Jakarta, April 16, 2023 - In the spirit of enhancing resources for cultural practitioners, the Education Fund Management Agency (LPDP), under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbud), collaborated with the Indonesian Musician Singer Songwriter and Musician Union (PAPPRI) to promote scholarship and research funding programs for Indonesian music enthusiasts. The event coincided with the peak celebration of the 20th National Music Day in Jakarta on Sunday (4/16) afternoon.

LPDP was entrusted with managing the Cultural Endowment Fund, launched in 2022. The Cultural Endowment Fund was established as a representation of the state's involvement in enhancing human resource capacity and research in Indonesia's cultural arts field. Out of a total of 36,200 LPDP scholarship recipients, only 25 individuals pursued music studies, with 20 alumni and five currently studying or preparing for studies.

"There are still few musicians taking advantage of this opportunity," stated LPDP's CEO, Andin Hadiyanto. LPDP hopes for more musicians and other cultural practitioners to avail themselves of scholarships in music and other cultural arts fields.

Educational scholarships available for cultural practitioners span from Bachelor's, Master's, Ph.D., vocational, and short course programs. Besides educational scholarships, LPDP also funds research related to cultural activities, including in music. Research in the music field holds strategic significance for Indonesia, rich in cultural diversity, aiming to preserve ethnic music and cultural heritage from across the archipelago.

"Last year, there were 300 recipients under the Cultural Practitioners program by Kemendikbud, but there were 4,200 applicants. So, it's competitive," mentioned Andin. He assured that the scholarship recipient curation process involves independent reviewers from music practitioners to ensure the scholarships align with their targets.

LPDP also hopes PAPPRI can conduct more comprehensive promotions among its members regarding LPDP's scholarship programs. PAPPRI could also compile a list of quality programs or universities in music or other cultural arts fields with good accreditation to propose to LPDP as candidates for scholarship program destinations.

Musician Dwiki Dharmawan, as the Secretary-General of PAPPRI, welcomed the scholarship and research programs provided by the government. "We are ready to be partners or collaborators in promoting citizens' rights, especially in the field of cultural arts, to enhance capacity," he explained. Dwiki highlighted that all music industry stakeholders, including sound engineers, lighting technicians, and visual artists, have opportunities to access these scholarships.

The Director-General of Culture from Kemendikbudristek, Hilmar Farid, sees the collaboration between LPDP, Kemendikbudristek, and PAPPRI as a communal effort to ensure an improvement in human resources for cultural practitioners, especially in the field of music. Hilmar Farid also mentioned how musicians could be facilitated to creatively reside through the Indonesiana Fund program.

"This fund is available for musician friends who create to develop their works, for example, through residencies. They can stay in Indonesia for six months or go abroad for some time," said Hilmar Farid during a press conference at the Kemendikbudristek D Building.

Enhancing the Capacity of Indonesian Music Professionals

Many musicians and music industry workers have been waiting for opportunities to secure scholarships. Singer Once Mekel expressed that with open support from the government in the form of scholarships and research funding, it is hoped that their skills and knowledge in music will improve.

"They want to have higher abilities because it will open up better artistic horizons. This also enhances flexibility in creating," stated the singer of the song "Dealova."

For musicians interested in LPDP's scholarship program, they can choose from various offered paths: the General Scholarship Program (Regular, PTUD, and Partial), Targeted Scholarship Program, or Affirmative Scholarship Program (Papuan Sons and Daughters, Affirmation Regions, Disabilities, and Pre-Prosperous) for Master's and Ph.D. levels.

The scholarship programs offered by Kemendikbudristek include the Cultural Practitioners Scholarship Program covering Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. levels. Currently, there are 294 awardees and 11 individuals enrolled in non-degree programs.

Regarding research programs, music enthusiasts can participate in LPDP's research funding program or the Indonesiana Fund program from Kemendikbud. Applicants for LPDP's research funding or the Indonesiana Fund must submit research proposals or activity plans containing strategic value, impact targets, methods or implementation approaches, and their financial requirements.

Both scholarship and research programs for cultural practitioners organized by LPDP and Kemendikbudristek are supported by funding from LPDP. All information on criteria, requirements, and documents can be found on the LPDP and Kemendikbud websites under the related programs section.

The scholarship and research promotion event for cultural practitioners took place at the Kemendikbudristek D Building in Jakarta. The 20th National Music Day celebration titled "Cool Indonesian Music" during Ramadan also featured performances by renowned singers like Once Mekel, Novia Bachmid, Sandy Canester, Tony Wenas, and the Ki Ageng Ganjur music group.

Previously, PAPPRI held the 20th National Music Day roadshow in several cities such as Medan, Makassar, Manado, and Surabaya. The event was hosted by Kamidia Radisti and cultural figure Al-Zastrouw Ngatawi, who guided the talk show session.