PRESIDENT TO ATTEND OPENING OF BALI ART FESTIVAL

Denpasar, June 13 (ANTARA) - Amid his tight electoral campaigning activities, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to visit Bali on Saturday afternoon to attend the opening ceremony of the 31st Bali Art Festival (PKB).

The head of state and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono were scheduled to arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday at 7.45 pm Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB), from Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi province.
The PKB which will officially be opened at Denpasar's Cultural Park at 8 pm local time will be participated in by around 14,000 artists from Bali, 12 other provinces of Indonesia, and eight foreign countries.

The event would last for one month starting June 13, 2009 and feature at least 180 art shows, I Made Santha of the Bali cultural service, said here recently.

The Bali administration had also invited some ministers, including the foreign affairs minister, the minister/state secretary, the culture and tourism minister as well as the education minister, to attend the PKB's opening ceremony, he said.

The Bali provincial administration has been organizing PKBs annually since 1979 to promote the arts reflecting the factual condition of the local people.

The event comprises five main art activities, namely parades, art performances, competitions, exhibitions and workshops.

The festival will also display the results of arts development as well as contemporary arts, but still rooted in the values of tradition.

Bali will show no less than 17 types of traditional Balinese arts, in addition to a number of arts from provinces in the country and from abroad. Seven stages will be used for the arts performances, including an outdoor stage, he said.

Art delegations from eight countries, namely the United States, Britain, Singapore, Thailand, Mexico, and South Korea, will also participate in this year's PKB which cost around Rp3.9 billion.

President Yudhoyono and his entourage will leave Denpasar for Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday morning to campaign.