Cultural cooperation Indonesia-Netherlands 2025-2028

During former policy periods, partners that actively worked with Indonesian partners included the Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, Erasmus Huis, DutchCulture, the Netherlands Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Education, Culture and Science, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, National Archives, several cultural funds as well as institutional and individual cultural professionals from across the Netherlands.

Highlights of their projects were the many performances at Erasmus Huis and tours of Dutch artists throughout Indonesia; publications, exhibitions and documentaries that have contributed to a wider and more diverse awareness of the shared history of the Netherlands and Indonesia, all with the support of DutchCulture’s Matching Fund;

Whereas Indonesia is generally very much focused on the future, the Netherlands is still coming to terms with its colonial past, with new perspectives and insights published every day. Current hot topics in the Netherlands are for example the national research into the use of violence in the period 1945-1950 during the Indonesian War of Independence, the return of objects from colonial collections in Dutch national museums and the limited attention devoted to Dutch colonial history in schools.

With Erasmus Huis’s ever-expanding audience, both on-site and through its social media channels, an embassy-wide integrated approach to programming cultural activities serves to strengthen Dutch diplomacy in Indonesia. Topics such as human rights, freedom of speech, Dutch and Indonesian history, the rule of law, returning colonial objects, education and science, innovation in the field of agriculture and water management, sustainability and the circular economy, all gain visibility and impact with the Erasmus House as a 'showcase'.

The current 2025-2028 policy is essentially a continuation of the period 2021-2024, as reflected by its goals:

• Developing (young) Dutch top talent in the field of art and culture and offering these artists an international stage, including at Erasmus Huis.
• Supporting and stimulating art and cultural initiatives that promote core Dutch values – innovation, inclusivity and openness – and strengthening the position and reputation of the Netherlands in Indonesia.
• Supporting the Indonesian cultural infrastructure and providing opportunities for the Dutch and Indonesian art and heritage sectors, including museology, (intangible) cultural heritage, maritime archaeology, digitisation and publication of archives.
• Collecting information about and promoting exchanges with the Indonesian creative industry in the broadest sense, for the benefit of Dutch artists, collectives and creative companies and organisations.

The cultural sector in Indonesia has a strong urge to develop and is seeking expertise and capacity building in different fields: from urban planning to museology, from historical research to marketing and communication. Particularly the arts, heritage, creative industries and film offer opportunities for Dutch cultural professionals.

Arts
Indonesia has a long tradition with regard to arts and culture, including music, dance, visual arts, storytelling and creative craftsmanship. Young Indonesian artists are increasingly using century-old techniques in contemporary works. This opens up interesting opportunities for collaboration between Dutch and Indonesian creatives. Dutch performing artists who plan to tour through Indonesia may apply to the Performing Arts Fund NL for support; where possible, the embassy seeks to establish collaborative projects. With regard to visual arts, photography is a focus discipline, with several programmes and possibilities to exhibit at Erasmus Huis. Also, Indonesia offers several artist-in-residencies such as Cemeti in Yogyakarta and Ruang Rupa/Gudskul and Komunitas Salihara in Jakarta.

Heritage
Within Indonesia’s heritage management, the central focus is on how sustainable conservation can help tackle current social challenges. This includes revitalising historical buildings to increase urban liveability, training a new generation of historians and archivists, collaborating at the intersection of water management and maritime archaeology, and using intangible heritage for tourism promotion. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, National Archives and Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage are working with Dutch and Indonesian partners to address this focus.

Creative industry
Indonesia wants to further develop its creative industry. This sector got a boost after the 'Year of Creative Industries' (2021) and continues to develop itself with educational programmes, investments and international alliances in various sectors including fashion, textiles (especially batik and ikat), film (both drama, documentary and animation), photography, architecture and gaming. Opportunities for Dutch creatives are still prominent and can be futher developed through the networks of Creative Industries Fund NL, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Dutch Design Foundation, ClickNL and Topsector Creatieve Industrie.

Film
The film industry in Indonesia is booming and offers many leads for collaboration through existing contacts. EYE and Film Fund collaborate within SEE NL to stimulate the internationalisation of Dutch film and film-makers and will particularly focus on opportunities in Indonesia in the coming four years. Erasmus Huis is one of the major partners of the annual Europe On Screen Film Festival, the largest film festival in Indonesia, ensuring the screening of a sizeable selection of Dutch films in every edition.

Would you like to receive more information regarding opportunities for cultural exchange with Indonesia? Feel free to contact our Indonesia advisor Stella Roos Peters with your questions for tailored advice.

Further reading

• Go (back) to the main country page for Indonesia
• Travel advice for Indonesia (in Dutch)
• Webpages of the Embassy of The Kingdom of the Netherlands in Indonesia