Discussion on Developing Dana Indonesiana at the Indonesian Cultural Congress 2023 Held at Plaza Insan Berprestasi, Building A, Kemendikbudristek, October 25, 2023.
Photo: Koalisi Seni/Amalia Ikhlasanti.
Jakarta – The Indonesian Cultural Congress 2023, held at the Kemendikbudristek Complex, officially concluded on Friday, October 27. Koalisi Seni contributed to three discussions at the congress, focusing on Dana Indonesiana, freedom of expression, and regional cultural endowment funds.
The first discussion, “Developing Dana Indonesiana,” was moderated by Hafez Gumay (Advocacy Manager of Koalisi Seni) and featured speakers Wisnu Sarjono Sunarso (Director of Research at LPDP, Ministry of Finance), Linda Hoemar Abidin (Steering Committee Member for Cultural Facilitation), Alia Swastika (Jogja Biennale, Dana Indonesiana recipient), and Alex Sihar (Dana Indonesiana Representative). Held on Wednesday, October 25, the discussion addressed the challenges faced by Dana Indonesiana in its first year and opportunities for optimization in the future. Alia Swastika stated, “Dana Indonesiana has given us the opportunity to expand both the scale and impact of our work. However, improvements are needed in administrative processes from both the Dana Indonesiana implementation team and the Ministry of Finance.” The hope is that Dana Indonesiana can be further optimized to better support communities and organizations in advancing Indonesian culture.
The second discussion, “Protection of Freedom of Expression,” took place on Thursday, October 26. The panel featured Ratri Ninditya (Research Coordinator at Koalisi Seni), Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko (Polda Metro Jaya), Agus Suntoro (BRIN), and Anis Hidayah (Komnas HAM), and was moderated by Rinto Trihasworo. The discussion explored the state of freedom of expression in Indonesia. Citing numerous cases recorded on kebebasanberkesenian.id, Ratri Ninditya urged artists to strengthen their legal assistance and case-handling capacities. Agus Suntoro added, “From the government’s perspective, we have a Joint Ministerial Decree (SKB) and a Supreme Court guideline draft, which we hope can serve as a common reference.”
The third discussion, “Initiating Regional Cultural Endowment Funds,” was moderated by Aristofani Fahmi (Secretary of Koalisi Seni) and featured speakers Kusen Alipah Hadi (Chairman of Koalisi Seni, Director of Umar Kayam Foundation), Dr. M. Tauhid Soleman, M.Si (Mayor of Ternate), Ernest Rakinaung (Senior Policy Analyst, Ministry of Home Affairs), and Gribig Darodjat (Regional Financing and Economic Staff, DJPK). Held on Friday, October 27, the discussion emphasized the need to include cultural endowment funds in the implementing regulations of Law No. 1 of 2022 on Fiscal Relations between the Central and Regional Governments (UU HKPD), increase regional cultural budgets, and explore funding sources beyond SILPA. The Ministry of Home Affairs was urged to issue a circular requiring regional governments to allocate dedicated cultural budgets in the Regional Budget (APBD). Mayor of Ternate, M. Tauhid Soleman, supported the idea of a Regional Cultural Endowment Fund as a solution for cities and regencies aiming to make culture their core business, such as Ternate. He proposed his city as a pilot project for a regional cultural endowment fund.
With these three discussions, the sustainability of cultural funding and the protection of freedom of expression became part of the 10 key ideas of the Indonesian Cultural Congress 2023. Point 10 emphasizes aligning the State and Regional Budget (APBN/D) with cultural frameworks, including taxation systems and incentives that promote cultural advancement. Meanwhile, Point 3 highlights freedom of expression as essential for fostering safe and open spaces for innovation and creativity. Creativity is regarded as a foundation for cultural development, requiring support from cultural economy platforms to grow organically and sustainably.
