Managing Creativity and the Arts

in South-East Asia

29 Case Studies
from the Region

Interviews

9 Country Briefs
1
 Published in 2021 by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France

and UNESCO Office in Bangkok

920 Sukhumvit Road, Phra Khanong, Klong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

© UNESCO 2021

ISBN 978-92-3-100443-8

This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO
(CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By
using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of
use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open-access/
terms-use-ccbysa-en).

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this

publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of
UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its
authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author; they
are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization.

Authors: Sunitha Janamohanan and Sari Sasaki

Contributors: Kai Brennert; Kamonrat Chayamarit; Jefferson Chua; Chanmaly
Panyaphone; Sunitha Janamohanan; Cecil Mariani; and Tran Thi Thu Thuy.
Copy editor: Ellie Meleisea

Cover illustrations: Sari Sasaki, Aung Kyaw Tun/Inwa School of Performing Arts,
Myanmar Deitta.
Graphic designer: Sari Sasaki
Typeset: Noto Sans

2
 Foreword

South-East Asia is a region rich in cultural diversity and dynamic in

its creativity. There is great potential for the countries of the region
to capitalize on their cultural resources and their dynamic young
populations to gear toward the creative economy and fully realize the
role of culture in achieving sustainable development.

This publication, Backstage: Managing Creativity and the Arts in South-

East Asia, draws on the findings of UNESCO’s recent study of the creative
sector in the nine countries of the South-East Asian region (Cambodia,
Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Viet Nam), which involved a quantitative survey, in-depth
interviews and policy analysis.

The publication showcases the policy environments in which the

creative sector is operating, points out the similarities and differences
across the countries of the region, and concretely identifies areas in
which exchanges (sharing and learning from each other) and further
development can be engineered to unleash the full potential of the
sector.

The publication goes beyond a review of existing policies, however.

It also tells the stories of the twenty-nine organizations across the
region which are on the front line of moving the sector forward. Most
are small and medium-sized organizations that depend largely on
external financial support and on the resourcefulness of their founders
and leaders. While the organizations may face certain limitations in
strategy and capacity, and vary in terms of the challenges that they
face in manoeuvring the complex and at times under-developed
policy landscape, they share a great ambition to succeed and a full
commitment to support their countries’ creative sector and to make
them vibrant.

4
When we began the study in 2019, we did not foresee that the world
would experience a major shock in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has
had a severe impact on the creative sector, and the researchers returned
to the participating organizations to learn about that impact. Therefore,
while the publication focuses largely on the ongoing operational
environments of the organizations, additional interviews demonstrate
that the challenges that the creative sector faced before the pandemic
intensified as a result of this crisis. The responses to the interviews also
show that support to the sector is needed now more than ever to revive
it in a timely manner.

I thank everyone who was involved in preparing this publication, which

reports on one of the first comprehensive studies of the creative sector
in South-East Asia. UNESCO will continue to engage with the sector
under the framework of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and
Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and we look forward
to our future collaboration with you.

Shigeru Aoyagi
Director
UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education

5
 Acknowledgements
This publication, Backstage: Managing Creativity and the Arts in South-
East Asia, is a collective effort and benefited from the support of many
individuals and institutions during the eighteen months of its making.

To begin with, we are very grateful to the Ministry of Finance of the

Republic of Korea for the financial support that made the study and this
publication possible.

We are also grateful to those who conducted the study. It was led by
Sunitha Janamohanan of the LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore,
who worked with two colleagues: Audrey Wong Wai Yen and Natasha
Lau. The LASALLE team designed the study framework, based on which
national researchers conducted the survey and in-depth interviews in
their respective countries, in order to overcome the language barrier.
The LASALLE team then carried out a policy review and synthesized
a country analysis to generate a regional overview. We acknowledge
the contributions of the national researchers (in alphabetical order):
Kai Brennert for the studies in Cambodia and Myanmar; Kamonrat
Chayamarit in Thailand; Jefferson Chua in the Philippines; Chanmaly
Panyaphone in Lao PDR; Sunitha Janamohanan in Malaysia and
Singapore; Cecil Mariani in Indonesia; and Tran Thuy in Viet Nam.

We thank the representatives of the 332 civil society organizations who

participated in our survey. We especially acknowledge the contribution
of the twenty-nine organizations who shared with us their in-depth
inputs through various rounds of interviews and the provision of video
clips. Their insights have enriched our understanding of the operation
of the creative sector in South-East Asia, and this knowledge will shape
future actions to further promote this important sector.

6
Drawing on the information collected by the researchers, Sunitha
Janamohanan authored the sections of Background, Country Briefs and
Recommendations. Sali Sasaki prepared the organizations’ summaries
based on the case studies provided by the national researchers,
and also conducted and edited additional interviews, prepared the
infographic and designed the publication layout. She is also responsible
for making the videos featuring the voices of the organizations.
From the UNESCO office in Bangkok, the process was coordinated by
Duong Bich Hanh, with support from Kamonrat Chayamarit. Passachol
Kawdee, Korapat Praputum and Waraporn Onnom facilitated the
collection of additional interviews and video clips and the translation
process. We are also grateful for the support from our colleagues in
the UNESCO offices in Ha Noi (Pham Thi Thanh Huong), Jakarta (Moe
Chiba and Yati Sugianto) and Phnom Penh (Makara Hong and Masanori
Nagaoka).

The publication is available in seven South-East Asian languages

and we thank the translators who made this happen: Thiri Naw Han
(Myanmar), Le Thi Kim Hong (Vietnamese), Chanmaly Panyaphone
(Lao), Yulia Fitri Utami (Indonesian), Akara Translation (Khmer) and
Sapiens International Cooperation (Malaysian and Thai).

