‘Sing like you’re in shower’

COMMUNITY: GATHERS WEEKLY TO PLAY GAMES, FIND THEIR VOICES ‘WITHOUT JUDGMENT’

- Dita Alangkara & Edna Tarigan

Two men held rubber bands apart at chest height while a woman hopped over them from one side to the other, earning applause and boisterous encouragement from others marvelling at her leaps.

They were among more than 250 people from the Jakarta, Indonesia, area who recently joined weekly activities organised by Komunitas Bermain, meaning Playing Community in English, in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, the city's main arena.

Thousands of residents regularly participate in the play groups, as well as singing groups organised by Nyanyi Bareng Jakarta, which means Jakarta Singing Together in English.

The events that started as casual meetups to preserve Indonesian traditional culture, have grown quickly through social media into popular ways to connect through shared nostalgia and interests.