Villages across West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) are experiencing a surge in creative economic activity, ranging from traditional weaving to digital content creation, as the region aims to become a national hub for the sector.
Power of Creation
The creative economy, encompassing 17 subsectors from culinary arts to digital applications, is increasingly viewed as a key driver of growth in NTB, moving beyond its traditional role as a complement to tourism. The government has designated the Bali-Nusa Tenggara region as a potential international superhub for both tourism and the creative economy by 2045.
NTB is being positioned as a national laboratory for creative economy policy, particularly through the government’s subsidized micro-credit program, People’s Business Credit (KUR), aimed at entrepreneurs in the creative sector. Traditional weaving in Lombok and Sumbawa provides income for thousands of families, and the local government in West Sumbawa District recently conducted a 20-day training program to improve weaving motif development and product competitiveness.
Festivals like Karya Kreatif NTB and the Lombok Sumbawa Tenun Festival showcase local products and demonstrate the multiplier effect of the creative economy, spanning production to consumption. Village museums are also evolving, integrating historical preservation with new economic activities and offering cultural tourism experiences.
Challenges to Growth
Despite the potential, structural challenges hinder the growth of NTB’s creative economy. Access to financing remains a significant obstacle, as many creative businesses operate on a small scale and lack the collateral typically required by financial institutions. The government’s pilot KUR scheme in NTB aims to address this by factoring intellectual property into credit assessments.
However, funding alone is insufficient. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) identifies limited access to financing, low human resource capacity, and insufficient digital infrastructure as major hurdles for the creative economy nationwide. Many creative workers in NTB possess strong production skills but need to develop expertise in business management, digital marketing, and brand development.
High-speed internet, digital marketing platforms, and access to global markets are also crucial for growth. Without a robust digital ecosystem, local creative potential will struggle to reach wider audiences.
Developing a Creative Ecosystem
To establish the creative economy as a pillar of NTB’s future, a comprehensive ecosystem is needed, built on four pillars: talent, financing, market access, and creative spaces. Developing creative human resources requires education and training programs focused on digital talent, design, and multimedia. The KUR program should be paired with a curation system to ensure funding reaches businesses with growth potential.
Festivals, exhibitions, and digital platforms are essential for showcasing local work and expanding market reach. Cities and villages should provide public spaces for creative communities to collaborate and experiment. The Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) also holds potential as a hub for a digital-based creative ecosystem, focusing on supporting digital creators and creative industry players alongside tourism and sporting events.
NTB’s future economic success depends on nurturing the creativity of its residents, recognizing that economic power can originate from ideas and imagination, not just natural resources or large-scale infrastructure.
Related news: Weaving profit with purpose in West Nusa Tenggara
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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