Nova Ruth Setyaningtyas Mentorship Awards recipient

Nova Ruth Setyaningtyas is a singer, musician, and activist based in Indonesia. Nova Ruth is the co-founder of Arka Kinari: a floating cultural platform that takes the form of a 70-ton sailing ship on a mission to foster resilience to climate change and reconnect people with the sea. Arka Kinari derives its name from the Latin word arka, a vessel signifying “to hold off or defend”, and the Sanskrit word kinari, representing a half-human, half-bird musician, who is the guardian of the tree of life. Maritime networks served as the original Internet, where diverse peoples, languages, and ideas converged, and Arka Kinari seeks to rekindle vanishing trade routes, with culture as its cargo, to bring communities back to their waterfronts. 

Today, Nova Ruth sails with Arka Kinari in Indonesian waters, merging message and method. She performs atop a traditional schooner ship that carries tales of climate resilience and solutions. In her performances, Nova Ruth primarily sings in Javanese lyrics and melodies, firmly believing that genuine emotions can transcend language barriers more effectively than any language that exists.