The Flow of Creative Energy in the “City of Rivers”

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

People buy vegetables at Kuin Alalak floating market in North Banjarmasin, Banjarmasin, in South Kalimantan on 2 Feb. 2020. The North Banjarmasin district administration will revitalize the market by stationing the sellers at a single dock to attract tourists.

Various creative communities in the city of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, are beginning to spread creative energy. Ideas of developing the City of Rivers based on the local creative industry are nurtured through collaborations in the Banjarmasin Creative Economy Forum.

In a room at the third floor at the Observatory Tower in Banjarmasin on Tuesday (4/2/2020), a group of people were in a lively discussion while others were looking at their computers connected to the internet.

“This is a public space co-managed by the government and local communities,” Banjarmasin Creative Economy Forum (Fekrab) chair Rasyid Ridha said.

In mid-2019, the room on the Observatory Tower’s third floor was inaugurated as Banjarmasin Plaza Smart City. It was managed collaboratively by the Banjarmasin communication, information and statistics agency and Fekrab. Previously, the room housed a gallery of creative economy products, especially crafts, fashion and cuisines from local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Now, the space serves as a home base for the local creative communities.

“Every month or whenever we want, we hold a meeting here to discuss various things related to creative sector development,” said Acid, as Rasyid is affectionately called.

Fekrab is a new community. It was established in October 2018 and its management was inaugurated in March 2019. The community exists under the Banjarmasin planning research and development agency and was founded to support Banjarmasin’s development as a creative city.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

A woman takes a look at clothing and other creative products at Sasirangan Creative House in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan on Tuesday (4/2/2020). With the growth of the creative economy, Banjarmasin has started to focus on creative products.

In 2019, Fekrab joined the Indonesia Creative Cities Network. However, it has yet to decide what Banjarmasin will specialize in as a creative city. Fekrab does not yet dare to claim any creative label for Banjarmasin, like Bandung’s fame as a design city, Denpasar as a craft city or Ambon as a music city.

“When our work program was assessed by the Creative Economy Agency [Bekraf] at the time, Banjarmasin was directed to become a craft city, especially sasirangan,” Rasyid said. Sasirangan is Banjar’s unique batik-like fabric created with a special technique called menyirang.

Supporting tourism

Developing sasirangan is among the priorities in Banjarmasin. Of the 16 subsectors of creative economy development, several of them, like craft, fashion, cuisine, photography, animation film and video, are included in the road map to support Banjarmasin’s unique river tourism.

Fekrab is actively involved in developing creative kampongs as new tourism destinations. Tourism kampongs in Banjarmasin include Green Kampong in Sungai Bilu subdistrict, Blue Kampong in Melayu subdistrict and Biuku River Kampong in Sungai Andai subdistrict.

Our involvement is especially in developing tourism-awareness groups in these creative kampongs. Furthermore, we also help create promotional content.

“Our involvement is especially in developing tourism-awareness groups in these creative kampongs. Furthermore, we also help create promotional content,” said Acid, who also chairs the South Kalimantan branch of the Indonesian Professional Photography Association.

Ade Hidayat, a member of the Banua Cineastes Forum’s board of patrons, said that a short film industry was also emerging in Banjarmasin in the past few years. Local filmmakers are producing short films to promote local wisdom and cultural stories.

“Through these short films, we introduce local tourism sites, language, culture and heroes,” he said.

According to Ade, as an audiovisual product, films are not only a spectacle for entertainment but can also have effects on other sectors. Several Indonesian films playing at cinemas can increase tourism visits in certain places. For instance, the film Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops) has resulted in tourists coming to Belitung.

“We are trying to produce films like that to increase tourism visits to Banjarmasin. When many tourists come, craft, fashion and culinary products will be increasingly popular,” Ade said.

Banjarmasin Mayor Ibnu Sina said that the city administration supported creative economy development in the city. This was why the city established the Banjarmasin Plaza Smart City. There, locals and communities can enjoy free internet access to create attractive digital content.

“Creative economy development in Banjarmasin in the past year has been good. The creative economy is cited among the city administration’s programs to boost the local economy,” he said.

The creative economy also helps develop Banjarmasin’s micro, small and medium enterprises. Through a new entrepreneurship program, the city administration supports the creative economy and MSME development. Various potentials are explored.

“This is all to support tourism and the creative industry,” Ibnu said.

Fekrab is a medium in which there is collaboration of creative ideas.

Through Fekrab, Ibnu said that he hoped creative economy activities would blossom even more, especially sasirangan craft and local cuisines. Fekrab is a medium in which there is collaboration of creative ideas. “These creative ideas must be implemented and be sustainable,” he said.

In time, Banjarmasin will reap the benefits of creative economy development, which is currently being nurtured for local progress and prosperity.