Since 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has been busy attacking almost all regions in Indonesia. Many activities that involve the mass must be canceled, especially after the Presidential Decree (KEPPRES) No. 11/2020 concerning Determination of Public Health Emergencies and PP 21/2020 concerning Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB).
One of the critical points in the two regulations is the prohibition on mass gatherings, including social, cultural, and other similar activities. Hence, all art performances have to be canceled and have not been organized until now.
Jono Village, Temayang District, Bojonegoro, East Java also experienced this Covid-19 impact. As an area with tourist destinations in the form of nature and arts, they have to cancel all activities. In fact, this village has 187 artists, and they inevitably have to lose a source of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Usually, every month, there are art performances such as people holding celebrations, weddings, circumcision, regency anniversary, holiday commemoration, and other traditional events. We have not carried out any art activities for four months. Fortunately, some of us are still farming and raising livestock," said Mariyanto, an artist in Jono Village.
Mariyanto admitted that during the Covid-19 pandemic, artists had more challenges regarding online art performances that could be enjoyed by the broader community. Most of them, the actors of the arts, do not have sufficient knowledge of nowadays technology.
According to Mariyanto, when there is online performance, there are still more than five artists. This condition is because not all artists have gamelan instruments in their homes.
"The artists also fear that what they do is in the category of violating government regulations, especially regarding physical distancing, including online art performances, because there are also many artists gathering there," he said.
Seeing these conditions, the UGM SCS-CEL Team, dedicated to Temayang village, Bojonegoro, tried to help find a solution. The team then prepared a promotional video for the arts in collaboration with Jono Village artists.
Hopefully, in the making of this art promotion, video can be used by artists as a supporting medium to promote art performances again after the pandemic ends. The video promotion of this art has received a good response from the local government of Bojonegoro.
"This art promotion video will be used as an effort to make an inventory of culture in Jono Village. This video has been uploaded to the SCS-CEL Temayang, Bojonegoro YouTube account, and has seen more than 100 views," said Anggieta Puspa as a student of SCS-CEL team of Sayang Temayang, Bojonegoro on Friday (14/8).
Anggieta hopes that the video can revive the arts in Jono Village so that it remains sustainable. Besides, this art can continue to be enjoyed by the wider community, both in Bojonegoro itself and outside Bojonegoro.
"There are still some preserved arts. They are the tayub dance, shadow puppets, gamelan, and ketoprak. These various arts are indeed a special attraction for tourists," she said.
According to her, the combination of natural and cultural potentials presented in a tourism village concept is a characteristic that is still rarely found in other tourist villages in Indonesia. Various arts, such as tayub dance to ketoprak typical of East Java, have been introduced by artists to their outside communities.
In the end, the activity of preserving culture became a source of income for some people in Jono Village. Art groups in this village often fulfill calls to stage in various regions, such as Tuban, Lamongan, and Nganjuk.
These arts have also received various competitions up to the national level. Every month, they usually perform 5-10 times. For one art performance such as tayub and shadow puppets, art groups can reap incomes of 20 million to 23 million rupiahs for the puppeteer, waranggono, pengrawit, and pelandang.
"Some of the artists in Jono Village also have their respective gamelan instruments and shadow puppets. So for people who will invite, performances are offered with a package system and a variety of different prices," said Anggieta.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: Tayub Dance (https://www.eddyhasby.com)
Translator: Natasa A