Children’s Festival, West Sumatra Governor’s Palace Yard Becomes Playroom

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Festival Anak, Halaman Istana Gubernur Sumbar Jadi Ruang Bermain

PADANG, KOMPAS – The Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Agency, Population Control, and Family Planning (P3AP2KB) of West Sumatra held a Children’s Festival in the Governor’s Palace area, Padang city, West Sumatra, on November 18-19, 2023. This event, held in commemoration of World Children’s Day, provided a space for children to play and be creative.

Hundreds of children ranging from kindergarten (TK) to high school (SMA) and their parents attended the first day of the festival. Some children played in the playground, watched art and ventriloquist performances, exhibitions of children’s paintings, and so on.

“We are opening the Governor’s Palace, which belongs to the community, to the public. We provide children with space to create, innovate, showcase their works and abilities,” said Audy Joinaldi, Deputy Governor of West Sumatra, on Saturday (18/11/2023). “

The Children’s Festival is the first event organized by the Department of P3AP2KB Sumbar. This activity is also a way to celebrate World Children’s Day, which is commemorated every November 20th.

Apart from the playground and various performances, the festival organizers also held competitions for children and reading stalls and a bazaar. A number of classes are also held for children, such as drawing classes and clay creativity classes.

The curator of the Children’s Festival, Yusuf Fadli Aser, said that the festival aims to provide an inclusive meeting space for children. “It’s not just about playing and learning together about various issues, but also encouraging meaningful participation from children so that they feel confident in organizing activities and showcasing their works for the audience to appreciate,” he said.

As part of the festival activities, the Children’s Forum of West Sumatra will also express their aspirations in the Children Voices of Indonesia (SAI) session and have a meeting with the Governor and the Head of Early Childhood Education in West Sumatra. In this space, children learn to bravely express their thoughts.

Head of the P3AP2KB Department in West Sumatra, Gemala Ranti, stated that playing in public spaces plays a vital role in enriching children’s experiences. Children who are active in public spaces have a greater chance of becoming creative, independent individuals with strong social skills.

The 2023 Children’s Festival in West Sumatra, entitled “Meeting at the Playground”, embodies these values. The festival encourages discussions about the importance of child-friendly public spaces and creates opportunities for children to explore their creative talents.

“Through various creative activities, children learn to realize their ideas and develop limitless imagination. By giving them the freedom to express themselves, this festival becomes a trigger of inspiration for positive change in the future,” said the spokesperson.

Rika (35), a resident of Kuranji District, Padang City, who accompanied her kindergarten-aged child, said that this festival is relatively good and provides the opportunity for children to play freely and witness art performances. “Hopefully, it will be held again next year and will be even more lively,” she said.