The Nusantara Ballroom at The Dharmawangsa Jakarta was very still. Everyone fell silent, marvelling at the stage performance of actors Dian Sastrowardoyo and Reza Rahadian on stage. Clad in contemporary kebaya and beskap designed by Didiet Maulana for SVARNA by IKAT Indonesia, both of them performed a tailored choreography created by dance maestro Elly Lutan. Traditional gestures and contemporary nuances synergize with the stage energy they share with choreographers Rianto and Boby Ari Setiawan.

After the performance, Reza and Dian's attire was auctioned off to the invitees. This is Yayasan Loka Tari Nusantara’s (YLTN) Fundraising Night for the 2024 edition of the festival. With full support from The Dharmawangsa Jakarta, the Fundraising Night was attended by notable Friends of IDF, as well as donors and loyal supporters of the festival.

Friday, May 2 2024 marked the first time that YLTN/IDF fundraising was held in a gala and auction format. Approximately 100 indoor dining seats are available for reservation. A number of artists from various disciplines, including senior sculptor Dolorosa Sinaga, designer Merdi Sihombing, and Sri Luce-Rusna together with Happy Salma and Franka Makarim from TULOLA, donated their works to be included in the charity auction.

This collective effort brings together individuals and organizations who have a special interest in the dance ecosystem in Indonesia. As government representatives, Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim and Director General of Culture Hilmar Farid, also attended this event. The YLTN-IDF Fundraising Night is one of IDF programs, which is realized through the Dana Indonesiana cultural endowment fund program which is managed by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The funds collected will be used to facilitate dance artists and behind-the-scenes workers in the biennial IDF festival, which is planned for 2-8 November 2024. This event marks the 19th edition of the IDF, which was first held in 1992. Initiated by, among others, dance figures Maria Darmaningsih, Melina Surya Dewi, and Nungki Kusumastuti who currently sit on the management of YLTN, this festival is the most enduring dance festival in Southeast Asia.

More than providing an international stage for contemporary Indonesian and foreign dance works, IDF provides a space for incubating the work of potential young artists. One of these efforts is carried out through the Kampana program, where selected artists undergo a work development process with the IDF curatorial team for around six months before the festival. The work developed together will then be premiered on the festival stage, and it is hoped that it will become one of the provisions for the work of the participating artists. Rianto, an actor and choreographer who is popularly known for his work in the Lengger Banyumas dance, is a Kampana alumni. At IDF 2018, he performed the work “Hijra” as part of the evening performance. In the same year, his journey as a Lengger Lanang dancer became the inspiration for the big screen film Kucumbu Body Indahku by Garin Nugroho.

The YLTN-IDF Fundraising Night succeeded in raising around IDR 430 million through selling chairs, purchasing auction works, as well as souvenirs specially produced with ceramic artist Ayu Larasati.

Ratri Anindyajati, Director of the Indonesian Dance Festival, representing the IDF youth work team: “We have been planning this evening's event for two years. I am very grateful to every stakeholder involved - donors, sponsors, artists - who have make this moment special.

Initiated by IDF’s young working team, this fundraising effort in the form of a Gala Dinner and Auction was the first in IDF's three decade history and shows that art enthusiasts in Indonesia care about making an impact on the arts and culture ecosystem. There is a strong philanthropic spirit to help advance the performing arts in Indonesia. The role of the IDF team is to continue working to connect individual and institutional philanthropists with actors in the dance community, in order to maintain the values ​​that the IDF has championed.”

The Yayasan Loka Tari Nusantara/Indonesian Dance Festival fundraising initiative is fully supported by Dana Indonesiana, Kemendikbudristek, and LPDP, The Dharmawangsa Jakarta as Main Partner, Sidharta Auctioneer as Auction Partner, The Distillery Asia as Invitation Partner, and Serrum Art Handling as Exhibition Installation Partner .

All images are documented by YLTN-IDF Fundraising Night.