7
 Table of contents

8
Background 11

The policy context for the CCI sector in South-East Asia 14

The operational context of the CCI sector in South-East Asia 16
Factors for success 20

Case Studies
Education 24
Advocacy & Human Rights 36
Creative Experiments 46
Heritage & Archives 58
Promotion & Communication 66
Entrepreneurship 80

CCI Numbers and Facts 86

Country Briefs
Cambodia 90
Indonesia 94
Lao PDR 98
Malaysia 102
Myanmar 106
The Philippines 110
Singapore 114
Thailand 118
Viet Nam 122

Recommendations 126

Conclusions 131

9
10
Background organizations in South-East
Asia currently face at the policy
and operational levels, along
with factors that contribute
to their success, and provides
The Cultural and Creative recommendations towards
Industries (CCI) sector is seen strengthening the creative
as a driving force for economic sector in South-East Asia. This
growth in many countries in is supplemented by country
South-East Asia (SEA), but the briefs and profiles of individual
development of this sector CCI organizations that give
faces challenges in terms of greater detail about the specific
coherent financial strategies situations in each of the
and local market conditions. surveyed countries.
Recognizing these challenges
and the lack of consistent data The study was led by a team
on government initiatives and of lecturers at the LASALLE
policy impacts in SEA, as well College of the Arts (Singapore)
as the under-researched nature who worked in collaboration
of the financing approaches with independent national
adopted in various countries, researchers from countries
the UNESCO office in Bangkok, across the SEA region. Data
under the framework of the was obtained from 322 1
UNESCO 2005 Convention on organizations via electronically-
the Protection and Promotion administered surveys and
of the Diversity of Cultural twenty-nine case studies were
Expressions, commissioned a compiled from data collected in
study to review and analyse nine South-East Asian countries
the financial context of the CCI (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao
sector in SEA, with a focus on PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar,
the sustainability of civil society the Philippines, Singapore,
CCI organizations. Thailand and Viet Nam).
These offer insights into the
This publication presents realities of CCI organizations
the findings of that study. operating in this region.
In particular, it presents
the challenges that CCI Number adjusted after eliminating duplicates and
1

organizations that did not fit the stipulated criteria.

11
 The study targeted small and About a third of the
medium-sized organizations, organizations surveyed had
including artist collectives and been in operation for fewer
informal groups. The surveyed than three years. Of those in
organizations included operation for more than three
private companies (26.1 per years, 37 per cent reported a
cent), informal groups (16.8 deficit three years running. Over
per cent), collectives (14.3 one quarter (28 per cent) of the
per cent), associations (11.5 companies reported a surplus
per cent), foundations (7.8 in three out of three years, 15
per cent), public companies per cent reported a surplus in
(6.8 per cent) and others two out of three years and 20
(e.g. social enterprises, joint per cent reported a surplus in
stock companies, etc.). These only one out of three years.
organizations operate across These figures indicate a degree
various domains, including of instability in terms of the
performing arts (19.3 per cent), organizations’ sustainability,
visual arts (19.3 per cent), film with a large percentage of
and animation (15.8 per cent), organizations operating at a loss
literature/publishing (14.9 per in at least one of three years.
cent) and design (5.9 per cent).
The largest proportion (22 The study found that,
per cent) of the organizations overall, the factors that
identified themselves as inhibit the growth and long-
multidisciplinary. The study term sustainability of CCI
did not include individual organizations in South-
artists or cultural workers, East Asia include: a lack of
or government-owned or firm policy direction, lack
operated entities. While the CCI of recognition or limited
organizations that participated perceptions of the value of
in the study are not statistically culture in society, a disconnect
representative of the CCI between the government and
organizations of the region, they civil society, and a fragmented
demonstrate the great diversity understanding of the CCI sector
within the region’s creative and its markets. Furthermore,
sector. national definitions of cultural
values sometimes limit freedom

12
of expression and movement,
contravening key principles
of the 2005 Convention on
the Protection and Promotion
of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions, including the
‘Principle of respect for human
rights and fundamental
freedoms’.

The study found that CCI

organizations are more likely to
succeed if they have access to:
government grants, subsidies
and incentive schemes; private
patronage; and/or funding from
international organizations;
and when creative and
cultural workers exhibit
resilience, adaptability and
resourcefulness.

In view of the study’s findings,

it is recommended that
governments: develop enabling
strategies, action plans,
policies and data collection
mechanisms; strengthen local
governance and community
participation; implement
new models of organization;
strengthen collaboration
across the South-East Asian
region and integrate culture
into sustainable development
frameworks.

13
 The policy context At the conceptual level, in

for the CCI sector in most countries cultural policy

South-East Asia
development is shaped by
a notion of ‘culture’ that
defines national identity and
The study revealed a policy unification. Thus, culture
landscape in which most is seen to have a national
governments, regions and ideological role while serving an
cities favour developing CCI as economic function to generate
a means of supporting national income, create jobs and uplift
economic development. communities. This objective
Due to variations between may be embedded within CCI
the countries in terms of development policies, as seen
their economic conditions, in countries like Singapore
histories, political governance, and Thailand, or even form the
cultural policy planning and backbone of national cultural
implementation mechanisms, policies, as seen in Malaysia,
the sector has not developed however, it is seldom made
evenly across the region. While clear exactly how culture
there is evidence of dynamic and creativity achieve both
activities in the CCI sector functions and how this aligns
in most countries, the study with a market orientation.
findings indicate that there
are areas for improvement At a strategic level, some
in planning of policy and its countries have overarching
implementation, and the plans that incorporate the
findings highlight a need to CCI sector. For example, the
develop the human resource Philippines’ Development Plan
capacity of government 2017–2022 incorporates the
agencies tasked with cultural and creative economy
developing the CCI sector, and recognizes creativity as
particularly in less economically a ‘tool’ for cohesion. Other
advanced countries. countries have developed
sector-specific development
14
strategies. For example, Viet under various ministries/
Nam has a National Strategy entities, but coordination
for the Development of Cultural between them is often lacking.
Industries. In Malaysia and Crafts for example, are often
Thailand, creative economy seen as being relevant to art
development strategies have and design and also to tourism,
been aligned with digital so are covered by more than
content and media. However, one agency in some countries.
while strategies exist in many
countries of the region, concrete In some cases, the creative
action plans are absent in economy, being a relatively new
most cases, with the result domain for policy, has led to
that strategies are not always the formation of new agencies,
implemented. which often report directly
to the president’s or prime
At a policy level, Singapore, minister’s office. For example,
Indonesia and, to a lesser Thailand and Indonesia have
extent, Thailand, have the set up specific government
most clearly defined policies, agencies to develop strategies
linking education, trade, and implement plans for the CCI
development and strategies sector: the Creative Economy
executed by distinct agencies. Agency and Bekraf, respectively.
Elsewhere, some sector-specific Other countries, such as Viet
policies exist, such as policies Nam, have begun to establish
for strengthening intellectual such entities too. However, this
property protection in Myanmar raises questions concerning
and tourism policies in Lao PDR support that is too closely tied
and Malaysia. Cambodia has to the government agenda of
had a national cultural policy the day and the vulnerability
since 2014. of such agencies to changing
regimes and priorities.
Being cross-sectoral by nature,
the responsibilities for cultural
and creative industries fall
15
 The operational recognized by the system.

