ISI Yogyakarta Launches Pre-University Program to Explore Arts Education

The Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta has launched the 'Pre-University Saraswati' program, offering a pathway for students interested in higher education in the arts. This program is open to high school students, recent graduates, gap year students, and current university students, providing them with an opportunity to experience the academic atmosphere of arts education and explore their potential. According to ISI Yogyakarta's official website, the program is designed as preparatory education to facilitate the transition into higher arts institutions. Participants are expected to deepen their interests, enhance their fundamental art skills, build portfolios, and understand the academic processes by engaging with the academic ecosystem of an arts university. This will help them define their future educational paths and careers in the arts more clearly. Learning will be conducted online through ISI Yogyakarta's distance learning system. Access to materials, assignments, discussions, evaluations, and academic services will be provided via the Learning Management System (LMS). The curriculum covers a wide range of subjects, including art fundamentals, design, digital technology, communication, portfolio development, and creation methodologies. The program's learning is based on three main pillars: Art Literacy, Studio Practice, and Portfolio Building. These pillars embody the philosophy of 'From Sensing to Making,' guiding participants through a process that begins with sensing, observing, and understanding artistic phenomena, followed by interpreting their context, and culminating in the creation of artworks. Participants will gain insights into the history of art, aesthetics, visual theory, performance, media, and the socio-cultural context of Indonesian art. They will experience artwork creation through interactive modules and practice-based learning. The program also focuses on targeted portfolio compilation, including visual documentation, artist statements, and curatorial statements. Through the classes, participants can also learn about the various art fields developed in ISI Yogyakarta's faculties, such as the Faculty of Performing Arts, the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, and the Faculty of Visual Media Arts. These pre-university classes are expected to foster the strengthening of traditional arts, critical thinking, creativity, and the utilization of digital technology in the art creation process. Several classes are currently open for enrollment. The institution emphasizes that the Pre-University Saraswati is currently in a beta version and under development. In this phase, the campus is testing the learning system, refining service features, developing materials and class options, and gathering user input before the program is implemented more broadly. In the future, the interface, service mechanisms, materials, and available classes will be adjusted based on evaluation results and development needs. Detailed information and registration for the Pre-University Saraswati program are available at https://preusaraswati.isi.ac.id. We hope this is beneficial, detikers!