AIAA Annual Report 2007 - 2008

Byron Harmony Day 2008

The inaugural Byron Harmony Day presented by AIAA was held on 15 March 2008 and was a resounding success for AIAA and the Nth Coast community. The one day festival involved a very wide representation of the many multicultural communities that live in the North Coast and incorporated many and varied performances by Indonesian cultural groups. Rukun Warga Bali from the Gold Coast presented a variety of beautiful dances, Salendro Gamelan, Ben Hur, Wawan Prahara shared Indonesian music of many kinds and Tjintana Matahari read Indonesian poetry.

The multicultural exposure and content of the entire day was enthusiastically embraced by the community at both Railway Park and the Byron Community Centre, with enormously positive community feed back for all aspects of the Harmony Day celebrations. People who attended and participated were overwhelming in their praise and appreciation for the holding of the Byron Harmony Day event.

The event involved the participation of about 300 performers, volunteers and workshop leaders and attracted an audience of aprox 2000, including children, families and elderly people who enjoyed and participated in interactive activities and events such as the Living Library, Circle dances,kids activities and Harmony Day canvas mural.

Byron Harmony Day 2008 involved people from many disadvantaged groups such as mentally and physically disabled, elderly, homeless, sole parents as well as of over 20 CALD groups including Indigenous, Latin American, Chinese, Japanese, Maori, Dutch, French, Brazilian, Islander, Indonesian, Indian, Irish, Middle Eastern, Thai, Celtic, Scottish, Turkish, African and Spanish.

Many thanks to coordinators Dharma Bradridge and Judy Shelley for all their hard work and to Byron Shire Council, Byron Echo, Bay FM radio and other sponsors. Go to Byron Harmony Day website www.myspace.com/byronharmonyday
School Activities

During 2007-2008 AIAA provided a number of excellent Indonesian school activities for schools in NSW and Queensland. AIAA organized an Indonesian Extravaganza Days at Evans River K-12 School and Mullumbimby High School during 2007. Sincere appreciation to Judy Shelley, Dharma Bradridge, Bpk Nyoman Suma, Ibu Sri, Jason and the Perisai Diri Group for presenting a wonderful concert and workshop program including Balinese Dance, Sundanese Gamelan and Indonesian martial arts. After undertaking one hour workshops in gamelan music a number of the students involved in the project were able to present their own gamelan music performances to the rest of the students.

Inspirasi Magazine

The Inspirasi Team – AIAA National Coordinator Judy Shelley and Web Site Coordinator Carole Chapman were responsible for the production of Inspirasi Magazine during 2006-07 covering reportage of Indonesian cultural events taking place throughout Australia and Indonesia. Many contributions were provided by AIAA National Secretary Cynthia Webb and AIAA members throughout Australia and Indonesia.

Salendro Gamelan

Many thanks to AIAA Vice President Dharma Bradridge and partner Bunny Calero who have been coordinating AIAA Salendro gamelan group for several years. The AIAA Salendro Gamelan group has performed and supported many community events in Northern NSW and the Gold Coast such as The Beggars Banquet, Byron Harmony Day Festival, Byron Social Forum, Torch Relay, Splendour in the Grass and many more. Congratulations to the Salendro Gamelan musicians for their success and commitment.

Suara Indonesia Radio Show

During 07-08 Suara Indonesia Radio Show has been coordinated by AIAA National Vice President Dharma Bradridge and Kirana Talip, assisted by Judy Shelley, Yana Sutiana and trainee presenters Rex and Ben. Suara Indonesia continues to present many hours of interesting live interviews, CD reviews news and Indonesian community events for the community of the NSW North Coast and beyond. The program is streaming live every Wednesday 12-2pm at www.bayfm.org

AIAA Support

The AIAA Board and National Coodinator support many other Australian and Indonesian organizations, artists and AIAA members with information, advice, support letters and guidance for their projects as well as taking community action and fundraising. Some examples of AIAA support and involvement in and support for other organizations and events during 2007-08 included:

Tsunami Victims

AIAA President Malia Ritaningsih was involved in the 17 August 2007 and Fundraising for Tsunami Victims Event held in Brisbane last year. Malia did a wonderful job as MC and auctioneer on the night. She was working with IISB (Indonesian Islamic Society of Brisbane), UQISA (Qld Indonesian Students Association and PIQ (Indonesian Society of Qld).

