Central Papua has regular events that have been running for the last four years. This event is one of the events included in the Karisma Event Nusantara agenda, which means it provides added value that the event initiated by the Regional Government of Central Papua Province is a major national event. The struggle of the local government and stakeholders to hold this event certainly had to overcome several obstacles. However, in the end the event which aimed to introduce the culture in Central Papua Province was successfully recognized by the wider community. The name of this event is Timika Inside Festival of Art.
The main aim of holding the Timika Inside Festival of Art is to provide a stage for all people in Central Papua Province, especially Indigenous Papuans, to display their culture. Starting from dances, songs, and not forgetting creative products resulting from culture that is attached to the origins from which they come. Apart from the performance stage, this event also provides stalls for the public to introduce what they have in the form of an exhibition as well as a people’s market. So, when tourists visit Central Papua Province and come to the Timika Inside Festival of Art, they will be treated to various kinds of authentic cultural performances from the people there and can enjoy products produced by indigenous culture.
The identity that the people of Central Papua want to highlight is how they introduce themselves as a society that has arts and culture, wants to introduce it to the whole world, and at the same time wants to invite people to continue to preserve what they have. Existing arts and cultural actors must remain sustainable because with developments over time, there will be a possibility that old culture will increasingly be eroded because it is considered outdated. However, the Regional Government of Central Papua Province does not want that to happen and is collaborating with many parties such as sponsors to support the event and the most important thing is the wishes of the community, especially Indigenous Papuans who are proud of the identity they have and want to introduce and maintain that identity.
The Timika Inside Festival of Art in 2024 will be the 4th event since its inauguration as an annual agenda in Central Papua. After successfully entering the national agenda on the Karisma Event Nusantara list as well as being the only event from Central Papua Province included in the list, the hope of the regional government and all interested parties including the community is that this event will continue to run and reach a wider community. The number of visitors continues to increase every year, which is a consideration for tourists who want to visit and witness firsthand the original arts and culture of Central Papua.