Ministry of Culture: Formulation of Regional Cultural Guidance Framework Requires Artist Involvement
Jakarta — Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture has emphasised that the formulation of the Regional Cultural Guidance Framework (PPKD) requires the involvement of artists to ensure that cultural advancement policies are accurate and relevant.
“Those who understand the ailments of the cultural ecosystem are the artists. Therefore, their involvement in formulating the PPKD is crucial so that policies are not misdiagnosed. What is the problem? What is the solution?,” said Annisa Rengganis, Special Staff to the Culture Minister for Cultural Diplomacy and International Relations, in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
Annisa highlighted that policies often fail to align with field requirements due to minimal artist involvement in document formulation processes.
On the same occasion, the Arts Coalition launched a guidance manual on the Regional Cultural Guidance Framework (PPKD) for artists titled “Getting Acquainted with PPKD: Successful Strategies for Artists to Intervene in Arts Policy” to reintroduce the PPKD as a strategic document linking cultural work with public policy.
“When culture enters policy documents, the voices of cultural practitioners often disappear. Yet they are the ones who best understand the issues on the ground,” said Hafez Gumay, Advocacy Manager at the Arts Coalition.
The framework is designed to be formulated participatively through a bottom-up approach involving artists, academics, communities, and local governments.
However, based on observations by the Arts Coalition, PPKD formulation processes in various regions still rarely involve artists in meaningful ways.
Gumay added that the guidance manual was prepared to help artists understand the strategic position of the PPKD whilst encouraging active participation in regional development planning processes, including advocacy for cultural needs through policy channels.
From an implementation perspective, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted that another challenge lies in funding limitations and sustaining the quality of document management amid staff transitions in local government.
The PPKD is considered to require support through cross-sector collaboration and alternative financing mechanisms outside regional budgets to ensure cultural programmes can operate sustainably.
Through the launch of this guidance manual, the Arts Coalition hopes that the PPKD will no longer be understood as a merely administrative document, but as a shared advocacy space that can ensure arts and culture policies are more relevant, participatory, and impactful for Indonesia’s arts and cultural ecosystem.