Support for Ponorogo Regency continues to grow, after the city of Reog became the strongest candidate in proposing the world’s creative cities or the Unesco Creative Ceties Network (UCCN).
After getting the support of the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf RI) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, now all Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD) Regency Government (Pemkab) and Community Organizations (Ormas) in Ponorogo. policy makers and creative economy actors in Bumi Reog are also committed to supporting Ponorogo to become part of UCCN.
In a joint meeting of all OPD and CSOs in Ponorogo led by Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko and Deputy Regent (Wabup) Lisdyarita, in the Banrangin meeting room of the Ponorogo Regency Government, Monday (22/05/2023).
The meeting was attended by the Education Office (Dindik), Health Service (Dinkes), Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), Communication and Information Service (Diskominfo), Culture Tourism, Youth and Sports Office (Disbudparpora), Regional Financial and Asset Management Revenue Agency (BPPKAD) ), the Office for Trade, Cooperatives and Micro Enterprises (Disperdagkum), the Office for the Environment (DLH), and the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the sub-district association, and the village head association. As well as a number of mass organizations such as Nahdatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, Fatayat, Aisyah, Muslimat, and several academics and creative economy actors. Where the resource person brought in was the Executive Committee of the Indonesian Creative Ceties Network (ICCN) for the East Java region, Vicky Arief Herinadharma.
Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko said the joint commitment of OPD, mass organizations and academics as well as creative economy actors is proof that the government and creative economy actors share one vision towards Ponorogo the world’s creative city.
“What we want to aim for is a district that wants to move up a grade, it’s not just me being creative, but I think it should involve all elements. Especially OPD must be committed, what do you do, you have to collaborate together to become a Creative City,” he said.
Sugiri explained, in implementing the policies that will be applied in the future to answer the challenges in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will refer to the potential for creativity and culture of the Reog Ponorogo performing arts. Where the Government of Ponorogo has now implemented Circle-P to encourage economic equity through the potential for Reog Ponorogo to become the driving force for Creative Economy at the local level to upgrade to national and international levels.
“We have done something, including the Circle-P policy to make Ponorogo a world creative city,” he hoped.
The Executive Committee of the Indonesian Creative Ceties Network (ICCN) for the East Java region Vicky Arief Herinadharma said he was proud of Ponorogo’s efforts to win UCCN. He said, apart from now officially becoming the ICCN network, Ponorogo would also be fully supported as a Unesco creative city network.
“Of course we will provide continuous assistance and support with our network in 240 creative districts/cities, we have done the same thing for the succession of Bandung, Pekalongan, Ambon and Jakarta to become creative cities in the world of the Unesco network,” he concluded. It is known, in submitting the UCCN nomination for the City of Craft and Folk Arts category, Ponorogo competed with Bantul and Surakarta Regencies. Meanwhile, for Gastronomy, Bitung and Salatiga were contested. Adv/Man
