UNS — Children started to learn about movement, thinking, feeling, and interaction with people and their surroundings at the age of four to five years old. This phase is the sensitive period. Children are sensitive toward small and detailed objects and their social life. Stimulation and direction are needed to prevent slow or hampered growth. The sensitive period also plays a role as a foundation of characters for children before they grow up. Social, intellectual, and social aspects in children also need to be stimulated by positive and applicable values in the community. Family, society, and school play a role in shaping children’s morals to achieve intelligence of thought and strength of will.
With the Art Creation Research Group Faculty of Art and Design (FSRD) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Dr. Agus Purwantoro, M.Sn or Gus Pur held a community service program in Mijilan Art Gallery, Pringapus Hamlet, Kalisalak, Salaman, Magelang on Sunday (27/6/2021). Together with Prof. Dr. Narsen Afatara, M.S., Drs. Soepono Sasongko, M.Sn., and Jazuli Abdin Munib, S.Sn., Gus Pur trained children in Mijilan Art Gallery to make Wayang Godhong (Leaves Puppet). Children in the art gallery also had an opportunity to make a simple performance using their puppets.
“Children are invited to observe Wayang Godhong production, practicing to make it, and make a simple performance according to their ability,” Dr. Agus Purwantoro explained.
Wayang Godhong is a contemporary puppet created from dried teak and coffee leaves. The use of dried leaves is also an effort to teach children about loving the environment, which is in line with UNS leading program as a Green Campus. Wayang Godhong was introduced in 2010 as a form of Gus Pur empathy for tobacco farmers’ resistance.
“Wayang Godhong tries to transform the function of wayang, which is initially as a character in a performance into a media for education and delivering stories of virtue and life messages,” Gus Pur stated.
Gus Pur added that Wayang Godhong is rich with values and is appropriate for introducing Javanese arts and culture to early childhood. He hoped that the future Indonesian generation could preserve Javanese culture in the form of wayang, which is acknowledged as the masterpiece of humanity’s oral and intangible heritage by UNESCO, meaning that wayang is not limited to its physical form but also its stories and rites. Humas UNS
Reporter: Alinda Hardiantoro
Editor: Dwi Hastuti