TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An established artist Radhar Panca Dahana compared the management of Taman Ismail Marzuki arts and cultural center in Cikini during the administration era of present governor Anies Baswedan and previous governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok.

A writer and a poet expressed his surprise that since the era of Anies, artists are required to pay fees if they are willing to use facilities at the city’s iconic site, even for rehearsals at the park of the grand theater at Rp1 million.

“For just holding a rehearsal at the park, we must pay a million rupiah,” said Radhar after having a meeting with PDIP politician at Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) Building, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, November 27.

The retribution fee was withdrawn by the TIM technical management unit (UPT). While based on his experience, he was never asked to pay for using the theater’s park during the administration era of Ahok.

Ahok, he added, only collected fees for the use of buildings at TIM, similar to the administration era under Djarot Saiful Hidayat.

Radhar recalled that he even once received money to create a show from Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ) and an arts foundation.

According to him, the TIM UPT started to ask for fees since the current city government took office. However, he stopped short of detailing the exact date. “I forget the year, but that’s since Anies’ era,” he said.

“Let alone the building, we must even pay to use outside areas of the building. That is too much.”

Several artists, including Radhar, visited the PDIP faction of the city’s council to convey their rejection of Anies Baswedan’s plan to build a hotel as part of the revitalization project of Taman Ismail Marzuki. They assessed the lodge existence confronted the initial function of the park as an arts center.

LANI DIANA WIJAYA