Staged throughout Indonesia, Porseni is an acronym meaning Pekan Olahraga dan Seni (week of sport and art). This event is not always a week long though and can be just a couple of days, depending on the number of participants. Originally a government initiative to encourage village pride and to let others know about what a particular area has to offer, Porseni can be held by other organizations, such as universities, schools etc. If it is a village event, it can involve many banjar, encouraging healthy competition between the local youth groups. Highlights for the younger members of the community are the lively gamelan baleganjur competitions and the colourful giant kite contests.
Posreni involves the whole community: youth and women’s groups as well as local organizations and clubs. An annual event, if it is a village initiative, it is traditionally funded by local government.
Porseni once focused more on tradition but these days it’s a real mixture of the old and the new. In terms of sports here in Bali, you can see everything from tajog (stilt walking), lomba bakiak (coconut-shell walking race), ngejuk kucit (catching piglets!) right through to volleyball, table tennis, soccer etc. On the arts front, there are always sonorous gamelan and dance performances, including gong kebyar, baleganjur, semar pegulingan, gender wayang etc. as well as pop and rock concerts, and of course the karaoke competitions!
Except for the odd banner and article on a local government website, there is little public advertising for Porseni. This means that it may be by chance that you hear about an event. It’s definitely worth checking out a local Porseni if you can. You will not only learn about the local art-forms but you may have an opportunity to join in! Activities and performances are free and it’s good, clean local fun for all ages.
