Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Belgium

My collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Brussels unfolded through two significant moments, both rooted in cultural diplomacy and the empowerment of the Indonesian diaspora.

The first collaboration took place in November 2025, in the context of the National Language Month. I was invited to lead a workshop for Indonesian women from the Benelux diaspora on the dramatization of poetry. The focus went beyond declamation, exploring how a poem can be shaped into a performance that gradually builds tension and moves toward a theatrical presence. The workshop began with theoretical grounding, approaching poetry as both an aesthetic and historical event, before moving into hands-on practice. We discussed how to embody the spirit of the poet in their own time while simultaneously weaving in our contemporary sensibility as performers. I introduced essential techniques that form the foundation of any performance, including vocal projection, intonation, articulation, and breathing techniques to manage pauses, long lines, and texts containing enjambment. Attention was also given to body movement as a meaningful support to interpretation, never excessive, always intentional, as well as to costume choice as part of the dramaturgical language rather than mere decoration.

The participants’ enthusiasm was remarkable. They were given space to explore a selection of poems I had prepared, drawn from different periods of Indonesian literature, ranging from the Pujangga Baru movement and the Generation of 1966 to contemporary poets. Many participants approached me again during the lunch break to express how much they enjoyed the workshop. For them, this session felt refreshingly different from the usual monthly activities, which are often seminar-based and passive. This time, they were actively involved, engaging their voices, bodies, and emotions, and experiencing poetry as a living art.
The second collaboration followed in December 2025, when I was again entrusted by the Embassy to serve as a jury member. I was invited not only as a judge for the poetry declamation competition, in direct continuity with the knowledge shared during the November workshop, but also as a jury member for the Indonesian national costume fashion show. In this role, I served alongside the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia and the Deputy Ambassador. This experience brought together literature, performance, and visual cultural expression in a single celebration of Indonesian identity abroad. The evaluation went beyond technical proficiency, encompassing interpretative depth, stage presence, confidence, and respect for the cultural values embodied in each performance.

These two collaborations were deeply meaningful to me. The trust placed in me by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Brussels represents not only a professional honor, but also an acknowledgment of my interdisciplinary work at the intersection of literature, education, and performing arts. I receive this trust with sincere gratitude, as part of an ongoing commitment to nurturing and representing Indonesian language and culture within an international context.