Arts and Heritage Contribution

Festival Dalang Cilik (Young Puppeteer Festival) 2025,  part of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta's (UNY) 61st-anniversary celebrations, brought together 58 young Dalang (puppeteers) aged 9 to 15 from Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java. Over three days, from May 13 to 15, 2025, eighteen finalists showcased their talents, celebrating the rich tradition of Javanese puppetry in a vibrant cultural display.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) celebrated its 61st anniversary by hosting the 2025 Festival Dalang Cilik (Young Puppeteer Festival), held from May 13 to 15 at the Pendopo Foodcourt UNY. This event was dedicated to preserving the rich tradition of wayang (puppet theater) from an early age, providing a platform for young participants to learn and showcase their talents in shadow puppetry.

To celebrate its 61st anniversary, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) brought Javanese culture to life through a captivating Ketoprak performance titled “Satyakarta Sudarsana.” Held on May 7, 2025, at the Performance Hall of the Faculty of Language, Arts, and Culture (FBSB), the event showcased the artistic talents of UNY students. The performance was a collaborative effort between the Faculty of Language, Arts, and Culture and the Faculty of Engineering. Adding to the grandeur, the event was attended by Vice Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Dr.

The cooperation between Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) and the University of Poitiers, France, which began 10 years ago through the Erasmus program, continues to grow rapidly. The partnership began with the visit of Dr. Gerard Mauco, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at the University of Poitiers, and his wife Christine Mauco, a music expert from the Conservatorium of Poitiers, to UNY. The meeting paved the way for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and various collaborative programs that continue to be strengthened over time.

Margoagung Village, known as a cultural pioneer village, continues to maintain the tradition of bamboo crafts that have been passed down from generation to generation. However, in this modern era, innovation is needed to ensure its sustainability and increase competitiveness. Responding to these challenges, the PPK Team of Ormawa Haska JMF FMIPA UNY came up with the Bamboo Craft Diversification and Digital Marketing Program to help the craftsmen in this village not only maintain, but also develop their bamboo crafts.

The World Skill Competition-ASEAN (WSC-ASEAN) competition is a prestigious event at the ASEAN region level that brings together the best participants from various countries to compete in various fields of expertise and industry. In this event, Firda Setia Nanda, a UNY Fashion Engineering Education study program student, represented Indonesia in the Textile Design discipline competition.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta's Swara Wadhana Student Choir won the Grand Prix Winner in the 13th International Choral Festival Orientale Concentus competition. This international choral competition occurred in Singapore from July 1 to 3, 2023.

Anyone can participate in the preservation of musical art. This spirit emerged from the initiation of the Retired Association (IKAPEN) UNY Karawitan Art Group by Drs. Wien Pudji PDP., M.Pd., a former lecturer from the Department of Dance Education, Faculty of Language and Arts UNY. Currently, the IKAPEN Karawitan Group already has 25 members.

Danendra Imam Gaddafie played the wayang well in the play entitled "Gatotkaca Jedhi". His voice echoed steadily throughout the room, accompanying the solah (playing tempo), musical instrument elements and cepengan (holding/moving the puppets) impressively like a professional dalang. Denendra is a grade 2 student at SDN Mojo 1 Ngawi. He has been interested in the world of wayang since he was four years old when he saw Ki Seno's puppet show on YouTube. "I like Ki Seno's performance ," he said.