Synchronize Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, with organizers keen on presenting a new phase of social and environmental engagement through strategic collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs), including environmental groups Greenpeace and Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi). 

While full details of the partnership remain under wraps, festival leaders confirm that the initiative will culminate in a large-scale installation addressing pressing issues,such as climate change, human rights, and sustainability.

“We’re still in the process of finalizing the administrative aspects, so I can’t disclose everything yet,” Director of Communications at Synchronize Fest, Aldila Karina Putri, spoke to Indonesia Business Post on the sidelines of press conference on Synchronize Fest 2025, in Jakarta, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.

“But what I can say is that the plan involves a major exhibition space inside Hall D2 JiExpo, one that prompts awareness and empathy among visitors,” she added.

The project, curated by art collective Ruang Rupa, will take the form of an immersive installation and marks the festival’s first integrated collaboration with multiple CSOs. The initiative aims to move social discourse beyond the policy sphere into a more creative and accessible space particularly for younger audiences.

“Many of these issues − environmental justice, human rights, inclusivity − are things we’ve long carried through our artistic work,” Co-founder of Ruang Rupa, Ade Darmawan, said.

“By collaborating with CSOs, we’re bridging activism and art. We want to take these conversations outside of the CSO bubble and into a wider public arena,” he cited.

According to Darmawan, discussions around the collaboration began over a year ago, with more intensive planning taking place in recent months. The installation will serve as a “pilot project” to model future joint initiatives between the cultural and civil society sectors.

Green movement

The festival’s sustainability efforts are not entirely new. Since 2019, Synchronize Fest has run the Green Movement a program designed to raise awareness among festival-goers about their environmental impact.

“The idea is to make people conscious not just of the music and the fun, but also of the consequences. We bring tens of thousands of people together in one space that has a footprint. We want to share that responsibility, not just as organizers, but with the audience too,” Aldila said.

The Green Movement program includes waste management strategies, education initiatives, and energy-conscious logistics, aligning with Synchronize Fest’s broader goal of being a socially responsible event.

As questions arise about maintaining ethical consistency while engaging in wide-ranging partnerships, Synchronize Fest emphasizes that alignment of values remains a priority.

“In every collaboration, we start by asking: what is the objective? What is the background? What is the impact?” Aldila explained.

“We recognize that every project will have both positive and negative reactions, but what matters is our intention and transparency,” she added.

Both Putri and Darmawan stress that the partnership is not merely symbolic, but aims to create actionable, accessible messaging around critical social issues particularly for younger, more diverse audiences who may be new to the conversation.

The full details of the installation and associated programs are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, ahead of the festival’s main events.

“This is about shifting narratives. Art can communicate in ways that policy documents can’t. That’s why this collaboration matters,” Darmawan concluded.