Brisbane Meetings

As AIAA National President, Malia Ritaningsih has hosted a number of gatherings in Brisbane by inviting various organizations and individuals who have an interest and involvement in developing friendship, understanding and togetherness through arts and culture. Some representatives attending the meetings were President and members of PIQ, UQISA, General Manager of Garuda, Director of Brisbane Powerhouse, former Hon Consul of the Republic of Indonesia and more.

Banda Aceh Patients

During April 2007, 2 sisters from Banda Aceh, aged 8 & 9 arrived in Brisbane to have major operations at the Royal Children Hospital, Burns Unit. The girls were accompanied by their parents. The girls were suffering burns contractures to their faces, hands & legs.

AIAA President Malia Ritaningsih has been of enormous assistance to the family, who were brought to Australia by ROMAC (Reaching Overseas Medical Aid to children). Malia has made a long–term commitment to assist ROMAC with supporting the children and their families while in Brisbane.

gang re: Publik… indonesia-australia creative adventure

Congratulations to the Gang Editors- Alexandra Crosby, Rebecca Conroy, Suzan Piper and Jan Cornall for the production of a brand new anthology of creative exchanges from Indonesia and Australia, and to AIAA Board members Cynthia Webb and Judy Shelley for their contributions being published in the book.

Report from Cynthia Webb AIAA Cultural Networker

2007: In Jakarta/Yogyakarta/ Bali – meeting artists, who are members of AIAA, renewing, maintaining friendships and being always aware to watch for opportunities to assist, or perhaps plan future projects.

2007 In Yogyakarta – I met with Kartika Affandi, daughter of famous Indonesian painter, Affandi. Also, with Professor Astri Wright, (Professor of South East Asian Art History at University of Victoria, B.C., Canada.

2007/2008 During visits to Indonesia, I also met and talked with quite a few other prominent Indonesian arts workers - the following is a list of some of them:

Writer/filmmaker: Djenar Maesa Ayu
Writer/filmmaker: Richard Oh
Writer: Laksmi Pamuntjak
Film producer/director: Garin Nugroho
Social Activist: Agus Istijanto
Social Activist: Nur Asih Chandra (Yogyakarta)
Dancer: Miroto
Dancer/Actor: Didik Nini Thowok
Dancer: Agung Gunawan
Dancer: Any Wulan
Arts community leader: Sutanto Mendut ( Borobudur, Central Java)
Painter: Dadang Christianto, while he was exhibiting at Queensland Art Gallery.
Painter: Nurkholis ( Yogyakarta)
Artists/Gallery owners: Mella Jaarsma and Nindityo Adipurnomo
Museum Owner: Thomas Haryonagoro (Ullen Sentalu Museum, Kaliurang, Central Java)
Midiyanto, University Lecturer (at Berkeley Campus in the USA), in Javanese music, who visited Griffith University, Brisbane, August 2008.

August, 2007 Byron Bay Writers Festival: meeting at Gold Coast, airport, and assisting Indonesian writer Laksmi Pamuntjak.

September 2007, attended the Asia Indonesia Institute conference at the Powerhouse in Brisbane.

Also at that time, attended (along with other AIAA Board members) the Indonesian Cultural Festival at the Powerhouse, "Nusantara Festival"

December 2007: Attended the first ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS, at Gold Coast, to cover the event for The Jakarta Post. There I met several Indonesian visitors Two films from Indonesia were in the Nominations for top awards. "Opera Jawa" and "Denias, Singing on the Cloud". I took Garin Nugroho and his daughter in my car, for a tour to the Southern end of Gold Coast. As a local person, I could show them a true image of the Gold Coast's attractions, and explain many
things to them.

Also, I spent a day with the producer and wife, of "Denias". - Ari and Nia Sihasale. I took them to visit a Gold Coast Theme Park, at their request, and to do some shopping.

All of these social connections, give an opportunity to inform people about AIAA, and to reach out the hand of friendship from
Australia and from our organisation