INDONESIA has brought together artists from eight Pacific countries and eastern Indonesia for a cultural exchange that aims to strengthen regional ties through traditional music, crafts, and performing arts.
The Indonesia–Pacific Cultural Connect (IPCC) 2026 programme brought together 20 Pacific artists and 70 artists from eastern Indonesia for a residency that began on October 5.
Their collaborative works were showcased at Vredeburg Fort Museum in Yogyakarta on October 14, highlighting opportunities for artists to share traditional knowledge, learn new techniques and explore their cultural connections.
Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, said Indonesia and Pacific nations share historical connections through traditions and knowledge exchange across the islands.
“Indonesia is not only part of Asia, but also an integral part of the Pacific,” Zon said.
The programme included traditional music, coconut and bamboo crafts, and performing arts, with participants drawing on their cultural backgrounds to develop collaborative works.
Indonesia’s Director General of Cultural Diplomacy, Promotion and Cooperation, Endah T.D. Retnoastuti, said the artists learned about Javanese music, its instruments and techniques while sharing musical traditions from their own countries.
Participants also worked together to develop musical compositions and arrangements.
Fiji’s Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Heritage and Arts, Charan Jeath Singh, welcomed the programme as an opportunity to strengthen cultural diplomacy and artistic collaboration between Fiji and Indonesia.
Singh said the exchange provided a platform for artists to share knowledge, learn from each other’s traditions and build lasting connections through culture.
He proposed exploring a memorandum of understanding between Fiji and Indonesia to support longer-term cooperation in heritage preservation, cultural education, artist residencies, joint exhibitions and creative productions.
Singh also highlighted Fiji’s interest in learning from Indonesia’s experience in community-based cultural enterprises to strengthen institutional capacity and support the development of the arts.
Papua New Guinea’s Chargé d’Affaires, Gregory Hombuahin, attended the showcase alongside Indonesian government officials, cultural practitioners and members of participating delegations.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture and the Works of Wonder Indonesia Foundation organised the programme, with support from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education.
Zon said participating artists were expected to become cultural ambassadors in their home countries, sharing Indonesian cultural values while creating opportunities for Indonesia to learn from Pacific traditions.
The initiative aims to build stronger connections between Indonesia and the Pacific through cultural exchange and collaboration among artists and communities.