Indonesian university students in Newcastle, United Kingdom hosted culinary and cultural festival “Discover Indonesia” (DI) on Wednesday (4/5), Thursday (5/5), and Sunday (7/5) to promote Indonesia’s diverse culture to the international audience.
Organized by Indonesian Student Association (PPI), the event was considered the biggest Indonesian cultural festival in the North of England. Unlike most cultural festivals in the UK which have who day packed festival, DI offered a series of events which consist of a two-day bazaar and an epic performance night with dramatic play and traditional dances.
“Discover Indonesia is an annual event which has been running for 4 years which aims to promote and raise cultural awareness of Indonesian in the UK,” said Alfred Sudjaka, Discover Indonesia Marketing Officer.
With the theme of “Indonesian Patriotism”, the two-day bazaar highlighted the historical events that date back to the period of proclamation of independence. Almost a thousand visitors came to the bazaar which strategically located at the Student Forum, Newcastle University, easily the busiest pedestrian area in the heart of Newcastle. The flashmob in the middle of the event also attracted people who were originally just passed by to check out the event.
The bazaar housed several food stalls offering rendang (slow cooked beef) and satay (grilled chicken skewers), which are also the world’s best food according to CNN, martabak (sweet or savory egg-based pancakes or omelets), gudeg Jogja, satay and lots of Indonesian groceries, such as instant noodles, prawn crackers, palm sugar, shrimp paste, and sambal.
The bazaar also featured live performances of dance and music presented by students, booths to learn Bahasa Indonesia and discover new tourism destinations in Indonesia, even the opportunities to grab some Indonesian lunch and soak under a very nice and sunny weather.
Many people stayed around to join traditional games such as estafet karet, marble-on-spoon race, and the most anticipated Indomie competition, thanks to Indomie’s global fame which also ranked as the number one consumers good in Africa.
“Many praised us for our ability to hold such a big and diverse event, especially with all the tents and decorations that really highlighted Indonesian’s culture and heritage,” said Brigitta Kelly, a representative of Discover Indonesia Media and Marketing Team
The students went the extra mile by hosting smaller events leading to the big week, to promote Indonesian cultures to different communities. DI held a series of Indonesian food bazaar and performances in collaboration with Newcastle University Student Union, National University Business School, and Jesmond Parish Church.
Discover Indonesia concluded with a theatrical performance highlighting “Gadjah Mada” heroic journey to unite the strongest, largest, and longest kingdom ever reigned in Indonesia on Sunday (7/5) in Northumbria University, Newcastle.
