Creativity has no limit even at the time of pandemic. More than 50 young entrepreneurs from Bali, Kotatua Jakarta, Klaten, Yogyakarta, Borobudur. Lombok and Toba joined Pakai Masker Kain Tradisional” or Wear Your (Traditional Textile) Mask campaign to produce original masks using Indonesia’s traditional fabric including ulos, batik, tenun endek and tenun Lombok. Their works were presented through a Virtual Fashion Show live-streamed on YouTube and Instagram on 16 September 2020.
The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 had detrimental effect on culture, reducing radically the income opportunities for the artists and those working in creative sectors. In response to this crisis, UNESCO Jakarta since March 2020 has been facilitating a series of virtual business training workshops to mentor some 400 young cultural entrepreneurs from Central Java, Yogyakarta, Kota Tua Jakarta, Toba and Bali to overcome this difficult time. Pakai Masker Kain Tradisional campaign was initiated specifically to support those working in traditional weaving and fashion to provide them with alternative income opportunities.
The campaign, which started in July 2020 provided lectures on the history and cultural significance of traditional textile as well as hands-on trainings on developing product story and sewing quality masks. Between August and September, the campaign further gave the participants with assignment to design and make their own masks and to develop appealing photo and message for social media.
This campaign is coordinated by UNESCO Jakarta and CITI Indonesia as part of the project “Creative Youth at Indonesian Heritage Sites” supported by Citi Foundation, which aims to build the capacity of 400 young creative entrepreneurs living in and around the four key tourism destinations of Indonesia: Borobudur, Prambanan, Lake Toba, Bali and Kota Tua Jakarta. This project intends to create a linkage between heritage sites and community livelihood, by providing trainings for young entrepreneurs to improve their business skills while respecting and promoting heritage values of the site.