Kemenbud Strengthens Talenta Sastra Through Singaraja Literary Festival 202

Director General of Development, Utilization, and Culture Development of the Ministry of Culture Ahmad Mahendra at the 2025 Singaraja Literary Festival (SLF). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Culture is trying to strengthen talent for literature and language through the 2025 Singaraja Literary Festival (SLF) which was held in Buleleng, Bali.

"The Minister of Culture is committed to supporting the literary ecosystem because of its important role in the promotion of culture, and literary festivals that have the potential to be the driving force, so that the field of literature becomes one of the ministry's focuses," said Director General of Development, Utilization, and Culture Development of the Ministry of Culture Ahmad Mahendra in a press statement in Jakarta, Saturday.

At the opening of the festival in Bali, Friday (25/7), Mahendra said the festival was synergized with a program to strengthen literary festivals. This step is a real commitment from the Ministry of Culture in developing a literary ecosystem.

SLF was chosen as partner of the Ministry of Culture because the festival is an important event in the landscape of regional literature to internationally because it bridges knowledge from time to time with contemporary art practices.

This activity is also considered capable of becoming a center for locality and research-based knowledge production.

"So the Ministry of Culture sees the importance of supporting the sustainability of festivals like this to maintain the continuity of public values, innovations and involvement," he said.

This year, SLF conducted research themed "Ccapi Mother" which came from an ancient manuscript written on the leaves of the Lontar. Buda Kecapi has the meaning of the energy of healing the universe. This theme becomes contextual because literature has deep healing power.

The results of this research are used as a base for festival programming, such as in discussions of various sessions, theater and musical performances, as well as the making of documentaries about Buda Kecapi.

Mahendra explained that literature can easily be closely related to oral traditions, music, performances, films, culinary, rituals, and various other cultural promotion objects. With the approach to changing rides, literature can be closer to various groups of people.

"The flexibility of this literary medium makes me believe that the Indonesian literary ecosystem can grow lively," he said.

The director and founder of the Singaraja Literary Festival, Kadek Sonia Piscayanti, explained that Buda Kecapi is one of the ancient manuscripts stored in Gedong Kirtya, Singaraja.

The text harbors ideas about a balanced life, harmonious relations between humans and the universe, as well as healing values through art and local wisdom.

We designed this festival as a process of changing rides from text lightning to performances, modern literary works, even films. So we don't just archive the past, but light it up in a form that is relevant and acceptable to today's generation," said Sonia.

Next, the Singaraja Literary Festival also collaborates with the National Talent Management program (MTN) of Cultural Arts which is a national priority program and aims to attract, develop, and promote Indonesian cultural arts talents in a structured and sustainable manner, as well as connect talents with various opportunities for developing market capacity and access.

Together with the Singaraja Literary Festival program, MTN Cultural Arts is present as a learning platform, capacity strengthening, and a cross-generational collaboration lighter for actors and literary enthusiasts. One form of MTN's involvement is the presence of an Inspiration Icon MTN which brings together participants with literary figures to share creative insights and experiences.