Bali Art Festival Strengthens International Cultural Friendship

Jakarta (Antara Bali)- As one of the most famous tourist resorts in the world, Bali is a favorite place for tourists from various countries.

At least once in a year, Bali also gathers artists from several countries in its annual cultural program called Bali Art Festival (PKB), that has been organized for 38 times so far.

This year, eleven foreign art groups   and some 15 thousand Indonesian and foreign artists are participating in the 38th Bali Art Festival being held in Denpasar, Bali from June 11 to July 9, 2016.

The foreign art groups and artists are from France, China, Timor Leste, Japan, Britain, Canada, Thailand, India, and the United States, among other nations.  

"Culture is universal. Through culture, we could strengthen relations with other countries," Head of the Bali Cultural office Dewa Putu Beratha stated.

In addition to Balinese artists as the hosts, artists from other Indonesian regions, such as Jakarta, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, Blitar, Balikpapan, Bandung, Gunung Kidul, and Magelang, are also taking part in the festival.

"The Bali Art Festival will feature 225 arts from Bali's districts and cities, and 15 thousand artists are expected to participate in it," Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika stated during the opening of the festival, on June 11.

The festival was officially kicked off by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Bajra Sandhi People's Struggle Monument in Denpasar, the capital of Bali.

"I am happy that I am here this evening. The 38th Bali Art Festival is an event much-awaited by the people and tourists from different countries," he remarked.

Jokowi also said that the festival is not just a public celebration, but "it is also an activity with the cultural, educational and economic functions, especially for the Balinese people."  

The event not only serves as a medium of education but also boosts the economy of the Balinese people, the president affirmed.

On the occasion, President Jokowi was accompanied by First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo, Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan, and Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.

The opening of the festival was marked by a cultural parade featuring a variety of dances and arts from districts and municipalities in Bali Province.

The festival attracts both local people and foreign tourists.

The French collective of artists "Les Grandes Personnes" performed on an open stage at the Ksiarmana Cultural Park in Denpasar on June 12 evening.

The collective Les Grandes Personnes performing with four giant puppets, reaching a height of up to four meters, combined drama and visual arts to tell stories.

Frank Ivet, the director of Les Grandes Personnes, expressed happiness on being able to perform for the first time in the Bali Art Festival.

The audience was enthralled by the entertaining and unique performance that lasted for an hour.

The Bali arts festival has been held annually since 1979 when the province was led by the then governor Ida Bagus Mantra.        

This year, around 275 parades, performances and workshops will be held during the one-month festival involving artists from Bali's nine districts and municipalities.  Besides,  the festival is also highlighted with a bazaar where 159 stands selling traditional handicrafts.

Bali is one of the country's foreign tourist gates. At least 40 percent of all foreign tourists visiting Indonesia entered through Bali.

The Bali Arts Festival reinforced the Island of Gods¿ position as a main province which has never been quiet in pampering foreign and domestic tourists.

"It has various programs which make tourists enchanted and convenient to stay in Bali," Bali's Tourism Service Head AA Gede Agung Yuniatha, said.

Bali has maintained its reputation as one of the world's best islands and managed to attract over four million foreign tourist arrivals last year.      

In its December 2015 edition, the New York-based Travel + Leisure Magazine placed Bali in second place with a score of 88.98 in the ratings of the world's best islands.

Galapagos Islands of Ecuador was in the top with the highest score of 90.82, and Maldives in the third rank with a score of 88.53.

For 2016, the Bali Tourism Office has set the target for tourist arrivals at the world-renowned tourist island at 4.2 million, at least.

The tourism office has also set the target of domestic tourists visiting the resort island for 2016 at 7.8 million.

"This is a provisional target. We have not made detailed calculations because we still have to coordinate with the Udayana University. Ideally, it should be 4.5 million, but we cannot set a target recklessly," Head of the Bali Tourism Office Anak Agung Gede Yuniartha Putra said recently. (WDY)