AUT inspires Indonesia with arts and cultural programme
AUT has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education & Culture (MoEC) of Indonesia, to host 50 experts from Indonesia, taking them on a whirlwind tour to learn about New Zealand’s arts and culture.
The New Zealand Arts & Culture Development Programme, which is the first of its kind, will see arts and culture workers, who have been selected by the MoEC as future leaders in their fields, arrive next month.
Led by AUT’s Office of International Relations and Development, with support from Education New Zealand (ENZ), the group will be provided with professional training and learning opportunities, including seminars, site visits and field trips across the country. Each participant will also be matched with someone in a similar field working in New Zealand, encompassing history, museums and galleries, dance, theatre, music, literacy, film and visual arts.
Professor Nigel Hemmington, Dean – Faculty of Culture and Society, Pro Vice-Chancellor International, said the move is a step towards stronger ties between AUT and Indonesia.
“The signing of the agreement with the Indonesian Ministry of Education, to train cultural workers at AUT, signals a major development in the university’s relationship with Indonesia and serves as a preliminary project for the wider programme, Project Taman, where AUT will lead (with Victoria University of Wellington and University of Auckland) the professional development of Indonesian school teachers In New Zealand in 2017,” Professor Hemmington says.
By discovering New Zealand’s art and culture public and preservation policies, it’s hoped the group will apply what they have learnt to the conservation and transmission of Indonesian culture and arts.
Lester Finch, International Projects Manager from AUT’s Office of International Relations & Development said the programme will help strengthen New Zealand’s relationship with Indonesia.
“We’re thrilled to be leading this new programme, which is designed to ensure that a sense of belonging, identity and a celebration of the diversity of cultures and arts unique to Indonesia will be conserved for future generations.
Our aim is to give these future leaders a real insight into New Zealand art and culture public policy, particularly how we preserve our arts and cultures and present our history,” says Lester Finch.
The programme continues the strong bilateral relationship between Indonesia and New Zealand, specifically in the education sector. It follows shortly after New Zealand Prime Minister John Key’s visit to Indonesia in June of this year.
The programme includes a three-day pre-departure briefing from 10-12 November to familiarise the participants with the whole programme, as well what it’s like to live in New Zealand.
During the three weeks of training in New Zealand from 14 November-3 December, participants will be provided with experiential learning including mentorships, seminars, workshop sessions, presentations, guest speakers, site visits and a field trip to understand New Zealand art and culture public policy and how the country preserves its arts and cultures. A post-departure collaborative evaluation will take place in Jakarta in early 2017.