context of the
CCI sector in
With the exception of Singapore,
which has a clear framework
South-East Asia of support for cultural non-
profits, in South-East Asia
Legal status of the CCI sector the context is such that CCI
organizations are often not
The business model that registered as non-profits even
an organization follows has if they are not profit-oriented.
direct implications in terms This is attributed to obstacles
of incentives and financing to incorporation or a lack of
opportunities (e.g. tax relief awareness of the benefits, if
and the ability to apply for any, of having a non-profit
government or international status in most countries of the
grants), but many of the region. It can also be linked to
organizations surveyed in this the general status of civil society
study operate in a grey area. organizations in SEA, which
Some are incorporated as is in need of strengthening.
private for-profit companies Furthermore, due to the hybrid
while essentially earning little and evolving nature of the
income and functioning as non- work of CCI organizations,
profits; others try to balance existing corporate registration
entrepreneurship with a social frameworks do not fully
mission. accommodate the diversity of
needs.
Around 30 per cent of the
surveyed organizations Registration processes
identified as non-formal groups
or collectives. Thus, artistic Excessively bureaucratic
and creative collectives are a government processes within
significant feature of the CCI the corporate regulation/
landscape in SEA, but in most governance frameworks for the
cases they are not officially sector are key obstacles to the
16
operations and sustainability of market awareness tends to be
CCI organizations. Registration low. When organizations were
processes can be complicated asked whether they do business
and protracted and the need planning, nearly a quarter of
to obtain permissions and the organizations (23 per cent)
permits in most countries stated they had no business
adds to the administration plan, professing to ’live from
burden of CCI organizations. day to day’, and 7 per cent
Complicating the situation reported not knowing how to
further is the prevalence of do business planning. While
opaque procedures, kickback almost half of the respondents
payments, patronage reported having a one to three
and favouritism in official year plan, only about 20 per
bureaus, which negatively cent had a three to five year
impact organizational plan and/or a one to ten year
operations, accountability and plan, and it is not known how
transparency. effectively these plans are
implemented.
The operations and
sustainability of CCI Funding
organizations are also affected
by a lack of understanding Government funding is
by government officials of inconsistent across the region.
the exact contributions and Some governments (e.g.
nature of CCI work, which Singapore) allocate significant
sometimes results in additional funds towards CCI sector
complications in the registration development, while others
process. (e.g. Cambodia, Lao PDR and
Myanmar) offer little to no
Business planning state support for the CCI sector.
Even where grants and funds
Many organizations display a are available, respondents
deficiency in strategic business and researchers reported that
planning skills, and their access to these – including
17
 access to information about Another commonly-cited
them – was often difficult. challenge is the difficulty
of attracting and retaining
International funding is a major skilled personnel as salaries
form of support to the sector in the CCI sector tend
in some countries, particularly not to be competitive. As
in the small and medium-sized the skills required in the
economy countries. However, creative industries are easily
such funding is not always transferable, staff often move
accessible due to specific out of the sector into related
registration requirements. areas such as hospitality and
tourism, which offer more
While private patronage is stable and higher incomes.
a key enabler for many CCI
organizations in the region, Many organizations reported
corporate and individual not having enough staff trained
philanthropic support for in business and administration
culture is still underdeveloped skills, corroborating the findings
in all the countries surveyed. of the UNESCO Creative Economy
Report 2013, which observed
Precarity of the creative that capacity-building within
workforce the creative economy sector
was still in an experimental
Many CCI organizations rely stage in developing regions.
greatly on a part-time or
project-based labour pool, and A more intractable challenge
cultural workers often subsidize however, may be the
their organization’s activities inadequate value placed on
through either free labour or creative labour by society,
very low wages (surviving on which affects not only the
income derived from other earning potential of creative
sources). workers but the overall market.

18
Operational costs purchasing power rather than
on local consumers. Even in
Costs vary greatly from country countries like Singapore, where
to country, and operational the appetite for arts and cultural
costs, such as office/studio events has grown significantly
rental and salaries, are in recent decades, arts
impacted by rising costs companies reported challenges
of living. This factor was in attracting ticket-buyers and
especially highlighted by urban expanding their audiences.
respondents to the survey,
in cities such as Jakarta and The art market is in significant
Phnom Penh. competition with the
entertainment industry and
Throughout most of the other lifestyle attractions – a
region, investments in hard factor that is expected to be
infrastructure and provisions exacerbated with the growth of
for affordable rents are still digital content and globalization
required, alongside soft pressures on the industry. There
infrastructure investments in is also a strong rural-urban
terms of skills and training. divide.
In low-to-middle income
countries, infrastructure is In most of the surveyed
still severely underdeveloped, countries, CCI organizations
equipment rental is costly and were found to be engaging
operating expertise is low. in education, cultural
preservation, audience
Weak domestic markets outreach and sector capacity
development – services that
The responses to the survey would normally be facilitated
indicated that the domestic through government policy.
markets for cultural and These tend to be activities that
creative goods and services cannot be scaled up as business
are perceived to be weak. Most propositions and cannot be
organizations depend greatly supported by paying customers.
on expatriate and tourist
19
 Factors and social organizations. In

for Success addition, the government

facilitates corporate and private
donations to CCI organizations,
The findings from the survey through, for instance, tax
and the case studies indicate benefits. As a result of sustained
four main factors that can state support over the past
enable some CCI organizations twenty years, the sector has
to be more successful and become professionalized and a
sustainable than others. These local audience has emerged for
factors are listed below. It CCI organizations. Also, efforts
should be noted, however, are being made to promote
that even the most successful Singapore’s arts and culture
organizations still struggle to internationally.
survive.
Government policies that
Government grants, subsidies support the CCI sector have
and incentive schemes had positive results in other
countries too, including in
Compared to the other surveyed Thailand where a policy to
countries, Singapore has the promote the craft sector has
most extensive system of enhanced the country’s global
government-funded support for reputation for high quality
CCI organizations. Such support traditional craft products. In
includes grants, incentive Indonesia, the state agency
schemes and tax exemptions. Bekraf is implementing various
These are particularly directed schemes and initiatives and
at non-profit CCI organizations. is also introducing a system
The support measures are of tax exemption for CCI
linked to the existence of organizations.
systematic and clear corporate
regulatory frameworks, which Funding for CCIs remains a
accommodate the operating challenge, however, in low and
models of non-profit cultural medium economy countries,
20
where other needs tend to be financial difficulties.
perceived to be more urgent.
Funding from international
Private patronage organizations

