Sustaining Emprak Kuangsan as Living Heritage: Local Knowledge Transmission and Challenges of Intergenerational Regeneration

Abstract

Emprak Kuangsan is a traditional drama performance that serves as a cultural identity of the Kuangsan Village, Rembang, Central Java, Indonesia. As a living heritage, its continuity is determined not only by efforts to preserve its artistic form but also by the community’s capacity to reinterpret and reproduce cultural knowledge across generations. This study aims to examine how local knowledge embedded in Emprak Kuangsan and to identify the challenges affecting its regeneration process. This study employs a qualitative approach, with data collected through observations, in-depth interviews with artists, and younger generations, as well as documentation of Emprak performances. The findings indicate that knowledge transmission primarily occurs through informal learning based on embodied experience. However, this transmission process faces several challenges, including declining youth participation, limited regeneration of artists, inadequate documentation, and the diminishing availability of traditional spaces for cultural learning. This study emphasizes that the sustainability of Emprak Kuangsan depends on maintaining a social and cultural ecosystem, rather than merely preserving the art form as a fixed artistic expression. Therefore, strengthening community-based learning, intergenerational participation, cultural documentation, and youth engagement is essential to sustaining Emprak Kuangsan as a dynamic and continuously evolving living heritage.