Ponorogo Regency Government (Pemkab) continues to make efforts to make Bumi Reog a part of the world’s network of creative cities. Not only holding the Ponorogo Creative Festival, but the Regency Government is also holding a Ponorogo national seminar towards the world’s creative cities.
The seminar was chaired by Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko, with a number of international sources and the Unesco creative city network attending both offline and online.
Present at the seminar, Unesco Creative Ceties Network (UCCN) Creative Craft and Falk Art Coordinator Prof. Mary Amstrong Hamond, Ambon Focal Point Unesco Music City Ronny Loppis, Chair of the Pekalongan Creative City Forum Arief Wicaksono, Deputy Director of Indonesia Creative Ceties Network (ICCN) Strategic Partnership Dwinita Larasati, and Jakarta Unesco City Of Literature Office Melvi.
The activity which was held at the Maesa Hotel hall was attended by academics and the creative community and performers of the Reog Ponorogo arts in Ponorogo, Thursday (25/05/2023).
Creative Craft and Falk Art Unesco Creative Ceties Network (UCCN) Coordinator Prof. Mary Amstrong Hamond who took part in this activity online from Paducah City, Kentucky, United States of America, said she was proud and appreciated the efforts of the Regency Government and the creative community in Ponorogo to fight for Ponorogo Regency to become part of the network Unesco creative city.
Prof. Mary Armstrong Hamond specifically expressed her support for Ponorogo to become the City of Craft and Falk Art UCCN. Because he sees the influence of Reog in the economic ecosystem in Ponorogo Regency is very large, as well as the regeneration and collaboration that is formed is able to maintain the existence of this art from time to time.
“Ponorogo always gets my support and I hope Ponorogo can maintain the authenticity of its people’s performing arts. Then please Ponorogo friends to intensively contact me regarding preparations to become a member of UCCN,” he said.
Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko hopes that Ponorogo’s big dream of bringing the uniqueness of Reog and its civilization to the world stage can be realized. Boosting the economy and spreading local products, both handicrafts and food, to the international level.
“This is our hope, hopefully it will come true, it can become a UCCN network. Because of course our MSME products can penetrate the international market. Because now is the era of collaboration and creativity,” he hoped.
As the city where Reog was born, the current generation must raise the economic level of the Ponorogo community to the world stage. Not only focusing on infrastructure issues and solving social issues locally. “We have inherited from our ancestors an extraordinary art. Not only performing arts there are crafts there and martial arts as well. Regarding infrastructure and social issues at the local level, the district government can solve them, but how can this district rise to an international level. With with Reog capital, let’s make this district a World Creative City together,” he concluded. adv/man