The commitment of founders International organizations

and patrons is essential to and diplomatic agencies, for
the running of many CCI instance, the British Council, the
organizations across the Goethe Institute and embassies,
region, with these actors often play a role in supporting CCI
acting as investors, managing- organizations by providing
directors and advocates. This funding for vital activities,
role can also include providing particularly in countries with
business contacts, facilitating less-developed economies.
special rates for office spaces
and corporate and private CCI organizations that are
sponsorship of events. registered as non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) are
The founders of CCI eligible to raise funds from
organizations often subsidize international donors. But in
the operational costs of their countries where registration
organizations by not paying processes are complicated,
themselves and relying bureaucratic or costly, many
on income earned from small and informal entities are
other activities so as to be excluded from international
able to pay staff and cover networks of support.
operational costs. In addition,
they invest personal capital Resilience, adapability and
into the organization. While resourcefulness of creative
organizations have been able and cultural workers
to survive in this way, long-
term sustainability may not be The study found evidence of
possible as CCI founders and entrepreneurial spirit and
owners may suffer burnout and practice among the surveyed
21
 organizations. Those that
are found to be sustaining
themselves often do so through
a combination of their founders’
and members’ resourcefulness,
resilience and a rootedness
in their respective cultural/
creative communities and in
broader society. The social and
cultural capital of founders and
key personnel is a significant
resource.

In some cases, a community

network is built through
members of the collective
contributing particular skill sets
or areas of knowledge to keep
the organization running. With
31 per cent of the surveyed
organizations classified as
collective or informal groups,
this model appears to offer
specific advantages for survival.
Serrum in Indonesia and the
Five Arts Centre in Malaysia
are examples of this, and
also demonstrate a culture
of constant learning and
adaptation, and the socio-
cultural significance of the
CCI organizations, which goes
beyond market value.

22
 EDUCATION

In recent decades, independent

organizations in South-East Asia have
been initiating their own capacity-building
activities to respond to the lack of such
programmes in the cultural and creative
industries sector. Their activities include
vocational education programmes,
short-term courses and capacity-building
workshops. Such initiatives often depend
on grants, sponsorship and international
support, but some generate their own
income by offering performances, services
and technical expertise.

24
 Epic Arts
Cambodia

The Sound Initiative

Cambodia

MondiBlanc Film Workshop

Indonesia

Prakerti Collective Intelligence

Indonesia

The Association for the Promotion and

Preservation of Art and Literature
Lao PDR

Inwa School of Performing Arts

Myanmar

Centre for Development and Assistance

of Movie Talents (TPD)
Viet Nam

25
 Epic Arts Financing structure

Cambodia One of Epic Arts’ most significant income sources

is sales at its Epic Arts Caféé, a social enterprise
that was set up to provide job opportunities
International NGO (2006) for people with disabilities. It now is a well-
known caféé and restaurant in Kampot that also
Epic Arts explores and celebrates the creative hosts a gift shop called Epic Creations. Another
potential of diversity by using the arts as a important source of income for Epic Arts is the
form of expression and empowerment, while provision of inclusive dance workshops and
bringing people with and without disabilities performances. Income from these activities
together. The organization manages an contributes between 40 per cent and 50 per cent
inclusive education programme, a community of the organization’s annual budget.
programme and a social enterprise programme.
Epic Arts has been contracted by development
It was registered as a charity in the United agencies to deliver creative community projects
Kingdom in 2003 and opened the Epic Arts Caféé around the themes of hygiene and health. The
in Kampot, Cambodia, in 2006. In 2009, Epic organization is developing a business plan
Arts built the first fully-accessible arts centre in under which Epic Arts will become a local
South-East Asia. implementing partner for large, internally-
funded development programmes.

Team Over the years, Epic Arts has struggled to find

and retain long-term financial support and also
Two directors. has experienced difficulties in finding qualified
Forty-three staff members.
staff members. The lack of permanent support
from the Cambodian government means that
organizations like Epic Arts have to rely on
external funding and foreign support to continue
to implement their activities.

Epic Arts’ independent projects are not always

profitable, but the income from the caféé in
addition to donations and grants flow back into
supporting Epic Arts’ two main programmes:
inclusive education and community arts. The
heavy dependence on the tourism industry
presents a risk for Epic Arts as it does not
currently have alternative plans for its long-term
sustainability.

The organization pays USD 1,000 per month

on rent. Another key expense is the salaries
for its forty-three staff members. Cambodia
does not have tax exemptions for local non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) and
therefore taxes are a major burden for the
organization.
26
Sokny Onn
Country Director

Could you provide an update on the current

business situation (including issues related to
COVID-19)?

COVID-19 has impacted us greatly. The inclusive

education programme and community
programme have had to be postponed. For
the social enterprise programme, we have lost
between 50 per cent and 70 per cent of our
income. It is not an easy journey for us, but we
will not give up.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Smile. That word is a symbol of our success.

When I see a big warm smile from children and
people with disabilities, I can see their joy, their
appreciation. They feel love and they feel hope
in their lives. This is the success of our work, to
brighten their lives and bring hope to them. Epic
Arts’ work is needed more at the moment than
ever.

What are your plans/projects moving ahead?

We have a strong commitment to continue what

we are doing, to provide jobs and education,
and to make sure that children and people with
disabilities are protected. We also want to raise
awareness, so as to build a better, inclusive
society for people with disabilities.

27
 The
Sound
Initiative Financing structure
Cambodia The Sound Initiative is a social enterprise. It
is registered as a limited liability company,
however, because Cambodia does not have a
LLC / Social enterprise (2018) social enterprise registration framework.

Established in 2018, The Sound Initiative TSI is currently mainly funded by foreign
(TSI) is a vocational training programme grants, notably from the British and United
for emerging singer-songwriters and music States embassies, USAID, PACT and the Hard
producers. TSI aims to equip young artists Rock Heals Foundation. It also receives
with the knowledge and experience necessary support from the private sector. In addition,
to establish themselves as professional TSI generates income by providing services to
musicians and embark on a music industry the music industry, including audio-recording
career in Cambodia. The company also offers services and small-scale live event and
a technical training programme for young concert production. The income generated
musicians to improve their employability in this way is used to finance the organization’s
vocational education programmes.
the music industry, coinciding with a large
demand for trained sound engineers in
Currently, the income generated is insufficient
Cambodia.
for the company to operate independently.
Because it is heavily dependent on grants,
As of September 2019, TSI had completed a TSI will eventually need to develop a stronger
pilot programme of nine months with fifteen business and revenue model in order to
musicians, and had begun a new programme sustain its activities.
for a second cohort.
A key challenge facing the organizations
is the low awareness and appreciation for
Team music products among the local audience in
Cambodia. Most people do not expect to pay
Six staff members: managing director, music for music content as it can easily be found for
director, music assistant, marketing/events free.
officer, finance officer and project officer.
In 2019, the organization spent at least
USD 550 per month on rent, which includes
withholding tax and cleaning fees.

