International conference to explore culture and sustainable development in Indonesian province of Aceh
Fostering sustainable development through culture will be the focus of an international conference about Indonesia’s northern province of Aceh, to be held at Monash University later this month.
The International Conference and Cultural Event of Aceh 2016 (ICCE) will feature leading experts on the Indonesian province who will present on issues critical to the region and possible resolutions. The ICCE 2016: exploring Aceh’s culture to foster sustainable development conference will also include a musical performance and art exhibition from the region.
At the conference, world leading authority on the music of Aceh, Monash Professor Margaret Kartomi AO, will discuss fostering sustainable development through the performing arts process in Aceh, while Monash Dr Max Richter will chair a session on ecology, housing and investment.
Professor John Bowen from Washington University in St Louis, USA, will present on some of the misconceptions that exist regarding Sharia and Islamic law, and Australian National University Professor Anthony Reid will examine factors behind Aceh’s loss of its 19th Century independence.
Also attending will be Australian and Indonesian citizens, academics, students, journalists and members of the Acehnese communities in Australia. The Acehnese participants will discuss with each other, and foreign researchers on Aceh, the province’s cultural and economic problems and implementation of sharia law.
A conference highlight will be a concert and exhibition including:
Piyasan Aceh (“Rejoicing in the Arts of Aceh”) presented by Syiah Kuala University’s Centre for the Arts, will feature the music and dances of the Acehnese, Gayo and Malay-Acehnese traditions and include the masterseudati song-dance leader Hasan Basri from Aceh’s west coast, the master sikambang singer Anhar Sitanggang from Aceh’s Banyak Archipelago, the saman Gayo song dance and other traditional performances.
The Exhibition, Keuneubah Indatu (“Aceh’s Cultural Heritage”), will showcase musical instruments, textiles, wedding ornaments, costumes, miniature houses and other material arts of Aceh.
An Exhibition of paintings by famous Acehnese artist Mahdi Abdullah will be on display at the MADA Gallery, Monash Caulfield, from 14-28 September, with five showings of films by young Acehnese artists.
For further information and to register, please visit the conference website.