JAKARTA (ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES) – In a landmark achievement for Indonesia’s creative sector, the heavy metal band Voice of Baceprot (VoB) has made history as the country’s first music act to perform at England’s prestigious Glastonbury Festival.
Sharing the stage with renowned acts like Coldplay and Dua Lipa was a dream fulfilled for the three hijab-wearing VoB members, all in their twenties, who formed the band in 2014.
This milestone underscores Indonesia’s growing influence on the global stage across various fields including television, music, gaming, and comic books, supported by government initiatives aimed at nurturing the flourishing creative industry.
The creative economy in Indonesia has continued its growth, reaching IDR1.3 trillion (GBP67 million) in 2023, up from IDR1.28 trillion (GBP66 million) in 2022 and IDR1.19 trillion rupiah (GBP61 million) in 2021.
In June, streaming giant Netflix debuted “Nightmares And Daydreams,” an original series by local filmmaker Joko Anwar.
The seven-episode anthology of supernatural and science-fiction stories quickly became a hit, not only in Indonesia but also across neighbouring countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Critics have likened the series to the works of American producer Jordan Peele (“Us,” “Get Out”) and Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape Of Water,” “Pan’s Labyrinth”).
“Filmmakers have a duty to create works that mirror our society,” stated Mr Joko during a press conference ahead of the show’s June 14 premiere.
While the series delves into supernatural science fiction, “the stories are deeply relevant to our current lives, addressing issues that are widely debated, everyday experiences, and socio-political themes,” he noted.
In addition to this, two other Indonesian-made Netflix successes from 2023, the documentary “Ice Cold” and the period drama “Cigarette Girl,” also gained global popularity and were streamed by millions of viewers.
Indonesia’s vibrant creative industry encompasses 17 sub-sectors, ranging from fashion, culinary arts, and mobile app development to video game design, architecture, interior design, television, radio, performance arts, and film, animation, and video production.
These accomplishments extend beyond the more renowned sectors of television and music, with creators in various fields making significant impacts.
The source had reported in 2023 about the rise of made-in-Indonesia video games based on local culture that were well received by the global gaming community and also played a part in introducing Indonesian culture to the world.
A Space For The Unbound by Surabaya-based Mojiken Studio got a stellar review from British daily The Guardian. It also received The Future Division award in late 2022 from the Computer Entertainment Association of Japan. The prestigious award recognises excellence in upcoming games.
In the realm of comic books, a team led by Mr Bryan Valenza, a colour artist at Marvel Entertainment, is currently raising funds to publish a series called Bandits Of Batavia, inspired by the Indonesian Betawi culture.
One of the first of its kind in Indonesia, the action-packed crime thriller centres on Indonesia’s past in the 1800s and tells the story of a man who encounters a group of supernatural bandits and gets involved in high-stake clashes with the authorities.
The team, which launched its fundraising campaign in June, has raised more than USD5,000 so far, and hopes to publish its first issue in September.
“Writing a good story requires dedication, sacrifice and (persistence). Since I entered the world of comic writing, this project has been the most challenging and ambitious,” said Mr Bryan in an Instagram post on April 11. He added that the concept of the story has been in his head since 2015.
Recognising the potential of the creative sector, the government has been proactive in supporting artists.
With backing from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mr Bryan as well as some others in the comics field participated in Singapore Comic Con 2023, which saw thousands of attendees and booths from more than 450 brands in products like comics, toys, tabletop games and comic books.
VoB were reported to have received the government’s help in the processing of the members’ immigration documents ahead of their trip to play in Glastonbury. They had to cancel a tour to the United Kingdom in 2022 due to visa problems.
The band were also given accommodation at the residence of the Indonesian Ambassador to the UK.
Other recent moves by the government also reflect keenness to nurture the creative industry.
For instance, the Communications and Information Ministry in March backtracked on proposed wide-reaching regulations involving video game companies, after feedback that they could stifle the industry and restrict global market access.
These planned laws will now target only online game publishers, rather than offline traditional ones, following discussions that officials had with local game associations.
More recently, on June 24, President Joko Widodo launched a new digital licensing service, which aims to cut through the red tape and bureaucratic complications of staging arts events in the country.
Mr Widodo said some events required 13 different permits and recommendation letters, which he described as cumbersome and a deterrent to organising them.
“With the upcoming digitisation of permits, I hope it will not just be a web service but truly provide ease of management, certainty, reduce bureaucracy, and lead to lower costs while being more open and transparent,” he said.
While the contribution of the creative economy to Indonesia is getting higher in absolute terms, economists have pointed out that its relative contribution to the total economy has decreased.
Indonesia-based Permata Bank chief economist Josua Pardede told the source that the latest data showed the sector constituted 6.54 per cent of Indonesia’s overall economy in 2022, down from 7.02 per cent in 2021.
In order to advance the creative economy in Indonesia, Mr Josua said the government needs to develop more high-value added creative products, such as software and gaming, architecture services, design services, music, and film.
These sectors, he explained, could also provide higher-paying jobs.
“The development of these sectors should also target the foreign market, not only the domestic, as it could also help Indonesia’s trade balance, especially from increasing Indonesia’s service export value,” added Mr Josua.
