PT Petrokimia Gresik (Persero), an Agroindustrial Solutions company and member of the PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) holding, continues to encourage the regeneration of Indonesian art and culture preservers. This commitment was realized through a wayang kulit (leather shadow puppet) performance in commemoration of Petrokimia Gresik's 54th Anniversary and the 81st Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia at SOR Tri Dharma, Friday (14/8/2026), by providing a stage for young puppeteers (dalang muda) and child puppeteers (dalang cilik).
The President Director of Petrokimia Gresik, Daconi Khotob, stated that cultural preservation is part of the company's efforts to cultivate the future. The 54th Anniversary theme, “Growing the Future,” he added, does not only speak about business growth, but also about preparing a generation capable of carrying forward the nation's values and cultural heritage.
“The wayang kulit performance has become a routine agenda for every company anniversary. We want to help ensure that the art of wayang continues to have space to grow among the younger generation,” said Daconi.
This wayang kulit performance presented the opening play “Sumantri Ngenger,” performed by young puppeteer Ki Achmad Bagas Septyawan. He is a young employee of Petrokimia Gresik as well as a protégé of Sanggar Mahesa Kencana Petrokimia Gresik.
The performance was made even more special by the presence of three talented child puppeteers from Gresik Regency. They are Avito Bintang Pratama, an 8th-grade student at SMPN 1 Gresik; Nicolas Davino, a 4th-grade student at SD Petrokimia Gresik; and Kyano Renand H., a 4th-grade student at MI Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Terate Putra.
The presence of these young puppeteers serves as proof that the art of wayang still has space to grow among today's generation. For Petrokimia Gresik, artist regeneration is a vital part of ensuring that wayang is not merely a heritage of the past, but continues to live and flourish in the future.
“When young people are willing to learn and perform wayang, that is where we see hope for cultural sustainability. We want to provide a space so that these young talents can continue to develop and become increasingly confident in bringing traditional arts to the next generation,” explained Daconi.
During this moment, Petrokimia Gresik also handed over development funds for the child puppeteers. The hope is to continually motivate these young puppeteers to keep preserving wayang culture, thereby inspiring other young people in Gresik.
Furthermore, he added that wayang is not just a spectacle, but is also rich in guidance and life values. This is reflected, among other things, in the “Sumantri Ngenger” play, which teaches loyalty, dedication, real work, and sincerity in prioritizing greater interests.
Meanwhile, the main play “Begawan Ciptaning” was performed by Ki Bayu Aji Pamungkas. The performance was enlivened even further by the presence of comedian Cak Percil and sinden (traditional singer) Lintang Kairo. The “Begawan Ciptaning” play tells the story of Arjuna's journey in building his self-competence, carrying a message about the importance of perseverance, focus, and self-control when preparing oneself to face greater challenges.
These values of perseverance and self-development align with Petrokimia Gresik's spirit to continuously enhance the competence of the company's personnel in facing industry changes. The company continues to drive capacity building, innovation development, and collaboration strengthening to build a stronger and more sustainable corporate future.
“Wayang is not just a spectacle, but also contains many life guidelines. The values conveyed through its stories and characters can serve as lessons for all of us, especially the younger generation. The spirit to keep learning and improving capabilities is also essential so that we are better prepared to face various changes in the future,” said Daconi.
The performance, which began at 18:30 WIB, was open to the general public free of charge. Petrokimia Gresik also broadcast the performance live via Petrokimia Gresik's YouTube channel so that it could be watched more broadly by the public.
Separately, Pudji Seti (65), a spectator from Lamongan Regency, traveled from afar to Gresik with a group to watch the wayang kulit performance organized by Petrokimia Gresik. He admitted to being a loyal spectator of the wayang performances held every year.
“In this modern era, not many companies care about wayang culture. But Petrokimia Gresik is a company that consistently organizes wayang every year. Petrokimia Gresik shows high care for preserving wayang, as proven today by presenting three child puppeteers who are still elementary and junior high school students,” he said.
Meanwhile, Daconi expressed appreciation to the public who enthusiastically watch Petrokimia Gresik's wayang kulit performance every year. He revealed that public enthusiasm for the company's wayang performances continues to increase, as seen in part from the number of viewers on Petrokimia Gresik's YouTube channel.
Public enthusiasm for Petrokimia Gresik's wayang kulit performance has shown an upward trend in recent years. This is reflected in the number of viewers on Petrokimia Gresik's YouTube channel, which doubled from 4,000 viewers on the 50th Anniversary to 8,000 viewers on the 53rd Anniversary, maintaining the same figure on the 54th Anniversary. Meanwhile, on the 51st and 52nd Anniversaries, the number of viewers was recorded at 5,000 and 6,000 viewers, respectively.
Lastly, Daconi added that cultural preservation is part of the company's contribution to society. These efforts are expected to go hand in hand with the development of young talent, so that cultural values and creativity can continue to grow from one generation to the next.
“A company that continues to grow must certainly have a strong future. That future is built not only through technology and business, but also through human beings who possess character and appreciate their cultural roots,” Daconi concluded.
Attachments
| File | Type | Size | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 Pagelaran Wayang 2026 FINAL | 139 KB | Download |
