Youth wayang and prasi contest in Buleleng targets artisan regeneration

Singaraja — Young artists from all nine districts of Buleleng took part in wayang-making and prasi competitions on 16 September 2026, as the regency’s culture authorities seek to encourage a new generation of traditional artisans. Each district sent one participant for the wayang contest and one for the prasi contest, with the event targeting an age group broadly between 15 and 25 years, according to the organizers.

The competitions were organized by the Buleleng Regency Culture and Tourism Agency and held at Wantilan Sasana Budaya and in the grounds of Museum Gedong Kirtya in Singaraja. Participants in both categories were given five hours to complete their work, after which the pieces were judged and winners announced the same day. The program formed part of a series of “tradition- and community-based” cultural competitions aimed at strengthening local identity and preserving Balinese heritage.

The wayang-making competition focused on the character Sahadewa, completing a multi-year sequence of contests themed around the five Pandawa brothers. The second category was prasi, the Balinese practice of engraving and illustrating stories on palm leaves, which this year took Sutasoma as its narrative theme. Local officials said choosing these characters was intended to connect young participants with classic wayang and literary traditions.

Preserving regional styles

Judging criteria for the wayang competition included adherence to Buleleng’s distinctive wayang style, aesthetic qualities, carving technique and coloring. Officials and organizers described the regency’s wayang tradition as differing from styles in southern Bali and noted further variations between western and eastern Buleleng, underscoring the need to maintain local visual characteristics. They highlighted traditional carving methods and character design as elements that younger artisans are now less familiar with.

According to the Culture and Tourism Agency, the competitions therefore tested more than speed and technical execution. The event was framed as an opportunity to see whether participants could retain regional stylistic features and technical knowledge while producing new works within a set timeframe. The agency also emphasized that participation and learning were more important than winning, and that the competitions were intended to build confidence among young people to engage with their cultural heritage.

Regeneration challenge

Buleleng officials have repeatedly identified regeneration of wayang-makers and prasi artists as a major challenge, citing limited interest among younger generations. Prasi, which requires composing and illustrating a narrative on palm leaf, is considered particularly demanding to sustain because it combines literary and visual skills. The Culture and Tourism Agency said the 2026 edition reduced the number of competition categories from four or five in previous years to two – wayang-making and prasi – in order to concentrate efforts on these core traditional arts.

Some participants were secondary-school students and came from varied backgrounds, with district governments and local offices conducting selection and mentoring ahead of the regency-level event. Officials from several district social and culture sections accompanied their delegations, underlining the competition’s role as a showcase for youth talent from across Buleleng.

Results and follow-up

According to the Culture and Tourism Agency, winners were chosen on the day of the competition. Buleleng District took first place in the wayang-making category, followed by Gerokgak in second and Seririt in third. In prasi, Kubutambahan District won first place, with Buleleng second and Banjar third. The agency expressed hope that the event would be followed by training and mentoring programs in each district, including activities linked to Museum Gedong Kirtya.

Officials said they want the competition to serve as an entry point to longer-term learning rather than a one-off contest. Plans discussed include joint instruction and district-level coaching to support young artisans who show interest in wayang-making and prasi. However, the timing and scale of such follow-up programs had not yet been detailed in official communications available after the event.

Sources

• Balipost
• Tribun Bali (tribunnews.com regional)
• Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Kabupaten Buleleng (official release)
• RRI.co.id (Voice of Indonesia)
• The East Indonesia