Usually, puppet show is performed at night. But not this time, puppet show is actually staged in the afternoon on the sidelines of the seminar. The puppeteer who was invited is not random. He is Sudjiwo Tedjo who is known for his regular criticism on social issues in every performance.
This time he expressed his criticism to the government, which in his opinion has provided minor solutions to various problems faced by society. "Currently, there is no longer the term ‘talk small, work big’, instead ‘work and talk big’, and all that remains essential. This is the teaching of Bung Karno, you know, both talking and working,” said the man born in Jember at the University Club on Wednesday (25/1).
In his play performance, Sujiwo Tedjo expressed concern that young people are now more reluctant to watch a traditional puppet show while in fact the puppet performance conveys values and good moral teachings in our culture. "No teenager likes puppet shows like what I perform, but they like OVJ show (televised comic play)," he added.
Dean of Philosophy, Dr. M. Mukhtasar Syamsuddin, M. Hum., said the puppet is a medium that can convey social criticism and provide education to the community to always be responsive to various social problems. "Puppet as a media is still effective to convey the message of education," he said.
Mukhtasar also believes that the puppet show contains the values of character education. Therefore, it can be sought out to respond to the government needs to formulate a character education that can be applied in every level of education. "The faculty of philosophy is ready to provide character education formula. Apart from through culture, religion and ideology, character can be exemplified from the puppet media," he said.
Seminar on Discourse of Puppet Life and Philosophy: Concepts and Applications for the Nation and Humanity which was held by Philosophy Graduate Program, Kertagama Foundation and Board of Indonesia National Puppets Secretariat (Senawangi) presented speakers including lecturer of Faculty of Philosophy, Drs Slamet Sutrisno MSi and P Hardono Hadi, Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Prof. Dr. Musa Asy'arie, and Chairman of the Kertagama Foundation, Sri Teddy Rusdy.
Chairman of Senawangi, Drs. Solichin, said puppet performance symbolically contains the seven elements of universal culture. It includes symbolic picture of science and technology. Puppet has very rich contents of science that are displayed in the form of symbols. Traces of science and technology can be traced from the hermitage.
Prof. Dr. Musa Asy'arie said puppet art works is full of symbolic values in many aspects of human life. It contains philosophy and outlook on life that permeates and across boundaries of religion, culture and local wisdom. In addition, it always opens to be interpreted by all faiths, cultures and social communities.
"Therefore, almost all religions and socio-cultural community can actually contribute values and teachings in the symbolism of puppets and enrich the interpretations," he said.