28
Laura Baker
Chheng Heang Chive
Euan Gray

Could you provide some recent updates on the

current business situation (including issues
related to COVID-19)?

During the lockdown in Cambodia earlier this

year, we maintained a sense of community and
motivation through video conference calls with
our students and team. We also managed to
remotely record an album and begin to create
music tutorials online. As a music education
organization, we have been looking at solutions
for distance learning so we can have national
reach. We have used this experience to inform
how new educational tools can address the digital
skills shortage within the creative sector here.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Adaptability. Meaning that, before this difficult

situation we had plans to put on a live concert,
but we had to scrap them because of the
circumstances, so we decided to make it a digital
concert instead. This was a lesson for us to
understand that no matter what happens in the
future, we have to be prepared for any situation.

What are your plans/projects moving ahead?

We are going to keep building our academy both

online and offline. At the same time, we will keep
building our partnerships and networks locally
and internationally so we can keep connecting
artists and producers to new clients and potential
collaborators. Now that the lockdown has mostly
eased, we are also able to build up our business in
our new music studio.
29
 MondiBlanc
Film
Workshop
Indonesia
Financing structure
Foundation (2016) MondiBlanc generates revenue through
commissioned projects via its sponsor
MondiBlanc is a registered foundation that Talemaker LLC, which focuses on
operates as a film workshop community which the development of corporate social
works to build skills in the film and video responsibility (CSR) projects. In this context,
industries. It provides free access to anyone who MondiBlanc has produced communication
wants to study film professionally, encompassing products, including a digital app project for
commercial and independent films. While the the Rail Link airport train service in Jakarta,
workshops are free, the candidates are selected Indonesia. Additional income is generated
based on their professional commitment and through renting out space for a caféébusiness
existing technical capacity with film software and through an equipment rental service.
and equipment. Training activities include It has also produced short films that are
online and offline editing, production design, monetized on YouTube.
production management, visual arrangements,
acting and directing, scriptwriting, post- By providing such products, services
production and cinematography. and creative content to external clients,
MondiBlanc has been able to carry out its
training activities over the four years between
2016 and 2020. MondiBlanc’s business
structure remains precarious, however, due
to a lack of long-term planning, which has led
to instability. This instability has generated a
high turnover of management personnel as
well as to diverging opinions as to the future
strategic direction for the organization.

MondiBlanc rents a two-storey shophouse for

60 million Rupiah (approximately 4,000 USD)
per year. The organization sub-lets parts of
the building to generate additional revenue.
The utility costs are covered by the income
from the café space. The managers and in-
structors are paid with revenue generated
Team from the organization’s projects. Taxes are
proportional to the revenue generated by the
Three founders (filmmakers).
company and include property tax, goods and
Six administrators.
service tax and rental income tax.
Managers and instructors.

30
The Association for partnerships with various other organizations

the Promotion and

from diverse backgrounds. Partnerships with
some children’s educational centres have

Preservation of Art
proven to be successful in the past in terms of
artistic training and capacity building.

and Literature Team

Lao PDR Thirty-five members (mainly volunteers).
Four key active members.
Fifty teachers from six provincial schools
Civil society organization (2014) (serving 2,500 children).

The Association for Promotion and Preservation Financing structure

of Art and Literature (PPAL) is a local civil society
The organization depends entirely on external
organization (CSO) that promotes culture in
funding sources and initiates projects
three disciplines: Literature, Fine Arts and
only when funding is available. The PPAL
Performing Arts. The PPAL believes that culture
therefore operates on a project by project
is key to sustainable social development and the basis, with its main activities being festivals
creation of fresh ideas, stronger relationships, and training, which are implemented with
heritage preservation and playful education. international funding and partnerships.
Indeed, partnerships with international
The association works toward cultural organizations have been vital to sustain its
development by establishing community operations and activities. The organization
libraries, organizing art and literature contests, receives international funding of between
holding workshops, producing publications USD 10,000 and USD 50,000 per year. It also
and arranging activities at dedicated children’s receives support from private companies,
education development centres, including mostly in the form of in kind contributions
artist meetings, book fairs and poetry festivals. and sponsorships of up to USD 500.
A key challenge has been the low level of local
Although the PPAL relies on funding support
appreciation for this type of art form as well as
to implement large projects, it generates a
the governmental procedures concerning the
modest income (to fund its smaller projects)
authorization and monitoring of activities (all
through book sales and literature classes to
content must be approved by the Ministry of private schools.
Culture, Information and Tourism and events
must be attended by the Ministry of Education Venue rental represents a major cost for each
and Sports.) project and can be as high as USD 1,800 per
day. The rented spaces are usually located
Created in 2014 under a temporary authorization inside commercial centres and government
issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the PPAL buildings. Due to its limited budget, the
operated as an informal group for several years organization cannot afford to pay wages to
before beginning the process to become an its staff members who are mostly volunteers.
association. The organization has since gone The expenses incurred to meet government
through a lengthy review process and full monitoring requirements can vary from one
province to another. This type of cost can
registration has not yet been achieved. The
sometimes be quite hefty.
status of ‘association’ is being sought because
the organization’s activities are targeted
toward local communities and because non-
profit status would allow the PPAL to develop 31
 Nowadays, the
traditional forms of
performing arts in
Myanmar are often
overlooked and
contemporary artistic
practices receive
more attention from
the general public.

32
Inwa
School of
Performing Arts
Myanmar
Financing structure

Charity (2016) The majority of the school’s funding comes

from United States-based individual donors
Founded in 2016, the Inwa School of Performing via the Arts Mandalay Foundation. The school
Arts is based in Mandalay and is partly managed also receives a small amount of funding
by the Arts Mandalay Foundation, an American through engaging in activities such as hosting
cultural tours for the donors and other such
charity organization. The Inwa School’s
projects. In 2019, Inwa received a grant from
mission is to provide training in the traditional
the School of Oriental and African Studies
performing arts of Myanmar and to preserve
(SOAS) of the University of London for a
ancient cultural heritage. The boarding school
project involving a travelling performance
provides students with free education in the group, which had the goal of promoting
traditional performing arts as well as free tolerance and inclusiveness.
accommodation and board. The organization
also operates the Mintha theatre, a public venue The Inwa School of Performing Arts generates
where students and faculty members give 10 per cent of its overall budget through
performances to international visitors. income generated by ticket sales for the
performances in their in-house Mintha
theatre. The performances take place nightly
Team and tourists are the main target group.

