Thunderous applause on the stage of the 12th National Student Theatre Festival (FESTAMASIO XII) at the State University of Malang (Universitas Negeri Malang) bore witness to a story from the land of the Bugis, performed with power and reflection. Through its performance of Arajang, Teater Kampus Unhas did not merely take part as a participant but also stole the spotlight, going on to win Second Best Performance and Best Artistic Director.
The 12th National Student Theatre Festival (FESTAMASIO XII) was officially held at the State University of Malang from 19 to 25 April 2026. The festival serves as a meeting point and a space for exchanging ideas for theatre student activity units (UKM) from non-arts universities across Indonesia. This edition of FESTAMASIO carried the theme “Social Ecology”, which encourages the exploration of theatre works that respond to human relationships, the social environment and cultural dynamics.
As a biennial national festival, FESTAMASIO also applies a rigorous curation process to its participants. Of the many applicants, only 13 student theatre communities passed the selection and earned the chance to perform on the main stage, Teater Kampus Unhas among them.
The chair of the Teater Kampus Unhas student theatre club (UKM), Muhammad Haikal Rama Putra, explained that Arajang, the work they performed, was a script adapted by Melani Nas and directed by Fatihatul Fiqra.
The performance explores Bugis cultural values, particularly those surrounding the Bissu, linking them to a range of social issues such as parent–child relationships, gender and cultural dynamics in modern life.
“We present Arajang as a cultural reflection as well as a portrait of social realities that are close to everyday life,” said Rama.
Behind the achievement lies a long process full of ups and downs. Preparations for the production began in December, accompanied by changes in the team’s structure, limited rehearsal time and space, and funding challenges. Even so, the team’s consistency in maintaining the quality of the work proved to be the main key to its success.
A strong research-based approach and well-developed artistic exploration also helped earn Teater Kampus Unhas the appreciation of the jury. Its solid presentation managed to capture the complexity of Bissu culture while delivering a message relevant to present-day realities, in keeping with the festival’s theme, “Social Ecology”.
The Best Artistic Director award was also an individual achievement for Andika Rahmat (Communication Science, 2024 intake), who was judged to have delivered strong, creative and research-based artistic design in support of the Arajang performance as a whole.
The Teater Kampus Unhas team involved in the production of Arajang consisted of:
- Muh Fathir Sagta Gemilang (FISIP/Anthropology)
- Fatihatul Fiqra (FISIP/Anthropology)
- Muhammad Haikal Rama Putra (FISIP/International Relations)
- Sulistyawati Kumala Dewi S. (FISIP/Anthropology)
- Jumansyah (FISIP/Anthropology)
- Hafiizhah Falisah Halik (FISIP/Anthropology)
- Nurqadri (FISIP/Anthropology)
- Andika Rahmat (FISIP/Communication Science)
- Kayla Fatimah Azzahra (FISIP/Communication Science)
- Julia Reski Amanda (FIB/Indonesian Literature)
- Feranandayani (FIB/Indonesian Literature)
- Nur Salsabillah Hardianti (FIB/Indonesian Literature)
- Nurfaizah (FIB/Indonesian Literature)
- Asdar (FIB/Japanese Literature)
- Al-Anshory (Agriculture/Agribusiness)
The achievement is more than just an accolade: it also affirms that student artworks can serve both as a medium for social reflection and as a representation of local culture on the national stage.
Going forward, this recognition is expected to serve as a foundation for continuing to produce quality works while strengthening the presence of arts student activity units on campus.
“We hope this will be the beginning for us to keep moving on to our next achievements and to show that arts student activity units also make a major contribution,” Rama concluded.
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.