Jakarta, 16 September 2026 – Addressing violations of artistic freedom requires more than simply knowing one’s rights. When intimidation, the cancellation of performances, restrictions on expression, or violence occur, arts communities also need to know how to respond appropriately through legal channels.
To strengthen these capacities, Koalisi Seni, together with the Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial, organised Moving on Bravely Through the Gloom: Case Handling Training on Violations of Artistic Freedom on 16 September 2026 in Jakarta. Facilitated by the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), the training brought together representatives of arts communities and organisations to learn the fundamentals of case handling from legal and paralegal perspectives.
The training took place amid an increasingly challenging environment for artistic freedom. In the 2026 Moving on Bravely Through the Gloom: State of Artistic Freedom in Indonesia 2025, Koalisi Seni documented 66 cases of violations, a 10% increase from the previous year and the highest number recorded since monitoring began. The violations included the silencing of critical expression, restrictions targeting gender minority groups, and violence in arts spaces that resulted in loss of life. By sector, music recorded the highest number of violations, followed by visual arts, dance, film and theatre, and literature.
The risks faced by arts communities also take various forms. During a sharing session, participants discussed experiences ranging from the unilateral cancellation of a transgender woman performer’s scheduled performance to content being cut or self-censored due to concerns about reactions from intolerant groups. These experiences provided context for participants to understand the importance of identifying risks and preparing response measures from the outset.
During the training, participants mapped security risks and threats within their respective environments, studied relevant legal instruments, and identified rights that may have been violated based on the six components of artistic freedom outlined in the 2005 UNESCO Convention. The materials were then applied through case studies, group work, and case-handling simulations. Participants were divided into three groups to discuss cases involving the criminalisation of an artist’s expression, disputes over rights to artistic works and unpaid fees, and the forced cancellation of an art performance. Based on these cases, participants developed maps of their core circles, support teams, and potential advocacy steps.
Participants were also introduced to paralegal mechanisms and practised initial case-handling procedures, including preparing a chronology, collecting evidence, completing complaint forms, and determining when a case requires further legal assistance.
“The steps that Koalisi Seni has taken are very good, particularly in providing a complaint channel, because incidents like these happen frequently. They do not only occur in the arts that we are involved in, but also, as we have come to realise, without our knowledge because Indonesia is so vast. However, perhaps this channel needs to be promoted more widely so that arts practitioners are aware of it,” said Ening Nurjanah, Program Director of Komunitas Salihara and one of the training participants.
For participants, the training also provided a greater understanding of the limited legal protection available to arts practitioners.
“We came to realise that arts communities still have very limited legal protection, and the impact can be far-reaching for them. We believe that we need to advocate together so that legal protection for artists can be improved in the future,” said Belly Stanio, a public interest lawyer at LBH Jakarta who facilitated the training.
Knowledge of rights, the ability to document cases, and an understanding of available support channels can provide arts communities with essential tools when facing violations. Amid an increasingly complex environment for artistic freedom, the ability to support one another and understand the steps that can be taken is an important part of efforts to continue making art.