Eight staff, including a general manager, a The school’s management does not foresee
headmaster, three teachers, two performers any changes in the near future and does not
and one dormitory coordinator. currently have other strategies to generate
income aside from through performances.
Strategic decisions are made by the Arts
Mandalay Foundation in the United States.

In compliance with the 2018 Union Tax Law,

which exempts education providers from
paying taxes, the Inwa School of Performing
Arts (which is registered as a vocational
training institution) does not pay taxes.

33
 Centre for The organization respects diversity and employs
ethnic minorities from mountainous areas of the

Development and country. The team members come from different

Assistance of
educational backgrounds and are often trained
in-house.

Movie Talents (TPD) Financing structure

Viet Nam The TPD began as a non-profit organization but
changed its status to a joint stock company in
2013 to be able to engage in income-generating
Joint-stock company (2002) activities. It considered becoming a social
enterprise but did not see any tangible financial
The Centre for Assistance and Development
benefits for doing so.
of Movie Talents (TPD) was established in 2002
under the sponsorship of the Viet Nam Cinema The organization generates income through
Association (VCA), with the dual purpose of providing training courses and producing
supporting young talents in the film industry commercial videos, and receives individual and
(via an incubator programme) and developing institutional donations.
the skills of the public though media.
Between 2002 and 2009, TPD received seed
Apart from providing training courses funding from the Ford Foundation. Its initial
(between seventy and eighty classes per initiatives included the setting up of the first
year) in filmmaking, professional acting film library in Viet Nam, organizing training
and screenwriting, TPD also runs an annual workshops with renowned film directors and
programme to support the production of managing the ‘Ten months - ten films’ project,
which supported ten young talents from across
feature-length and documentary films, and
the country to make short films. Another key
implements small projects to assist professional
international partnership was with the British
and semi-professional filmmakers.
Council.

After seventeen years of operations, TPD has TPD’s activities that do not generate any income
managed to build a community of 3000 alumni depend on external funding. The organization
who have produced between 700 and 800 short prioritizes its funding toward films with a social
films and documentary films on current topics, impact and seeks to develop a film community
such as gender-based violence, climate change based on a new generation of people in Viet
and LGBT issues. Nam, who understand film aesthetics and can
also become film critics.
TPD has made an effort to develop its audience
across the country. As a result, the number of While receiving strong support from the Viet
people attending screenings is growing. Public Nam Cinema Association, the TPD manages
events are organized regularly; up to five times itself independently and operates like a non-
profit organization, pouring revenues back into
per week.
the community. While it faces tough challenges,
it intends to continue working under the present
Team
business model and financial structure.
Founder: Bui Thac Chuyen (film director).
A team of eight people (full-time and part-
time staff).

34
 Operating costs
TPD has its own space, provided as in-kind
support by the Viet Nam Cinema Association.
The space has three classrooms, a film library
with public access, a film studio and an office.

Expenses for human resources and utilities: USD

3,000 per month

The centre re-invests Business income tax: 20 per cent of profits

a high percentage VAT: 10 per cent of fees for projects and services.

of its revenues All public screenings are subject to permits and

toward non-for-profit
monitoring. The licensing cost for screening is
USD 70 per film.

community projects.
After seventeen
years, it has become
one of the most
successful creative
business models in
Viet Nam.

35
 ADVOCACY &
HUMAN RIGHTS

Arts projects in South-East Asia frequently

address human rights concerns, highlighting
sensitive topics in creative ways. Artists and
creative communities in the region often
promote human rights issues, ranging from
women’s rights and LGBTQ rights, to freedom
of speech and disability rights, with funding
support from local and national institutions,
individuals and international bodies (e.g.
cultural agencies, foreign embassies and
foundations).

36
SIRKAM, Women’s Creative Circulation
Indonesia

Myanmar Deitta
Myanmar

Pineapple Lab
The Philippines

Prakerti Collective Intelligence

Indonesia

Mayarith
Thailand

37
 SIRKAM
Women’s
Creative Circulation
Indonesia
Unregistered collective (2018) Financing structure

Sirkulasi Kreasi Perempuan (SIRKAM), the SIRKAM received initial funding from a
Women’s Creative Circulation, is a hub space cultural grant called Cipta Media Ekspresi,
that serves as a forum for women in the fields which supports the engagement of women in
of art and literature. It is a community group the fields of arts and culture, and which is in
dedicated to empowering creative women turn funded by the Ford Foundation, and was
and it is a platform to showcase their voices established in collaboration with Wikimedia
and aspirations as well as to facilitate the Indonesia. The organization intends to
sustain itself after the grant expires through
development of new ideas and discourses.
a membership scheme. The organization
SIRKAM operates based on the principles of
generates some income by organizing classes
togetherness, equality and collectivism.
and craft workshops and also by selling
creative products at exhibitions and markets.
Inspired by women in the Indonesian arts and
culture and their activism, SIRKAM was founded In 2020, in response to the limitations on their
in September 2018 by Citra Hasan with a mission activities imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic,
to empower women through intellectual and SIRKAM launched a crowdfunding campaign
artistic works. The organization publishes zines, to raise money for their rental costs and to
holds exhibitions and convenes public forums. keep their organization afloat. SIRKAM is
currently not registered as a legal entity due
to lack of sufficient funds for the registration
Team process.

One founder (Citra Hasan). Despite limited resources, SIRKAM is gaining

One treasurer.
traction and local support as it provides a
Fourteen staff members in eight programme
divisions. service that is lacking, because there are not
many art and cultural events in the city of
Medan.

Rent and utilities represent the largest

proportion of SIRKAM’s expenses, aside from
project development and implementation
costs. Staff members are not compensated
and have other jobs to support themselves.
The survival of the organization rests
heavily on the dedication and passion of the
participating members.

38
Citra Hasan
Founder

Could you provide an update on the current

business situation (including issues related to
COVID-19)?

