D3 Public Relations students of the Off-Main Campus Study Program (PSDKU) Batang Regency, Diponegoro University, held the 2023 Catharsis Fest with the theme “Reviving Culture, Uniting Diversity” on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
The selection of dance art is so that participants can actualize themselves, clear their minds, and release emotions through dance, which is expected to awaken the cultural values that exist in society.
Through the online elimination held previously, the event resulted in the remaining three finalists competing for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place at the event’s peak. The three finalists came from Trunojoyo Madura University, Semarang State University, and Diponegoro University (main campus).
The agencies from Batang Regency who attended the event as guests included the Education and Culture Office, the Tourism and Sports Office, the Communication and Information Service, the Regional Arts Council, and the Creative Economy Committee. Apart from the service, residents around the campus, the village head, and youth organizations also enlivened the event.
Head of the Main Off-Campus Study Program Management Institute (LPPSDKU), Redyanto Noor, said Catharsis Fest was the first event to hold a dance competition up to the national level.
“This is a great activity which is the first time it has been held in the biggest way, according to my assessment so far, and for the first time for the D3 Public Relations Study Program at Batang Campus. Hopefully, this will inspire and motivate other PSDKU campuses,” he said.
In addition to the dance competition, the Catharsis Fest includes cultural workshops and MSMEs from various businesses around Batang Regency, as conveyed by the Bandar Sub-District Head Muhammad Nashruddin in his speech regarding MSMEs that support the Indonesian economy.
“MSMEs are one of the pillars that can even be said that Indonesia has not become a bankrupt nation because of the existence of MSMEs. MSMEs in Indonesia can maintain a stable economic existence, and there has even been an extraordinary increase,” he said.
Muhammad Nashruddin also said that Catharsis Fest could become an inspiration and an occasional event for students and the community.
In the dance competition, the jury who watched the finalists’ performances determined Semarang State University as the first winner, Diponegoro University as the second, and Trunojoyo Madura University as the third.
