The Agung Rai Museum of Art in Ubud, also known as the ARMA Museum, will be hosting an arts and culture festival for tourists this weekend.
The island’s most comprehensive arts and culture museum hopes that the event will showcase the best of the island’s unique heritage to visitors.
On Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th December, the ARMA Museum will host a celebration of Balinese arts, culture, and creativity.
The festival theme is ‘Preserving Heritage, Igniting Creativity’ and will be open to the public and tourists are encouraged to attend.
The ARMA Ubud Museum and Resort founder, Anak Agung Gede Rai, told the press “ARMA Fest 2023 is proof of the continuity and Balinese and Indonesian artistic and cultural traditions.”
He added, “This immersive experience will bring us together with artists, performers, and fans from all corners to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the island.”
This will be the first time the festival will be held at the ARMA Museum.
Rai told reporters, “As a place for creativity in the context of preserving Bali’s noble cultural heritage, it must be maintained to this day.”
There will be plenty for visitors to explore. The festival will open with an art performance by local children, followed by art workshops and the theme of preserving Bali’s cultural heritage will run throughout the day.
The organizers see this as an opportunity to awaken the creativity of contemporary artists, innovators, and performers.
Tourists will also be able to explore the huge range of art and cultural artifacts on display at the ARMA Museum and throughout the resort.
There will be heaps of opportunities for festival-goers to get involved and learn by taking an active role in the creation of art and performances.
Rai told reporters “The committee will provide free entry for children up to junior high school. Meanwhile, entrance tickets start from IDR 350,000 per person for one day and IDR 500,000 per person for two days.”
He concluded, “We will have a sustainable, consistent agenda, and total commitment to the preservation of our art.”
The ARMA Museum opened its doors to the public in June 1996, and to this day is renowned around the world for being one of the largest and most significant showcases of Balinese art and culture.
Art lovers from around the world visit the museum to see for themselves the stuffing collection of Kasaman paintings.
What makes the ARMA Museum so special is how interactive the whole experience is.
Tourists, whether visiting during the festival or on a normal day, are able to fully immerse into the Balinese way of life and take part in an incredibly enlightening range of workshops and classes.
ARMA says, “ARMA is not only a living tradition. ARMA is a living entity.” And it certainly feels that way.
Workshops and classes are available to tourists who are staying at the resort, and those who are staying elsewhere.
One of the most popular classes is the Rindik class. Over the course of three hours, guests are taught how to play the bamboo xylophone-like instrument, which plays a huge role in the traditional Balinese orchestra known as the Gamelan.
Learning to play the Rindik is trickier than it first looks and the workshop is a fantastic way to take a fun and memorable deep dive into Balinese culture.
For those who want to make something to take away with them, then the woodcarving class is the perfect activity.
The hands-on workshop is taught by some of the finest woodworkers on the island and under their watchful eye tourists are introduced to the basics of this ancient craft.
The ARMA Museum is not the only living museum in Bali. Over in Karangasem Regency is the little-known Samsara Living Museum.
The incredible museum is a thriving example of the culturally respectful and sustainable tourism that leaders have been seeking to promote throughout 2023.
Activities on offer at Samsara Living Museum include Arak making, cooking classes, and daily offering-making classes.
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Randy
Thursday 7th of December 2023
That could be a good idea since there are foreign tourists who lack cultural sensitivity.