- 28 Jul 2015
INDOfest Schools Project, 2015
In term 1 of this year, INDOfest in Schools Week program was presented for the second time, involving 25 schools across Adelaide and reached over 4000 students.
The program was designed to bring both South Australian school students and Indonesian community members together to foster better understanding between of our two countries. This was achieved through language and cultural based workshops and presentations which included rebana, angklung, dance, cooking, amongst others.
Yvette Cole, Coordinator, INDOfest Schools Project, together with Ibu Joyce Hassan, Cultural Group Coordinator, said they were delighted with the experiences students had with these cultural groups. For many students, these workshops were highly engaging, providing them with a unique experience which they enjoyed. For many, it was the first time they had met an Indonesian person!
During the INDOfest in Schools Week it was not uncommon to see schools of 600 students playing Angklung or dancing to Rebana. Students enjoyed performed Tarian Kecak to their peers, principals and teachers were seen actively running around with the kids playing Children's Games. Grinning faces of students were seen everywhere as they cooked and sampled Indonesian food (and liked it!). From a language perspective the spontaneous conversations between students and performers reaffirmed that what teachers of Indonesian do has both meaning and context.
The many anecdotal stories from the activities proved that this type of engagement was beneficial to all involved. This includes the Indonesian workshop presenters, many of who felt a great sense of pride in sharing their culture. Afterwards, many identified the importance of developing an understanding of bilateral relations starting with our students.
The schools and Indonesian cultural groups which were involved include the following:
- Mbak Dian Tarian Bali at Crafers PS and Hills Montessori School
- Ibu Dewi Tarian Sunda at Xavier College
- Ibu Metha Tarian Bali at School Of Languages
- Bapak Ferry Adelindo at Pilgrim, The Heights, St Augustine's Parish School, Owen PS, Eastern Fleurieu Schools
- Ibu Vita Cooking Demo at Mylor PS
- Bapak Ganda Batak Parbasa- Tor-Tor at Emmaus Catholic PS, Christies Beach PS
- Mbak Zainah Poetry dan Saman at Fulham North PS, Le Fevre HS
- Bapak Geoff and Ibu Metty Penhall Talk on Indonesia at Rapid Bay PS, Macclesfield PS
- Bapak Mustafa and Bapak Suryo Rebana and Ondel-ondel at Gawler East PS, Lyndoch PS
- Bapak Oki Pencak Silat at St John's Grammar, Hills Montessori School middle school
- Ibu Icha Indonesian Children's Games at Bridgewater PS, Uraidla PS.
It is important to acknowledge that INDOfest could not have achieved these amazing results without the support and commitment from the following:
- The Indonesian Embassy through Bapak Ronny Noor, Cultural and Education Attache
- Australia Indonesia Association-South Australia (AIA-SA)
- Australia Indonesia Institute
- The Department for Education and Child Development (DECD)
- The Indonesian Teachers’ Association SA (INTAN).
- Association of Independent Schools SA, (AISSA)
- Catholic Education in SA (CESA)
- The Indonesian community in Adelaide
- The teachers and staff of the many schools involved.
In conclusion, bilateral relations are at the heart of the INDOfest in schools project. Engagement is the goal and this was evident, from the child that spoke with an Indonesian person for the first time, to the Indonesian university student who called home describing their visit to a South Australian school. These were and are all unique and important steps helping our two nations to understand each other on a very localised level through the enrichment of human connection.
INDOfest was pleased with how the project went this year, and are always looking for ways to improve and develop this project to ensure it continues to have far reaching appeal and benefit to our students in the future. Should you wish to find out more about the INDOfest in schools, or have any suggestions for further improvement, please contact Yvette Cole at veti0013@hotmail.com .