Australia Assists to Conserve Textiles and Batik in Pekalongan

Australia is sponsoring a week-long Textile Conservation Workshop commencing today at the Museum Batik Pekalongan in Central Java to help conserve Indonesian traditional textiles and batik.

Representatives from more than 15 Indonesian museums and textile organisations will participate in the workshop which will be conducted by ARTLAB Australia’s Principal Conservator, Ms Kristin Phillips, from 14 to 21 July 2008.

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer said the project reflects the strong people-to-people relationships that have been built between cultural heritage specialists from Indonesia and Australia.

The workshop will provide a ‘hands on’ experience to show local museum staff and other conservators how to test fabric samples and to learn the treatment of coloured textiles including practical demonstrations of dye tests and wet and spot cleaning.

“This cooperation at a cultural level is just one of the practical ways in which Australia and Indonesia are working together to preserve the important cultural heritage of this fascinating country,” Mr Farmer said.

The workshop participants will include the Jakarta National Museum, Jakarta Textile Museum, Jakarta Puppet Museum, Sonobudoyo Yogyakarta State Museum, Yogyakarta Kraton Museum, Yogyakarta Ulen Sentalu Museum, Cirebon Keraton Museum, Danar Hadi Museum, Widayat Museum, State Museum Ronggowarsito Semarang, State Museum Mpu Tantular Surabaya, State Museum Sri Baduga Bandung, Bandung Textile Association and Association of Crafts and Batik Yogyakarta.

The project is sponsored by the Australian Government through the Australia-Indonesia Institute.

Media Enquiries:
Jenny Dee, Counsellor (Public Affairs), Tel. (021) 2550 5290 or HP. 0811 187 3175