UK/ID Festival 2017

by Caranissa Djatmiko
26th October 2017
British Council’s second art festival showed audience the power of art and technology in fostering connections, cultural diversity and lasting change.

In the world of arts and cultural festivals, there seems to be a growing trend in combining young people with innovative projects and a mission to make a difference. At least, that was what British Council seemingly tried to capture in this year’s UK/ID Festival.

From 17 – 22 October, 2017, local and UK artists gathered to show festival-goers how art can actually contribute to the society. They did it from showcasing remarkable art exhibitions, to staging immersive film screenings and organising workshops for the disabled artists and community. Local illustrator Hana Madness, UK writer and poet Khairani Barokka and UK disabled and non-disabled dance company Candodance all took part in promoting the value of inclusivity and art.

Among several initiatives aimed to reflect the potentials of the Indonesian creative sector, the festival held a number of discussions that explored the intersections of arts and various areas such as technology, culinary heritage, music and creative entrepreneurship. One of Indonesia’s most celebrated groups Maliq and d’Essentials took this opportunity to recount on their exciting journey in the music industry, while UK designers Derek Lawlor and Visionare revealed the process of creating a fashion film.

In the last two days of the festival, music became a particularly crucial component of the festival. On Saturday, young audience had the chance to dance along to Dan Croll’s songs. Most of the audience were clearly enthralled by the Liverpool-based singer and songwriter’s folkie-infused electronic music and his bespectacled charm. During the closing party, grime artist Afrikan Boy took the stage. Through his music, he brought the crowd on his long journey traveling from Nigeria to France before settling in the UK.

This year the British Council has yet again succeeded in organising a festival that caters to the young people, a generation that plays such an important role in driving the local arts and creative industry. Expect nothing less than what it has brought this time for the future festivals.