YOGYAKARTA – A storytelling performance titled “Storyteller for the Earth: Folktales for the Living Earth” was successfully held at the Tembi Historical Home Amphitheater in Yogyakarta on Saturday (July 4, 2026). The event featured a collaboration between Indonesian and British artists aimed at raising public awareness of environmental issues through the power of folklore.
The program is a cross-cultural arts project supported by the British Council’s “Connections Through Culture 2025” grant—an international initiative fostering creative collaboration between artists and cultural organizations in the UK and the Asia-Pacific region.
Centered on the theme “Folktales for the Living Earth,” the performance offered an alternative approach to conveying messages about the global climate crisis. Rather than relying solely on scientific data and statistics, the artists invited the audience to understand the importance of caring for the Earth through the cultural values, emotions, and ecological wisdom embedded in folklore.
The performance brought together Rona Mentari, an Indonesian storyteller and founder of *Rumah Dongeng Mentari* (Mentari Storytelling House), and Roi Galor, an international storyteller and co-founder of the UK-based International School of Storytelling. Their collaboration emerged from a process involving research, cross-cultural dialogue, and an artistic residency in Yogyakarta, culminating in a collection of stories that encouraged the audience to reflect on the relationship between humanity and nature.
Attended by over 100 spectators, the event was well-received. One attendee, Arif Rahmanto, described the performance as a memorable experience.
“An incredibly inspiring and extraordinary performance. It took me on a brief journey into a meaningful realm of imagination. The hour flew by,” Arif remarked after the show.
In addition to storytelling, the event featured *Wayang Suket* (grass puppetry), live ethnic music, and an interactive dialogue session that invited the audience to discuss the importance of environmental conservation.
Rona Mentari, founder of Rumah Dongeng Mentari, hopes that this collaboration will not merely remain an artistic performance but will inspire a collective movement to protect the Earth.
“Through this cross-cultural storytelling performance, we aim to voice a response to the global climate crisis. We hope the universal language of folklore will touch people’s hearts and spark a shared movement to safeguard the Earth,” she said.
For those unable to attend the performance in person, the entire event has been documented and will be streamed online via the official *Storyteller for the Earth* website, making it accessible to audiences in Indonesia and abroad.
Through this project, Rumah Dongeng Mentari emphasizes that folklore is not merely a cultural legacy of the past, but a relevant educational medium for fostering environmental awareness and strengthening the harmonious relationship between humanity and nature amidst the challenges of global climate change.
Daffa Ibrahim
