Jakarta – Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar, together with the TIFA Creative team from Mimika, Central Papua, held discussions exploring potential collaboration and strategic support to strengthen cultural diplomacy and the creative economy from the regions.
Deputy Minister Irene emphasized that creativity knows no bounds. She stated that regions like Papua offer fresh and original perspectives that can significantly contribute to the growth of the creative economy in Indonesia. This was conveyed during a meeting with TIFA Creative at the Autograph Tower, Jakarta, on Friday, June 13, 2025.
“Engagements like this demonstrate how local strengths can become a source of national inspiration. I believe the spirit of innovation rooted in local culture is a vital asset for enriching Indonesia’s creative economy in the future,” she said, as quoted in the Ministry of Creative Economy’s press release on Monday (June 16).
Deputy Minister Irene highlighted the importance of diversity and openness in the national creative economy ecosystem. According to her, the regions hold great potential to become the main drivers of Indonesia’s economic transformation — and Papua is a key pillar in that vision.
She also stressed the need for synergy between communities, the government, and cross-sector stakeholders to strengthen the creative economy ecosystem. She sees TIFA Creative as a promising force for cultural diplomacy on the international stage, provided that narrative development, production quality, and standardized festival organization are improved.
“A collaborative hexahelix approach with communities is a crucial foundation for building an inclusive, adaptive, and competitive creative economy ecosystem,” Irene said.
TIFA Creative is a cultural community and creative event organizer that has been operating since 2015 in Mimika Regency, Central Papua. Through its flagship event, the Timika Inside Festival of Art (TIPAS), TIFA provides a platform for local artists, cultural figures, and MSMEs to showcase their work and connect with a wider audience.
TIFA Creative Chairperson Dina Merani welcomed the support from the Ministry of Creative Economy with optimism. She said the meeting marked a significant milestone for TIFA and opened doors to broader networks.
“What we’re most grateful for is how the Deputy Minister truly listened. Ideas around cultural diplomacy, involvement of other ministries, and the encouragement for TIFA to go international — that was a major motivation for us. The words that stuck with me most were: ‘United Papua, United Indonesia.’ And that’s not just a slogan — it’s our guiding spirit moving forward,” Dina said.
This meeting is expected to pave the way for concrete collaborations between the Ministry of Creative Economy and communities like TIFA Creative. Government support will be crucial in positioning Papua as a new face of the national creative economy — a real effort to build the new engine of growth starting from the regions, and a strategic step toward the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.
