans, build relations between students and grow good characters.
Didin added the art competition would increase the student’s competitiveness in arts and culture through creativity and innovation. “To increase state competitiveness needs creativity and innovation, so we do it through this competition,” he said.
Rector of Institut Seni Indonesia, Prof. Agus Burhan, said the event participants should respect sportivity and togetherness during the competition.
The Peksiminas is divided into 16 categories of competition, such as dance, vocal group, pop song, dangdut, keroncong and seriosa. Next are poetry writing, short-story writing, play, poetry reading, monologue, painting, poster design, photography, comic strip, and rebana music. The competitions are done in several campuses such as UGM, UAD,UAJY, USD, AKINDO, UKDW, STPMD, and ISI.