Helar (ngahelar) is an expression that comes from Sundanese language. It refers to the act of expressing our self to gain attention from the others. This term is also rooted from the Sundanese culture, indigenous ethnic group in the western part of the Java Island in Indonesia.
When the dutch first came to Bandung, they might never would’ve thought that Bandung would grow into one of indonesia’s most notable city. The low temperature, the mountainous landscape, the intimate scale of northern bandung, made this 166 km2 city once known as “paris van java” . Now, decades after the dutch departed, Bandung is struggling to maintain it’s colonial legacy, but more importantly, it has managed to find its way in creating a new legacy for it’s future generations.
Lines of independent clothing company, the sprawling factory outlets, and creative talents that seem endless provides a glimpse into Bandung’s future. The once tranquil and peaceful Bandung has now turned into a city of inspiration which is thriving economically . People from Jakarta would spend their weekends in Bandung to shop in the factory outlets and to taste the fine cuisine of west java, or to simply escape from their routines in the cool air of Bandung mountains. Truly, Bandung is now one of Indonesia’s most attractive and creative city.
The Helar Festival 2008 is Bandung’s biggest creative event. It is a month packed with more than 30 creative events showcasing the city’s best talents and assets. From the re-cycled bottles gallery under the Pasoepati flyover (Bandung’s only flyover bridge) to Kickfest (the biggest indie clothing line event in indonesia). From designing a new “angkot” (the name of bandung’s public transportation) to an international architecture seminar. Whether it is art, architecture, music, fashion, graphic design, extreme sport, The Helar Festival brings out the best of Bandung’s creative community together.
This event was initiated by the Bandung Creative City Forum, as a long term strategy to develop a sustainable creative economy platform in Bandung. This forum also initiated a branding strategy development and building networks as an effort to establish Bandung as a creative city that can compete globally. This event is like the validation of the creative community in Bandung. After years of existence without the support from government, Bandung’s creative community has now reach a status of establishment and have obtained the support that they’ve been looking for all this years.
To Indonesia, Bandung has always been a unique city of it’s own. Jakarta is probably the biggest and most populated city, but Bandung has always been the romantic and inspirational one. A city that gives most of it’s citizens the ability to look at chances and that small crack of opportunity, and later bust it open and turning it into something bigger than they thought it could ever be. This event is the proof of how Bandung’s creative community, that spreads across the city, could gather up and made an event that is the pilot project for creative city in eastern asia.
With an annual plan at hand, The Helar Festival will surely get bigger and better over time. Hopefully through it’s quality and determination, The Helar Festival could act as a catalyst for many other cities to follow the same path, in making the best of their potentials.
