Jakarta, October 25, 2024 – Young creatives’ central role in creating a sustainable digital creative industry in the Asia is irrefutable. Among other sectors, the creative economy is currently the one that most absorbs young workers, especially those aged 15-29. This is increasingly significant for the Asia-Pacific region, home to more than half of the world’s youth population.
This year, the Asian Creative and Digital Economy Youth Summit (ACE-YS) is back to answer the need for local young creatives to elevate their skills and synergize their collective aspirations. Focusing on the highly anticipated Creative Catalyst program, ACE-YS gathered 66 participants from a number of Southeast Asian countries to reconvene in Jakarta on Friday, October 25, 2024 for the full-day occasion.
Collaboration on Two Fronts
Participants of the Creative Catalyst 2024 program consisted of practitioners, academics, community leaders, and policymakers. They were divided into two categories or routes, namely the Delegates and the Creators, each with different activity focuses.
The Delegates collaborated on developing sustainable action plans representing the voice of the creative industry ecosystem. Meanwhile, ten creative entrepreneurs that made up the Creators route sought support and funding to develop their businesses or initiatives.
This collaborative action was welcomed by ACE-YS Advisor and former Deputy for Tourism and Creative Economy at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment, Odo R.M. Manuhutu.
“In efforts to empower the younger generation, the creative economy sector plays a vital role. This empowerment must happen through collaboration between practitioners and stakeholders. ACE-YS, through Creative Catalyst 2024, provides a space for creative practitioners to continue growing. For the future of the generation, we must build a sustainable creative economy ecosystem with persistence and maintain regional cooperation within ASEAN+3,” he said.
Delegates Route: Intersectoral Discussions on Global Issues
In the Delegates route, young creatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore engaged in three parallel roundtable discussion sessions. The ultimate goal was to develop an action plan that could be proposed as a policy recommendation.
Using the knowledge café format, the Delegates exchanged perspectives on critical issues in the digital creative industry. The roundtable discussion revolved around three main topics; Collaborative Work across Sectors and Countries, Navigating Intellectual Property, and Creative Economy Answering Global Challenges: Climate Change.
“As both an academic and musician, I feel that this year’s Creative Catalyst covers very useful topics. This program can equip creative actors with extensive knowledge of the creative and digital industries, such as intellectual property. Thus, beyond sharing knowledge, experiences, and aspirations, this year’s Creative Catalysts can contribute to the sustainability of Asia’s creative and digital economy,” said Ezra Mandira, an independent researcher and academic who participated as Lead Facilitator in one of the roundtable sessions.
Creators Route: Showcasing Young Creatives’ Work
Simultaneously, the Creators route participants from Indonesia and Malaysia took part in equally engaging agendas.
Through the Project Storytelling Workshop, Creators learned to apply narrative aspects to advance their projects, especially in marketing and publication. They then had the opportunity to present their projects on camera through Show & Tell. In the final session, the Creators met with potential investors through Speed Dating.
“In line with the main purpose of Creative Catalyst 2024, which connects creative practitioners and stakeholders, Foundry contributes to the development of the creative industry collectively through knowledge exchange, education, and business collaboration, including facilitating Creators as part of the future of the creative industry by opening access to potential financial support,” said Richie Wirjan, Founder & CEO of Foundry, who collaborated with ACE-YS to organize the Speed Dating session.
A True Collaborative Effort
One thing ACE-YS is always championing for is the need for collective actions among different stakeholders in the Asian creative and digital economy scene. For this reason, the Creative Catalyst 2024 program collaborated closely with a number of institutions, organizations, as well as individuals to design the curriculum and activities.
Alongside Foundry, several institutions participated as Knowledge Partners for Creative Catalyst 2024. Labtek Indie was ACE-YS’s main collaborator in designing both general sessions (Reflection Session) and those specifically for Delegates (Roundtable Sessions). Other partners also played key roles in program design and content substance, including Pijar Foundation, Playo, Venturra, and vosFoyer.
“We support ACE-YS’s vision to drive collaboration and innovation and connect talent with investment. Therefore, we helped facilitate the ACE-YS series by forming a framework for roundtable activities and equipping facilitators with essential skills, as we also believe that the ACE-YS platform has the potential to spark a new era of cross-border creativity and strengthen Asia’s influence in the global creative and digital economy,” said Amanda Manggiasih Paramita, Principal Consultant at Labtek Indie and Lead Facilitator.
New Waves from the SEA
As in its inaugural event in 2023, ACE-YS focuses on cross-country collaboration in ASEAN with the theme New Waves from the SEA. This event was first initiated by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenkomarves) together with Selaksa as Founding Partner.
Head of ACE-YS, Fadhila H. Athaya, emphasized the essential role of ACE-YS in bringing together various sectors such as policymakers, creators, and communities on one platform.
“By inviting various actors and stakeholders in the creative industry to join, ACE-YS’s primary focus is on the collective contributions and actions of youth. We believe that through this collaboration, the voices and aspirations gathered can create impactful benefits for the entire creative ecosystem.”
Writer: Ramos M.Y. Siahaan & Aubrey C. Bhrawardhana
Editor: K. Langit Rinesti
