JAKARTA (ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES) – In a landmark achievement for Indonesia’s creative sector, the heavy metal band Voice of Baceprot (VoB) has made history as the country’s first music act to perform at England’s prestigious Glastonbury Festival. Sharing the stage with renowned acts like Coldplay and Dua Lipa was a dream fulfilled for the three hijab-wearing VoB members, all in their twenties, who formed the band in 2014. This milestone underscores Indonesia’s growing influence on the global stage across various fields including television, music, gaming, and comic books, supported by government initiatives aimed at nurturing the flourishing creative industry.
The creative economy in Indonesia has continued its growth, reaching IDR1.3 trillion (GBP67 million) in 2023, up from IDR1.28 trillion (GBP66 million) in 2022 and IDR1.
19 trillion rupiah (GBP61 million) in 2021. In June, streaming giant Netflix debuted “Nightmares And Daydreams,” an original series by local filmmaker Joko Anwar. The seven-episode anthology of supernatural and science-fiction stories quickly became a hit, not only in Indonesia but also across neighbouring countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Critics have likened the series to the works of American producer Jordan Peele (“Us,” “Get Out”) and Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape Of Water,” “Pan’s Labyrinth”). “Filmmakers have a duty to create works that mirror our society,” stated Mr Joko during a .
