A country’s cultural heritage and values must be preserved and have the potential to enhance the life of the community through its lessons. An example of this is shown in a webinar entitled Wayang Kulit (Shadow Theatre) Webinar 2022 with the theme “Ubuntu and Hasta Brata in Promoting an Inclusive and Multicultural International Society Through Wayang Character Development”. The webinar was held on Thursday, October 6th, 2022. It was held with the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa, Universitas Airlangga in Indonesia, and the RR Foundation as a way to fulfill the Envision 30 mission.
The event was filled with enlightening presentations from numerous accomplished speakers regarding the topic. Dr. Pamela Tancsik of DUT gave an introductory explanation of Ubuntu, a philosophy in South Africa, and how its’ values are found in the theatre. Mr. Edi Dwi Riyanto from Universitas Airlangga also introduced Wayang, a traditional puppet theatre form from Indonesia. Dr. Tanya Lenore Van Der Walt explained in great detail the devised theatre form and puppetry in South Africa. It was followed by Ms. Clare Leslie Craighead who further elaborated on the theatre medium in South Africa concerning workshop theatre, its methods, and features. The concept of ethical global leadership and democracy and how universal values that could be found in Ubuntu and Hasta Brata are important was explained by Mr. Zwakele Baldwine Ngubane of DUT. Ms. Eva-Christiane von Reumont provided a presentation on the description methods of creation and meaning of Wayang Kulit and Dr. Gnanam Pillay on various opportunities for business development in relation to Wayang Kulit. A question and answer forum followed after the presentation, sparking a thoughtful and insightful discussion amongst the audience and speakers which deepens the understanding of the content of the previous presentations.
According to the webinar, traditional ideals observed in Wayang Kulit and Ubuntu from both Indonesia and South Africa in the entertainment and theatrical media have a high potential for producing a constructive and helpful influence on society in a variety of ways. It manifests itself via ethical leadership and other important opportunities. The webinar was an eye-opener to the fact that our society is inextricably linked to the values inherent in our culture. The discussion on enhancing people’s understanding of the value of culture and its influence on our society will not end here. Many more seminars on comparable themes are on the way under the scheme of Airlangga Grant and Matching fund on community development. We are looking forward to seeing you as a part of this project.
