I am a student of literature who is familiar with art and culture, and had became an intern in a art center

in South Jakarta held a Southeast Asia Book Club in 2016, and actively volunteering in literary movement
event such as ASEAN Literary Festival. I also did research about traditional people in Banten Province,
Indonesia in 2016 and 2017, about their way to preserve the traditional cultures. I am also a member of
nature explorers club in University of Indonesia who did many expeditions in many inland parts of
Indonesia (among them were in Banten, East ava, and West Papua Province). Indonesia consists of
hundreds of different tribes and rich in cultures. For me, doing expeditions or exploring new territories
means to see local people from closer, to actively feel and exchange cultures, and to learn new
perspectives. In the expeditions, we wrote about what we found in national media, and researched
about the local people that we met, the nature's tourism, and business potentials. Last expedition on
July-August in West Papua, we recommended new sport tourism sites: paragliding, rafting, and caving to
the government after we tried the sports ourselves. We also recommended the whole special interest
tourism maps in two districts, Manokwari and Arfak Mountains, which are potential for business,
including what we found during the expedition: the local traditional people's performance on dancing
and singing, their traditional crafts of tree bark called 'Noken bag', and their traditional centipede houses
for prospective customer's homestays. The discussion with our instructors and business expert went
enthusiastically and the government who we have coordinated with before, wants us and our instructor
to teach local people the sports and promote their traditional culture and crafts. As a person who
exploring new pleaces that rarely being exposed, I realize there are many potentials and needs
collaboration to improve the locals’ economy, and expose their existence.

In the future, I want to make a festival about the existence of the local people that I met (since many
media spread out stereotypes about traditional people). During the last expedition in West Papua, I
requested them to perform their traditional dance and song to be reported by national media. I asked
the tribal leader the traditional dancing group wanted to make proposal and perform their traditional
dance outside. I want traditional people to be included and participated in a festival like Borak Art Series
to improve their economy, to expose their existence, and to preserve their traditional culture. We always
make the locals participate in every expeditions that we make, aim to make contacts and exchange
knowledges with the locals. In the last expedition, we engaged the local students and distributed them
into expedition teams: rafting, paragliding, caving, communication base, and social service team.

I also ever held a Southeast Asia Book Club in an art center. Mapped the Southeast Asia literary works,
interviewed the writers, gathered the writings, created topics that is relevant with Indonesia’s current
condition, and held the book club discussion. In the future, I want to make book clubs and workshops to
encourage Indonesian people to explore new territories that they have not been before to learn about
exchange cultures and new perspectives (since not many Indonesian spend their time for some
adventure and prefer stability and rat race jobs, almost 60% Indonesian live in Java island).
By attending the Borak Art Series, hopefully I can learn about creating and managing such festival. I am
excited to learn about creative industry and establish collaborations, especially with traditional people
that needs special approachment. I also will actively participate in the event, enthusiastic to meet many
experts and people to collaborate.