Joned Suryatmoko was born in Solo, Indonesia. He has a BA in international relations and an MA in media and cultural studies from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He founded Gardanalla Theatre, an Indonesian theater and performance group, in 1997. Known as a theater maker and playwright, he also works as a media consultant for community-based media programs with various NGOs in Indonesia. He is currently the director of the Indonesian Dramatic Reading Festival (IDRF) and a theater specialist for the Creative Communities program initiated by the Kelola Foundation and the World Bank.