Indonesia, Philippines explore creative ties in music and fashion

Indonesia and the Philippines are exploring collaborations across music, visual arts, fashion and design, as both countries look to expand market access and create new opportunities for their creative industries.

The discussions took place during a bilateral meeting between Indonesia’s deputy minister of creative economy Irene Umar and Paolo Federico A. Ramos, deputy executive director of the Philippine creative industries development council secretariat under the department of trade and industry, on 23 October, on the sidelines of the fifth World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026 in Jakarta.

One area under consideration is the exchange and promotion of artists between the two countries. Umar highlighted the potential for Indonesian artists to showcase their work in the Philippines, while Filipino artists could gain opportunities to reach Indonesian audiences.

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She also pointed to support from collectors for emerging Filipino artists as a potential source of inspiration for developing opportunities for Indonesian talent.

“I feel that collectors from the Philippines are very supportive of their young artists. If there is an opportunity, we can bring Indonesian artists to perform and introduce their work in the Philippines, so they can see the differences that exist, and vice versa. Art is one way to showcase culture, and both countries have many cultural similarities. I think this is something we can work on together,” Umar said.

Music is another potential area for collaboration, with Ramos noting that artists from both countries have already begun making inroads into each other’s markets.

“We actually want to explore this. Some Filipino musicians who I think have successfully entered the Indonesian market, while some Indonesian musicians are also starting to attract attention. Maybe we can do something in the music sector. I think there is an opportunity for that. We will invite you when there are relevant events, hopefully we can develop something through collaboration,” Ramos said.

Beyond music and the arts, the two sides also discussed opportunities in fashion and design, with the meeting intended to encourage knowledge-sharing, strengthen industry networks and improve market access for creative businesses in both countries.

Umar pointed to Indonesia’s Creativillage initiative, held as part of WCCE 2026 under the theme “A journey through Indonesian creative economy”, as one platform for potential collaboration. The initiative centres on three pillars: showcase, collaboration and promotion, bringing together product exhibitions, brand activations and interactive experiences.

“We have two Creativillages. There, visitors can see textile weavers from eastern Indonesia, as well as the works of architects and artists related to sustainable fashion. I feel there is an opportunity for us to collaborate. The second Creativillage will also be very interesting for children because it features various things on screen,” she said.

The bilateral discussions formed part of Indonesia’s wider efforts to strengthen international partnerships in the creative economy through WCCE 2026, which ran from 21 to 23 October in Jakarta and brought together representatives from more than 82 countries and seven international organisations.

Following the conference, Indonesia’s ministry of creative economy launched Creative by Indonesia on 24 October, coinciding with the National Creative Economy Day 2026 celebrations. The initiative establishes a collective identity for products across Indonesia’s 21 creative economy subsectors, with a focus on strengthening local brands and expanding their reach in domestic and international markets.

The ministry said the strategy would bring together government bodies, regional administrations, industry associations, communities and creative businesses to curate leading products, reinforce brand identities and encourage cross-sector promotion.

The launch followed WCCE 2026, which produced the Jakarta Vision on Creative Economy, and formed part of Indonesia’s broader push to turn its cultural assets and creative talent into commercially valuable products with stronger intellectual property protection.

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