Related to SDGs
Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) continues its firm commitment to preserving local arts through the utilization of digital technology by deploying a dedicated team of lecturers and students into the community. This mentoring activity was specifically directed at the managers and members of an art studio in Selo Hamlet, Lemah Ireng Village, Semarang Regency, on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The community service team, consisting of three UNNES lecturers—Amelia Choya TR, Diyamon Prasandha, and Jeane Fransina DT—along with their students, arrived to assist the local community in designing effective digitalization strategies. Through this strategic move, the potential of local arts is expected to be packaged more modernly and introduced to a much broader audience without losing its traditional values.
In practice, the academic team guided the studio managers in translating various cultural potentials—such as performance documentation, studio profiles, and stories of community activities—into educational and promotional digital content. One of the UNNES lecturers, Amelia Choya TR, emphasized that technological advancements must absolutely be utilized as a new space for cultural preservation. “Digitalization does not mean changing the essence of existing culture, but rather it serves as a medium to document, introduce, and expand the reach of information regarding local arts to the public,” she stated. Echoing this sentiment, Diyamon Prasandha added that this mentoring aims to make the community independent in managing their own digital promotions. “We want to encourage studio managers to have the ability to package their cultural potential in the form of compelling content. That way, local arts will not only stay alive within the local community but can also be known more widely through the digital space,” Diyamon explained. This collaboration is ultimately projected to serve as a gateway for the development of cultural tourism potential in the Lemah Ireng area.
This mentoring initiative directly aligns with the achievement of three main pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). First, the activity strongly supports Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) through tangible efforts to protect and safeguard local cultural heritage amidst the rapid currents of modernization. Second, this community service program promotes Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) by paving the way for cultural tourism promotion, which holds immense potential to improve the economic welfare of the Lemah Ireng village community and its surroundings. Finally, this initiative contributes to Quality Education (SDG 4) by enhancing the digital literacy and capacity building of the studio managers, while simultaneously turning the resulting digital content into an engaging cultural educational medium for the younger generation at large.
