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March 20, 2025Inclusive Theatre as an Answer of Boredom in Health Education
Conventional education such as lectures, and counselling, is often considered boring. Especially in the digital era. Edutainment is a solution to overcome public boredom. Educational activities that collaborate with entertaining art in the form of interesting performances can increase public interest in attending, extend the attention span of participants, and optimise the benefits and understanding of the educational material presented. This is what was done by Yogyakarta Inclusive Theater (Teater Inklusi Yogyakarta (TIYo)), one of the communities formed in Yogyakarta City which aims to provide information about HIV and AIDS and health to the public through performing arts.
TIYo's existence began with a discussion forum by several members of the PITA MERAH Jogja community, KEBAYA Foundation, and WPA (Citizens Concerned about AIDS) from 8 villages namely Bener, Kricak, Sosromenduran, Pringgokusuman, Giwangan, Warungboto, Gedongkiwo, and Suryodiningratan, which discussed how to reduce stigma and discrimination against transgender women, people living with HIV (ODHIV), disabilities and other vulnerable people. Through the discussion that took place in September 2022, an idea was born to conduct educational activities for the community through theatre arts. The use of art media is also based on the fact that people, especially young people, are starting to forget about local culture such as kethoprak, local stories, traditional dance, and even the use of native languages, such as Javanese.
TIYo's vision is to be an inclusive theatre that provides education and correct information on HIV and AIDS and health issues. The mission is twofold, namely to educate HIV and AIDS through the media of theatre and expand the network with relevant stakeholders.
Inclusivity is a fundamental value in this community because of the diverse backgrounds of its members, including transwomen, PLHIV, people with disabilities, the elderly, teenagers, housewives, online motorbike taxi drivers, and employees. Not only that, they also include elements of the community to take part in a series of educational activities and performances.
Teater Inklusi Yogyakarta has performed twice, the first performance was on 5 January 2023 at the Concert Hall Taman Budaya Yogyakarta with an educational performance about HIV and AIDS entitled Bidadari di Sebutir Padi which was inspired by the folklore of Jaka Tarub, with assistance from CD Bethesda YAKKUM Yogyakarta, in collaboration with Wahyana Giri M.C. from the Yogyakarta Theatre Council and Wisnugroho from CD Bethesda YAKKUM as scriptwriters and directors. TIYo's first performance successfully conveyed information about HIV and AIDS while entertaining hundreds of spectators.
The first performance of Inclusive Theatre entitled Bidadari di Sebutir Padi (Angel on a Grain of Rice)
"This performance also introduces Teater Inklusi Yogyakarta as a solid team that can compete with the big theatre groups that already exist. At the same time, it gives them more hours of experience as a theatre group, so that they grow in confidence and existence," Wisnugroho explained. [1] excerpt from Helloborneo.com
IDEAKSI
Subsequently, TIYo's issues were not only related to HIV and AIDS but also Disaster Risk Reduction. TIYo participated in the IDEAKSI Program selection from YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU), competing with dozens of other participants. The IDEAKSI program aims to generate solutions to problems and challenges in disaster management with adequate support, especially to improve accessibility, accountability and involvement of groups most at risk in disaster preparedness and humanitarian response. In September 2023, TIYo was selected along with 14 other innovator groups and received a grant to implement the IDEAKSI Program.
Through the support of the IDEAKSI program, on 22 December 2023, the second performance was held at the Public Green Open Space, Ngampilan Sub-district, Yogyakarta, with an education on flood disaster mitigation entitled True Love: Tresno Sejati inspired by the folktale Ande-ande Lumut. In collaboration with Bey Saptono as scriptwriter and Wisnugroho as artistic director. The second performance was attended by a large audience, and was very interactive and entertaining, as heard from the boisterous laughter and chuckles of the audience who responded to the performers' behaviour.
TIYo collaborated with local potential in the Ngampilan area, such as Bregodo art, gamelan groups, children's dance groups and bakpia products. The Ngampilan area is located in the Winongo watershed area, which is quite densely populated, and is considered disaster-prone because there have been several floods and fires that resulted in 1 bridge being washed away, houses and archive offices burned down.
To measure the level of awareness of flood disaster mitigation, TIYo provided pre and post-test sheets that were distributed to the audience at the beginning and end of the performance, from the results of the tests conducted, explaining the increase in awareness and understanding of the audience, in this case, the Ngampilan Village community towards flood disaster mitigation that is prone to occur in their environment.
Manuk Dadali Dance by Children in Ngampilan Village
Yogyakarta Inclusion Theatre representative (right) attending RHPW 2023 in Bangkok Thailand
Heading to Bangkok, Thailand
TIYo's involvement in the IDEAKSI Programme led the relatively new theatre group to an invitation to attend the 2023 Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week in Bangkok, Thailand. This Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week includes presentations, panel discussions, workshops and networking sessions that will showcase good practices, challenges and opportunities to improve local humanitarian action. YEU invited TIYo representatives to join the activities on 11-13 December 2023.
TIYo's participation in the forum of humanitarian agencies is due to the fact that in their performances, inclusive theatre uses local culture in raising public awareness of disaster risk reduction. Their involvement in RHPW 2023 with YEU in Bangkok, Thailand, shows recognition of the contribution of local culture in global humanitarian action.
(Rudi Kurniawan)
