With support from the California Arts Council, Gamelan Sekar Jaya will conduct three residencies in Title 1 Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) schools, engaging Oakland students in collaborative musical and choreographic composition grounded in the Balinese performing arts tradition. These residencies will be a collaboration between Balinese culture bearers, local dancers and musicians, OUSD faculty, and OUSD students.
Direct artistic interaction is key to GSJ’s unique programming. Many of Bali’s most renowned performing artists have joined GSJ for extended residencies over the past 40 years. The artist-in-residence program is the only US program outside of a university or consulate to regularly host Balinese artists for extended residencies, making it an important resource for the public. Artists-in-residence share their artistic skills, experience, and creativity with these shared goals: direct artistic interaction with performers, students, and audiences; dissemination of major works from the living tradition of Balinese arts; enriching historical, cultural, and artistic understanding in a setting emphasizing artistic excellence and mutual respect. GSJ has presented hundreds of concerts locally and internationally, and each year GSJ introduces thousands of children, youth and adults to Balinese arts and culture through classes, school programs, and other outreach activities.

