Denpasar, 16 September 2026 — The Media and Cultural Studies (KBM) Program, Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), conducted a series of academic activities with the Film and Television Production Study Program, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Bali, on Wednesday, 16th September 2026. The activities were part of the thematic practicum and field study, “Space, Visuality, and Cultural Practices in Bali,” and served as an opportunity to strengthen academic collaboration of KBM UGM and ISI Bali.
The activities at ISI Bali began with participant registration and an opening session, followed by remarks from the Dean/Vice Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, ISI Bali, and the Chief of the KBM Program, UGM. The session highlighted the objectives of the benchmarking activity and the exploration of academic collaboration of the Media and Cultural Studies Program at UGM and the Film and Television Production Program at ISI Bali.
One of the key activities was the signing of an Implementation Agreement, marking an important step in strengthening institutional collaboration of the two institutions. The agreement created part of the efforts to develop collaboration in various areas of academic activities and learning.
The program, following the signing ceremony, continued with a Joint Academic Forum, featuring a film screening and discussion session. Participants watched short films produced by ISI Bali students, followed by discussions on creative processes, representation, and issues of inclusivity in media.
Two of the works featured in the session were Scarecrow and When Cening Meets Kawa, the Magical Forest. Scarecrow explores the development of tourism in Canggu Traditional Village and its impact on local farmers and agricultural land, which continues to experience conversion into other uses. Meanwhile, When Cening Meets Kawa, the Magical Forest tells the story of Cening, a Balinese girl, and her experience with the Tumpek Pengarah ritual. The film explores themes of tradition, the environment, family, and respect for nature.
The film screening and discussion provided a space for knowledge exchange of Media and Cultural Studies and audiovisual production practices. The discussion, participants explored how social, cultural, environmental, and identity-related issues can be translated into film, as well as how creative and visual choices contribute to the construction of representation.
The Joint Academic Forum also included a session on Inclusive Visual Storytelling, which addressed cinematography techniques, framing, visual composition, and inclusive representation in audiovisual media production. The session provided participants with an opportunity to discuss creative production processes while reflecting on the importance of representation in media production.
The program continued with benchmarking of media laboratories and production studios at ISI Bali. Participants observed the media laboratory facilities, production studios, and editing rooms, while also gaining insight into laboratory management, operational systems, and the use of facilities to support project-based learning.
Participants, beyond media production facilities, also took part in a tour of the ISI Bali Museum. The visit provided an opportunity to explore the museum’s collections, the artistic learning environment, and approaches to the preservation of artworks. The museum tour further enriched participants’ understanding of the relationship between art, culture, visuality, and the preservation of cultural works.
The activities continued with a discussion on the development of future collaboration of KBM UGM and ISI Bali. The discussion explored potential collaboration in education, research, community engagement, creative production, academic publications, guest lectures, joint workshops, media laboratory development, and capacity building for educational staff. The two institutions also discussed follow-up plans as a basis for developing collaborative programs in the future.
The series of benchmarking activities, the signing of the agreement, the Joint Academic Forum, film screening and discussion, laboratory benchmarking, and the ISI Bali Museum tour, the program provided a meaningful space for academic exchange of Media and Cultural Studies, arts, and audiovisual production practices. The activities concluded with a closing session and group photo, marking the completion of KBM UGM’s academic activities at ISI Bali.
Author: Khoirul Mujazanah