Ministry of Culture to Launch 'Indonesia Tells Stories' Movement

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon announced the ministry’s plan to launch a ‘Indonesia Tells Stories’ movement aimed at reviving folklore and preserving oral traditions.

“We will create an Indonesia Tells Stories movement this year, and it will continue as a movement into next year,” he stated during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The movement is set to include storytelling workshops and incubation programmes designed to produce a new generation of storytellers.

“So that storytelling also becomes a tradition,” the Minister of Culture said.

“Because this is essentially part of the object of cultural advancement, oral tradition, which takes various forms, starting from wayang, which can also be considered part of oral tradition, even though it has become our intangible cultural heritage,” he explained.

Indonesia possesses a diverse array of oral arts and traditions, with each region having its own distinct forms. The government is striving to preserve these oral arts and traditions across various regions so they do not become mere memories.

Staf Ahli Menteri Kebudayaan Neno Warisman stated that these efforts would be carried out, among other ways, through incubation programmes in regions such as Sumenep, Madiun, Pontianak, and Makassar.

The Ministry of Culture has already held the ‘Gala Cerita Rakyat Indonesia 2026’ to support the reintroduction, storytelling, and documentation of folklore and oral traditions as part of the nation’s cultural wealth.

Neno Warisman described the Gala Cerita Rakyat Indonesia as a precursor programme to strengthen the culture of storytelling. The activity will be held again in 2027, focusing on efforts to bring folklore to life, encourage a storytelling culture within families, and promote the use of stories as a supporting tool for learning.