A Model for Inclusivity
It’s been 12 years since I went to my first music festival in 2012 and had my life forever changed. Since then, I’ve made it a priority to visit festivals and transformative events around the world. In Western society, we often take for granted our access to these events where the best of human creativity is represented. With a bit of travel, it’s possible to visit a festival almost every weekend. However for most of the developing world, these events are unattainable due to high ticket prices, travel costs, and visa requirements.
Since 2020, we’ve been living in Bali where there is a wide income gap between expats and the local Balinese population. The experience of a transformative festival is unknown to many Indonesians. Suara Festival in Nuanu City was the first event we’ve been to that gave a taste of the magic of festival life to local communities who would normally never have an opportunity to experience festival culture. Our driver told us that free tickets for the event had been distributed to all the children in the surrounding banjars. Ticket pricing for Indonesians was Rp 300,000 per ticket ($20 USD) vs Rp 2,200,00 ($147 USD) for foreigners. It was so enjoyable to see the reactions of Balinese families who were mind blown by what they experienced at Suara Festival.
About Suara Festival
Suara Festival is a unique independent art, music, culture, and educational festival located in Nuanu, Tabanan, Bali. The festival is committed to conscious earth stewardship and places eco-friendly practices as one of its top priorities. Suara is inclusive to local communities and emphasizes the rich cultural heritage of the Balinese. The festival features a wide variety of musical performances, art installations, workshops, and educational talks. Suara is a celebration of the arts, culture, and sustainability, and it is a great opportunity to learn about the rich history and traditions of Bali.
Suara Festival is held on a 44-hectare plot of land in the Tabanan regency of Bali, Indonesia, and is part of a larger vision called Nuanu City founded by visionary Sergey Solinin.
About Nuanu City
Nuanu City is a visionary concept for a sustainable city in Bali. Designed to have a population of 10,000 people, it is home to a variety of businesses and organizations that promote sustainability. A model for sustainable development, it is powered by renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power and is designed to be walkable and bikeable, with limited car traffic.
Nuanu City encompasses a range of projects that promote environmental protection, social equity, and economic development.The city is home to a variety of businesses and organizations that promote sustainability.
Some of the key projects that are part of Nuanu City include:
- A solar-powered community center
- A rainwater harvesting system
- A composting program
- A community garden
- A green school
- A sustainable tourism initiative
Suara Festival was a beautiful blend of Western and local cultures. As well as international acts, it showcased local musicians and the craftsmanship of Balinese artisans
Decoration Station
We had the opportunity to be a part of the Decoration Station at Suara Festival, which introduced festival costuming to the masses. The Decoration Station was located in a beautiful bamboo structure next to the Seaside Stage and had costuming stations featuring:
- One of a kind hats by Birds of Paradise
- Festival costumes by Yoshizen
- Face and Body painting by Lila Colours and Bali Face Painting
- Flower crowns by Shanti Flow
After getting all dressed up, participants could commemorate the experience at the photo booth located outside the Decoration Station.
Art & Music
Much of the art seen at Suara Festival was made out of sustainable materials and done by local artisans who practiced traditional crafts like straw weaving. The event also featured several large scale art installations normally only seen at events like Burning Man. Upon entering the festival, you were greeted by 2 giant intergalactic faces designed by South African artist Daniel Popper. At sunset, the faces were illuminated by constantly shifting 3D projections which drew huge crowds fascinated by the spectacle.
One of my favourite installations was an interactive dome by Labyrinth Studios which used a motion sensor to capture a user’s movement. Your image was then projected onto the dome, and changed graphically according to the mode you selected.
The design of the stages was especially impressive. Mainstage featured trippy 3D projections and above the Seaside stage there was a gigantic LED sculpture by Russian artist Alexander Milov who had made the well known Love sculpture at the 2015 edition of Burning Man.
At night Nuanu City transformed into a magical wonderland lit by glowing purple, orange, and red lanterns. There was even a hammock cuddle puddle area where you could recharge while people watching.
Children are the Future
Since we had our daughter Gaia-Rose who is now almost 1 & 1/2 years old, we’ve been totally MIA from the festival scene. I was so happy to get back into festival life and attend an event where so many children were present- it was definitely the most wholesome festival that we’ve ever been to. Everywhere you looked there were happy children. Between all the amazing art to explore and the stacked programming at Kids Zone, Suara Festival was kiddy paradise. The festival really provided a platform for children to express themselves creatively and to learn about different cultures. Over the weekend, kids could participate in dance, music, and art workshops such as Introduction to Capoeira and Yoga for Kids.
The highlight of the weekend was the Kids Carnival which took place on Sunday at sunset. Children could pick out their own carnival totems and march around the festival site to the sound of Balinese gamelan music while surrounded by performers on stilts and carnival performers.
This was only the 2nd edition of Suara Festival held in Nuanu City, both are still a work in progress. Suara Festival was a great example of how to inspire future generations and introduce them to sustainable living so they can build a better future for Bali and the world. I’m so excited to see how much more these projects will evolve over time.
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