Implementation of Arts Education in Society Through the Thematic Community Service Program
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Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 18 (2) (2018), 131-142 p-ISSN 2541-1683|e-ISSN 2541-2426 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v18i2.13769 Implementation of Arts Education in Society Through The Thematic Community Service Program Juju Masunah1, Lely Kurniawati2 1Department of Dance Education, Faculty of Arts and Design Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia 2Department of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Faculty of Education Science, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia Received: March 15, 2018. Revised: July 2, 2018. Accepted: December 12, 2018 Abstract Since the transmission of arts education in the family is limited in Indonesia, the exploration of teaching strategy for community becomes imperative as a form of informal education. This ar- ticle aims to report research results on the implementation of arts education in society through thematic community service program, namely Pos Pemberdayaan Keluarga (POSDAYA) or “family empowerment post.” This qualitative study used a project-based research method, which began by diagnosing the problems, creating a plan for activities, implementing the plan, and evaluat- ing the results. Participants of this research were women and children from Bandung Barat Re- gency of West Java and students of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. Data were collected from interviews, participant observation, and study documentation. The data were triangulated and interpreted. The research found a collaborative teaching strategy between students, advisors, and women who worked for POSDAYA to implement arts education for children through creat- ing dances and musical dramas. The story in the drama contains moral values such as caring for others, appreciating one’s parents, tolerance, and environmental awareness. Implementation of arts education through the community service program conducted by students and or faculty members is beneficial to develop children’s creativity and character. Keywords: Arts Education; Dances For Children; Community Service Program, Family Empowerment Post How to Cite: Masunah, J., & Kurniawati, L. (2018). Implementation of Arts Education in Society Through The Thematic Community Service Program. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research And Education, 18(2), 131-142. INTRODUCTION tional. Since 2009, the Research and Com- munity Service Institution (LPPM) in UPI A community service program con- has implemented the community service ducted by students is one of the teaching program for students using themes or the- and learning activities in higher education matic programs. One of the themes is “Pos in Indonesia. This program in Universitas Pemberdayaan Keluarga (POSDAYA),” or Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) is a compulso- “family empowerment post”. This theme ry course subject that should be taken by was created by the Damandiri Foundation all undergraduate students (LPPM UPI, in Indonesia to help low-income families 2016), but other universities consider it op- increase their welfare. The thematic com- Corresponding author: Setiabudi Street, Bandung 40154, Indonesia E-mail: [email protected] 131 132 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 18 (2) (2018): 131-142 munity service program, POSDAYA, aims their performances, hearing the game- to establish a forum for communication lan, and practicing dance during the tour within social organizations in the commu- or performance in the community. Then, nity and to strengthen the roles of families Sawitri taught mask dances to her family to mutually share knowledge and experi- members in Astana Langgar village, Losa- ences to increase welfare in the communi- ri, Cirebon. Sal Murgianto, in his book of ty. Cahaya Merah Memudar (1993), described In this context, advisors for the the- how the children in Bali learned dances by matic community service programs along watching adults during dance practices. with the students are encouraged by the Caturwati (2008) published some ar- institution to collaborate with members of ticles in the edited collection Tari Anak-anak a community to increase their knowledge dan Permasalahannya [Children dances and and skills based on each advisor’s exper- their problems], which discuss strategies and tise. Since 2010, we have actively partici- methods to create dances for children and pated in programs involving students to show some examples of children’s dances, implement activities in the field of arts edu- such as “kariaan [ceremonial] dance,” “tra- cation. In 2011, one of us (Ms. Masunah) ditional game dance,” and “dance choreo- worked collaboratively with UPI students, graphy for children.” This book provides women, children and artists in Ciater Vil- knowledge for teachers and people who lage of Subang, West Java, to create a form want to explore children’s dances. Howe- of performing arts to attract tourism (Ma- ver, the implementation of this knowledge sunah, 2012). However, after the program in society is still