ADVOCACY OF RECORDS AND ARCHIVES FOR TOPENG BLANTEK AS INTAGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

ADVOCACY OF RECORDS AND ARCHIVES FOR TOPENG BLANTEK AS INTAGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE 

Hikmah Irfaniah* and Ike Iswary Lawanda* 

and Culture. The certificate is given to the government of DKI Jakarta that proposes Topeng Blantek to be Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia. 

• Notification letter of Intangible Cultural Heritage of DKI Jakarta 2016 This letter is created and sent by Tourism and Culture Department of DKI Jakarta to the stakeholders who help and support the Department in proposing intangible cultural heritage of DKI Jakarta to be stipulated as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia. 

Records are created, received, and repurposed in the stipulation of Topeng Blantek consist of letters, academic study, video and photographs. These records functioned as what Shellenberg (in Duranti, 1994) stated as the function of records “in pursuance of its legal obligations or in connection with the transaction of its proper business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by that institution or its legitimate successor as evidence of its functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities or because of the informational value of the data contained therein”. These records created, received, and repurposed by organisations as follows: Community Topeng Blantek Fajar Ibnu Sena, Hall of preservation and Cultural value of West Java, Tourism and Culture Department of DKI Jakarta, and Ministry of Education and Culture. These organizations are the supporters of Topeng Blantek. 

Archive used in the stipulation of Topeng Blantek is the Topeng Blantek itself. Topeng Blantek recorded activities along with the values of Betawi people in doing those activities. Topeng Blantek emerges the memory of Betawi people about their history, cultural heritage, and their roots. As stated by Cook, 2012 “archives are constructed memories about the past, about history, heritage, and culture, about personal roots and familial connections, and about who we are as human beings.” Topeng Blantek is an archive recorded all activities and the cultural values of Betawi people, constructed history, heritage, culture, and personal roots of Betawi people. Therefore, organization of Topeng Blantek attempts to protect and preserve Topeng Blantek. 

According to Barnard (1966) “organization comes into being when there are persons able to communicate with each other who are willing to contribute action to accomplish a common purpose”. Organization of Topeng Blantek communictes and acts through their records to achieve their goals: a status granted to Topeng Blantek as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia. This status also means the establishment of institution that state the ownership of Topeng Blantek . North (1993) stated that institutions are “the rules of the game and organizations are the players.” North (1991) also stated that institutions consist of both informal constraints (sanctions, taboos, customs, traditions, and codes of conduct), and formal rules (constitutions, laws, property rights).