The Directorate of Personnel Development and Cultural Institutions, Directorate General of Culture, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology conducts the International Conference on Indonesian Studies (KIKI) or ICONIC (International Conference on Indonesian Culture) on November 30 – December 2 2021.
This activity will be conducted online by inviting academics, researchers and cultural practitioners. This activity is an annual event since 2020 which aims to:
- Realizing a common platform to present a state of the art cross-cultural science field regarding Indonesia that brings together research ecosystems at home and abroad;
- Establishing a consolidation mechanism for cultural research in Indonesia that supports the strategic agenda of cultural policy-making;
- Creating synergy between the academic world and publishing at home and abroad in the field of culture to facilitate the translation and publication of literature on Indonesian culture;
- Encourage the dissemination of research results to communities and stakeholders so as to enable transformation at the local level.
Director of Manpower Development and Cultural Institutions at the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Judi Wahjudin said, “ICONIC was held with the aim of realizing a cross-disciplinary mutual cooperation platform involving researchers at home and abroad designed to enrich Indonesian cultural studies. One of the strategic agendas for advancing culture is to provide a space for diverse cultural expressions and encourage cultural interaction to strengthen an inclusive culture.”
Judi further explained that in June 2021 UNESCO issued a report on Cultural and Creative Industries In the Face of COVID-19: An Economic Impact Outlook. The report states that the CCI sector was one of the first to close and will be the last to reopen. Most of this sector depends on mass gathering. This UNESCO report provides an overview of the economic impact on the CCI sector. In addition, this report also provides an overview of the efforts that have been made in various countries to overcome this problem.
Responding to the UNESCO report, in June 2021, the Directorate General of Culture, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology prepared a Report on the Urgency of the Recovery of the Indonesian Cultural Sector. This report is done by:
- Inventory of the impact of the pandemic on the cultural sector in Indonesia & details of each sub-sector;
- Mapping the possibility of adaptation of the cultural sector in Indonesia in a pandemic situation;
- Calculating the potential benefits of the cultural sector in post-adaptation Indonesia; and
- Demonstrate the urgency of providing economic stimulus for the cultural sector.
Data collection for the purposes of this report is done by making a questionnaire
Analysis of the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Cultural Ecosystems in Indonesia through jejakpandemi.kemdikbud.go.id. This report will cover the impact of the pandemic on Indonesia’s cultural sector, adaptation strategies for Indonesia’s cultural sector, and economic stimulus for Indonesia’s cultural sector.
Keynote Speaker ICONIC 2021 Prof Dr Wening Udasmoro SS MHum with Moderator Prof Dr Pujo Semedi Hargo MA
Keynote Speaker ICONIC 2021 Prof Dr Wening Udasmoro SS MHum
To support efforts to collect data from the report, ICONIC will take a theme related to the impact of the pandemic on culture but with a positive perspective, namely the Resilience of Cultural Ecosystems in a Pandemic Period. It is hoped that this conference can produce a solution or resolution of this problem. The conference will bring together various experts in the field of culture to discuss the role of culture today.
In addition, it also invites various researchers, academics, and cultural practitioners as well as from outside the field of culture to contribute ideas and suggestions in the form of writings and discussions.
This year the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is collaborating with the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University and the Art Coalition in organizing ICONIC 2021. This collaboration is carried out so that academics and practitioners can meet to discuss problems and find joint solutions in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. from a cultural perspective.
From the theme of Cultural Ecosystem Resilience, there are 6 topics that will be discussed at the conference, namely:
1. Cultural Ecosystem
2. Adaptation and Creativity in Work
3. Winners and Losers in the Performing Arts Digital Migration
4. Recharge Culture
5. Knowledge Production and Distribution during a Pandemic
6. New Network in the Pandemic Period
There are 2 keynote speakers, 13 plenary speakers, and 63 panel presenters who will contribute to this conference. They will present their studies and research, provide mutual feedback and add to the knowledge repository. This conference is also expected to provide input for the study of Indonesian culture and as a driving force for the advancement of culture.
Before the ICONIC event took place, on November 5 – 27, 2021, the ICONIC 2021 Pre Event was held. This activity was part of the opening activities before ICONIC was held. This activity targets the discussion “responding to the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on the cultural and creative industry sector”. The ICONIC 2021 Pre-Event features the pandemic story series “Trails of Cultural Inspiration.”
This theme was chosen as a response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cultural sector and creative industries. The pandemic has opened the eyes of cultural actors and creative industries to adapt to the digital world. The digital era enters and affects the artistic ecosystem and changes the previously prepared strategy.
A pandemic becomes unforgettable When cultural practitioners/ culture lovers/ artists/ communities try to survive in generating ideas, changing their work so that they change their paradigm and mindset. This series of stories will be presented in the form of podcasts, workshops, and public lectures. This activity is an opportunity to discuss, exchange ideas, and directly provide an overview of how cultural actors adapt technologically, follow the ‘new normal’, and learn new skills and innovate digitally. This is a solution to stay creative during this pandemic.