missing in the discussion. ended, many forums could not continue So, we once again served as the advisor for the activities that the students had created the community service program in 2016, together with the members of POSDA- we did research and worked collaborati- YA. Therefore, when Ms. Masunah, was vely with the students and the people in appointed an advisor again for the same the family empowerment forums to train program in 2016 in West Bandung Regen- people in arts education, particularly for cy of West Java, she created activities to women and children. incorporate arts education for women and The purpose of this research is to find children in the community. She believed a strategy to implement arts education in a that women as mothers play a role in edu- society that provides knowledge and op- cating their children informally due to the portunities for women to create children’s unlimited space and time at home. dances. According to Mariam Giguere In Indonesia, arts education in the (2011), there are three forms of children’s community has been developed informally dances, namely dances for children, with over the course of time within various spa- children, and by children. The research ces. This case can be traced back to the ro- explores dances for children as part of the les of performing arts in society. Soedarso- implementation of arts education in the no (2002) wrote that performing arts serve thematic community service program, na- as a part of rituals, personal entertainment, mely POSDAYA or the family empower- and aesthetic presentations. Through the- ment post. se roles, the knowledge and skills of the arts are transferred and accessed by the METHOD children in the community, so the perfor- ming arts, like mask dances from Cirebon The research took place in Parong- continue to exist until today. For example, pong Sub-District, Bandung Barat Regen- Masunah (2000) wrote how Sawitri, a tra- cy, West Java, Indonesia. Parongpong ditional dancer of mask dance from Losari Sub-District is located close by North Ban- in Cirebon, learned mask dances from her dung City. The activities took place in se- father and older sister through watching ven villages in Parongpong Sub-District, Juju Masunah, Lely Kurniawati, Implementation of Arts Education in Society Through ... 133 namely Cigugur Girang, Cihanjuang Ra- Our expertise as the advisors for the hayu, Cihanjuang, Cihideung, Ciwaruga, community service program at UPI is in Karyawangi, and Sariwangi. Each village dance and music, so we created a plan to has a forum of family empowerment posts teach the mothers to sing, to dance, and where the students of UPI conducted their to tell stories, then we led them to crea- community service program. The research te dances for children. We used Mariam involved 21 women who actively worked Giguere’s (2011) concept of dances for for the forums of family empowerment children. Then, to implement the concept, post, called women pioneers, students we designed the syntax for teaching dan- who worked for the community service ce which begins by introducing a concept, program, and researchers as the partici- exploring movements, creating a dance, pants. and presenting the dance (Masunah et This qualitative research used a al., 2012). Because this research involved project-based research method (Stoecker, adults who did not have enough experien- 2005). According to Stoeker (2005), one ce with children’s songs and the elements of the characteristics of this method is the of dance, we modified the steps of synectic contribution it makes for a social change approach by adding training activities af- of individuals, organization, community, ter introducing the concept. The next step and even society. This research began by is exploring the movements using analogy diagnosing the problem, creating a plan and various stimulating actions, such as for teaching adults, implementing the ideas, visual, audio, kinesthetic, and tactile plan, and evaluating the results. stimuli. Music is related to the audio sti- Before creating a plan to implement mulus. Lely Kurniawati (2015) stated that arts education for women in the commu- learning music by itself will be boring, ma- nity, we prepared the materials by selec- king it necessary to combine music with ting fourteen children’s songs and com- movements to make teaching and lear- piling them in a CD, searching for stories ning interesting. Also, music can stimulate appropriate for children, and designing students to explore the movements. The teaching activities for adults. We coor- materials for dances to be explored in the dinated the students to work with the creative process are the elements of dance, women in the field and to organize the such as the body, time, space, and energy. workshop of arts education as well as to The final product of the project is a dance create dances for children. Each group of for children involving the work of adults. students selected two representatives to Therefore, we treated adults as stu- participate in the workshop, while each dents who conducted a community servi- family empowerment post invited three ce program and the women as pioneers of women to attend the workshop.