In this era of the COVID-19 pandemic, everything

is falling apart; the horror of COVID-19 has ruined
the economic situation. Declining purchasing
power and the economic recession have made
our business weaker. As a public space, we rely on
the crowds, but these are restricted everywhere.
The valuable lesson we gained from this is
innovation. We keep learning new strategies,
brainstorming, and we keep trying new things.

What are your plans/projects moving ahead?

Our plan in the future is that we will be more

focused on documenting our thoughts through
strategic media such as blogs, podcasts and
videos. We will also continue to run our business
to achieve independence for us and the
community.

39
 Myanmar
Deitta
Myanmar
Non-profit organization / Association Financing structure
(2013)
Myanmar Deitta receives project funding from
Myanmar Deitta is a Yangon-based not-for-profit partners and clients working collaboratively
organization (registered as an association) on social issues such as women’s rights
committed to developing tangible resources and issues related to the mining industry.
for documentary photography, filmmaking At present, programmes about women
in photography represent half of the
and multimedia production in Myanmar. It was
organization’s activities and funding, and
created in response to a lack of local institutions
pay for half of the organization’s overhead
and support infrastructure in these fields. The
expenses.
organization provides resources and support for
photographers and filmmakers working in the The organization also generates some
journalism, advocacy and social-documentary revenue through sales and services (e.g.
fields. photojournalism services and documentary
filmmaking services). Myanmar Deitta has
Since its inception, Myanmar Deitta has plans to grow its educational services and
facilitated more than fifty exhibitions of local become a photography school with related
and international photography as well as exhibitions and projects.
film screenings, press conferences, panel
discussions, workshops and artist talks. Given a lack of government support for the
Programmes have covered a broad range of arts and media in Myanmar, a key challenge
topics, including domestic land rights and is to secure sufficient ongoing operational
funding.
resource extraction, religious conflict, wildlife
preservation, global statelessness, LGBTQI
The organization rents a ground-floor space
rights and women’s rights.
in downtown Yangon for USD 1,000 per
month. Other expenses include electricity
In 2019, the organization moved into a larger
and salaries. Licenses and permits have to be
space, comprising a gallery, library and
requested for exhibitions but they are free.
workspace, in downtown Yangon. This space
will enable it to host exhibitions, events and
educational programmes for various entities,
including embassies, non-governmental
organizations, educational institutions and
organizations in the arts sector.

Team

One director.
Three core staff members who have multiple
roles, including administrative work, training
and project management.

40
Matt Grace
Director of Operations

Could you provide an update on the current

business situation (including issues related to
COVID-19)?

Our current situation is entirely dependent on

the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. As
restrictions spread throughout Asia in March
2020, we were forced to suspend all of our
activities. We are redesigning the curriculum to
be taught as an online programme. We are able
to develop other projects, which do not involve
person-to-person contact (currently running
online exhibitions, as well as developing a new
publication which will be released once printing
is possible), but the primary reason for Myanmar
Deitta’s existence is to provide physical resources
and a community space, so the longer that this
situation continues, the more we are having to
seriously reconsider our position and long-term
plans.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Empowerment. Our most successful initiatives

have been those on which we are able to
collaborate with and support existing groups,
and enable them to develop and expand in their
own way. The initiative we are implementing
with Thuma Collective has been one such
collaboration. By making connections and
providing the collective with physical resources,
Thuma Collective has been empowered to lead its
own projects and develop its own works without
financial or logistical restrictions, and it has seen
extremely rewarding results.
41
 Pineapple Financing structure
Lab Pineapple Lab is the art space of the company

The Philippines formally registered as Fringe Cultural and

Creative Industries, Inc. (FCCI), which has
operated as a private company since 2018. It
has not yet succeeded in registering as a non-
Private company (2015)
profit organization.
Pineapple Lab is a platform for emerging artists
Pineapple Lab has an annual budget of
and groups identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
between USD 50,000 and USD 100,000 per
Transsexual, Queer, Intersex and/or Asexual
year. A key source of funding is commissions.
(LGBTQIA). Accordingly, the Pineapple Lab caters The organization has been commissioned by
for underrepresented artists, collectives and a variety of organizations, including the local
communities and showcases their work. Such city government and cultural agencies, such as
opportunities are quite rare in the Philippines the British Council and the Japan Foundation.
because these artists and groups lack the social The organization has also participated in
capital required to get showcased by larger government schemes, which have augmented
exhibits and art spaces. revenues, but the lengthy reimbursement
process linked to such schemes has been a
Pineapple Lab aims to provide a safe space constraint for the participating artists.
for artists from an underrepresented and
sometimes oppressed sector. It also serves as a Ticket sales from performances and the use
of the black box stage, are a primary source
platform for non-Western forms of art and as a
of income. Another source of income is the
springboard for artists who are just starting their
profits from the bar located in the artspace.
careers.
Pineapple Lab also earns an income from
retail and entrepreneurship activities,
A multidisciplinary space for exhibitions, specifically through partnerships with Hollow
performances and stage productions by Block and Glorious Dias (Filipino vintage
LGBTQIA emerging artists, Pineapple Lab is clothing labels, including some made with
located in the cultural centre of Poblacion in Pineapple fibre, piña jusi; indigenous textiles;
Metro Manila, where it is strategically placed to poetry books). Pineapple Lab typically takes
cater to a diverse socio-economic clientele and a 20 per cent commission on artist’s sales. For
audience. each performance, fees based on a percentage
of the overall profits are negotiated with the
performers.
Team
The organization reported a deficit in
Multiple volunteers and part-time basis staff. 2018, which is to be expected for a newly-
Five board members. incorporated company. Pineapple Lab is
Nine full-time paid members (programme aware that it will need a stronger strategic
management, community liaison, admin, plan and more sound financial structure in
graphic design, security and maintenance). the future. To ensure a stronger demand
for this type of art performance, it will be
Employees work on a rotational basis necessary to raise local audience awareness
depending on schedules and programming. and appreciation of the organization’s work.

42
Operating costs
Around a half of the organization’s running
costs are human resources expenses
(for nine full-time staff members), while
around a third of the costs are for project
expenses and the rental of office space.
Other costs include utilities, equipment
rental, maintenance costs, taxes, marketing,
outreach, telecommunications, licenses and
miscellaneous costs such as travel expenses.
Pineapple Lab pays around USD 1,200 per
month to rent its space, which is a relatively
competitive price point in a highly-gentrified
section of Poblacion.

