PREFACE
Based in Padangpanjang and Batusangkar, West Sumatra, Indonesia Performance Syndicate (IPS) is an open and collaborative platform for experimental, cross-disciplinary performance practices.
We bring together artists from diverse fields—such as theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and new media—and also welcome individuals from non-art backgrounds who are passionate about exploring and developing local cultural values in a global context. At IPS, we cultivate a creative environment where tradition meets the contemporary, supporting research-driven processes that lead to bold and innovative performances.
RESEARCH SPACE
At Indonesia Performance Syndicate, we explore the richness of Nusantara’s cultural heritage through bold and boundary-crossing artistic research. Our platform supports investigations into the diverse forms, values, and aesthetic principles embedded in traditional practices—not only to ignite new pathways for contemporary performance-making, but also as a vital gesture of cultural preservation and knowledge sharing. Since 2016, we have been home to a number of research projects rooted in Minangkabau traditions, such as:
– a dramaturgical exploration of Randai,
– the acrobatic vocabulary of Silek in the Tari Piriang (plate dance),
– and the artistic anatomy of Tapuak Galemboang in Randai performance as a blueprint for new performative creations.
Each inquiry breathes life into ancestral wisdom, transforming it into contemporary expression—alive, embodied, and continually evolving.
