Minister of Culture Shows MTN Data, Says There are 37 Thousand Cultural Talents Recorded, 116 International Recognition Achieved

Fadli Zon emphasized that the cultural sector can no longer be managed in a piecemeal manner if Indonesia wants to be serious about appearing at the global level.

JAKARTA - The government is starting to seriously assess the strength of cultural talent. In the National Talent Management Task Force (MTN) Coordinating Minister Level Meeting at the Bappenas Office, Jakarta, Friday, March 6, 2026, Culture Minister Fadli Zon revealed the figures that he wanted to use as a foundation, namely almost 37 thousand cultural talents have been recorded, more than 5,700 are in the trajectory or are in the advanced training track, and 116 international recognitions have been achieved.

The meeting was also accompanied by the signing of a Cooperation Agreement and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) for the integration of the MTN Unified Database. This step is part of the implementation of Presidential Regulation Number 108 of 2024 concerning the National Talent Management Master Plan.

Fadli emphasized that the cultural sector can no longer be managed in a piecemeal manner if Indonesia wants to be serious about appearing at the global level. "Through National Talent Management, we strive to present an inclusive, sustainable, and integrated talent management system with the national and global cultural ecosystem," he said.

According to the Minister, the MTN for cultural arts covers five areas, namely visual arts, music, film, literature, and performing arts. Throughout 2025, this program is carried out through 208 joint programs with partners, spread across 58 regencies/cities, and connected with global institutions in 19 countries.

Menbud Fadli also highlighted the film as a sector that is accelerating. The national film market share, he said, has reached around 67 percent, an achievement that has only been seen in the last one to two years. Indonesian films are also increasingly active in international festivals such as Rotterdam, Berlinale, Udine, and Busan.

In the field of fine arts, Indonesia is said to be back at the Venice Biennale. In literature, music, and performing arts, thousands of talents have also entered various development programs.

The meeting was also attended by the Minister of PPN/Head of Bappenas Ahmad Pambudi and Deputy Head of BRIN Amarullah Oktavian.