Moscow, Russia - The Department of Theater, Faculty of Performing Arts, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Yogyakarta again made achievements in the international arena. On September 19-29, 2025, ISI Yogyakarta became Indonesia's official delegation in the prestigious BRICS + Countries Drama Schools Festival 2025, which was held at Moscow University of Theatrical Arts named after Joseph Kobzon, Russia.
ISI Yogyakarta's delegation consisted of Rano Sumarno, M.Sn. (lecturer of Theater) and Dendi Abdillah (student of Theater Department), who represented Indonesia along with representatives from other BRICS+ member countries, namely Russia, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Belarus. The festival, which took place at the VDNKh Park complex in Moscow, became an international collaboration event for leading theater schools from various countries to present performing arts that reflect the cultural character of each nation.
Indonesia presented two theater works that received rave reviews from international audiences, namely "The Orphan of Zhao", staged at VDNKh Park, and "The Scream of Batara Kala", staged at Moscow University of Theatrical Arts (Kobzon). "The Orphan of Zhao" is a cross-cultural interpretation of a 13th century Chinese classic, while "The Scream of Batara Kala" explores the mythology of the archipelago with a contemporary theatrical approach-an artistic dialogue between Indonesia's cultural heritage and the universal language of world theater.
In addition to performing, all lecturers from BRICS+ member countries also gave workshops to theater students from various participating countries. On this occasion, Indonesia contributed with the material entitled "Theater Acting Training with the Sarong Method", which introduced the Nusantara's typical acting training method using sarong as a medium of body and character expression.
Before participating in a series of festival activities, the ISI Yogyakarta delegation was officially welcomed by the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Russian Federation, who gave full support to ISI Yogyakarta's participation as a representation of Indonesian art and culture in this international forum.
Through participation in the BRICS+ Countries Drama Schools Festival 2025, ISI Yogyakarta not only strengthens Indonesia's cultural diplomacy, but also expands international academic networks, enriches the insights of students and lecturers in the field of global theater arts, and emphasizes ISI Yogyakarta's position as a Center of Excellence in arts education at the international level.
This theater festival is a tangible proof of BRICS+ countries' commitment to move forward together in the spirit of multilateral friendship through the universal language of performing arts. The theater stage, in this context, becomes a common space to build cultural dialogue, creativity, and solidarity between nations towards a more harmonious future.
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