“To sustain our

business, we don’t
earn from the arts
necessarily. We earn
from other things.
What we need is a more
developed strategy
because we’re so spread
out. Sometimes we’re
so stretched in terms
of wanting to be more
sustainable. Where,
for example, there will
only be one person …
dedicated to donations,
to sponsorships.
Because it’s really hard.”

Andrei Pamintuan, Creative Director

43
 Mayarith
Thailand
Private company (2015) Financing structure

Mayarith, a children’s theatre, was set-up in Income earned by Mayarith comes mainly
2015. It is the first children’s theatre in Thailand, from ticket sales (USD 65,000 per year), but
and seeks to maximize the potential of creative the organization also receives support from
practices. It is part of an organization called donors and partnerships.
Maya, which began in 1981 and evolved from
The Mayarith theatre benefits from the long
being an informal group without any funding
development history of Maya, its parent
into a travelling theatre, offering shows at
organization, which initially received funding
affordable prices.
from the Canadian government to establish a
travelling theatre that focuses on performing
The Mayarith theatre focuses on building a
arts for and with youth, teacher training and
process for self-empowerment by encouraging
instructional media development. Through its
children to think differently, express themselves,
activities, the group received more attention
take action and be confident. Every production
from the media, which led to television
encourages interaction between children appearances, public speaking opportunities
through performances, spatial arrangements and commissions for training sessions. Other
and decision-making. The group devised sources of international funding include
a strategy around the concept of theatre support from the Japan Foundation and the
for awareness-raising and community Bernard van Leer Foundation, which provided
development (children’s groups that include funding for ten years, between 1997 and 2007.
marginalized children who live along the borders  
or in camps, and disabled children). Rajabhat University supported an initiative by
the organization to develop a Mobile Training
Mayarith implements three or four projects per Unit Department. This led to the development
year, with each comprising thirty-two shows of a curriculum focusing on participatory
or performances. A key goal for Mayarith in learning and associated teaching materials
the future is to create a national agenda that (e.g. shadow puppets), which in turn led to
supports children’s empowerment in Thailand the training of thousands of educators who
in line with the Convention on the Rights of the were part of the Rajabhat University network
Child. across Thailand.
 
Team The organization partnered with the
Thai Ministry of Education on policy
Director: Somsak Kunha. development and the Thai Health Promotion
Volunteers, including: a producer, Foundation which have supported as strategic
director/scriptwriter, production designer, partners and not financial partners.
performers, make-up artists, lighting  
designer, sound engineer. In the absence of a long-term strategy, Mayarith
Students and young performers have theatre relies on voluntary contributions,
volunteered along with friends of the friends and supporting networks, as well as
organization. word of mouth. Over the years, the audience
base has grown and become more diverse.
44
The income from ticket sales covers the
rent, production costs and electricity. Staff
members are paid when there is project
funding, otherwise they work on a voluntary
basis and most of them also have other jobs.
Each of Mayarith’s projects (three or four per
year) costs between USD 25,000 and USD
40,000. In June 2020, the organization was
given a piece of land on Sukhumvit Road,
Bangkok, on which to build a theatre. Funds
are being raised to build the structure.

The Mayarith theatre

focuses on building
a process for self-
empowerment by
encouraging children
to think differently,
express themselves,
take action and be
confident.

45
 CREATIVE EXPERIMENTS

Cross-disciplinary and experimental

approaches are gaining momentum in
the Asia-Pacific region. Legally, however,
the possibilities are limited because
social enterprises are not always formally
recognized and non-profit status can
be difficult to obtain. In such a context,
registering as a private company or not
registering at all are common choices.
While such organizations do not benefit
from tax exemptions, in some cases they
are able to generate income to finance
their operations and activities.

46
 SAtheCollective
Singapore

Phare Performing Social Enterprise

Cambodia

Five Arts Centre

Malaysia

Prakerti Collective Intelligence

Indonesia

Serrum Studio
Indonesia

Heritage Space
Viet Nam

47
 SAtheCollective Financing structure

Singapore Between 2016 and 2019, SAtheCollective was

a recipient of the National Arts Council (NAC)
Seed Grant, which was meant to cover half of
their operation costs. The organization is also
Public company / NPO (2011) a recipient of the ‘Major Company Grant’, for
the period from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2022.
SAtheCollective is a cross-cultural, cross-
disciplinary performing arts company that
The organization also receives funding from
looks at the relationships between humankind, various activities. The largest source of
nature and technology in its work and the income is from clients such as the National
bridging of different cultures. First formed as Heritage Board and the National Museum. It
SA the musical trio, in 2016 they established also occasionally receives funding through
SAtheCollective as a multidisciplinary company. its work under the NAC Arts Education
They are based in Singapore but also work Programme (AEP)
internationally, and their music comprises a mix
of ethnic instruments and electronica, defined Its live shows do not see significant returns.
by experimentation. Although the organization’s music can be
found on music streaming platforms such as
The main activities of the organization are live Spotify and Bandcamp, income from this is
negligible. While it may not yet be turning a
and recorded performances and an education
profit, it is not making a financial loss through
initiative, ‘Little Creatures’, which seeks to create
their various activities.
quality art experiences for young audiences. It
works through commissions and partnerships
Given the need for funding, a major focus of
with institutions such as the National Gallery the organization is on business development
Singapore and the Artground, a multidisciplinary and donor cultivation. However, as an
art centre for young children. independent outfit that lacks the prestige
of the big national companies in Singapore
Their board members include the head of the such as the Singapore Chinese Orchestra
School of Contemporary Music at LASALLE and or the Singapore Repertory Theatre, the
an associate professor of music education at the organization struggles to find patrons. It
National Institute of Education. has been exploring campaigns on giving.sg,
a one-stop philanthropic portal managed
by Singapore’s National Volunteer and
Team Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) and also the
possibility of a fund-raising event. In 2019,
Two co-directors (Natalie Tse and Andy Chia) the organization considered investing more
working full-time for the company.
resources to improve its visibility through
Part-time production assistant and designer.
public relations, branding and marketing, to
A pool of artists called ‘associate artists’.
help it identify the right patrons.

Audience awareness and appreciation for the

arts remains a challenge in Singapore. This
aspect is tied to the long-term sustainability
of their operation but also to the overall local
arts environment.

48
 Andy Chia
Artistic Director

Operating costs
In 2018, the organization successfully
achieved the status of a registered charity and
became fully tax-exempt. Their rent is SGD
1,053 per month. This, together with utilities,
staff salaries and other expenses, brings their
monthly expenses to between SGD 14,000 and Could you provide an update on the current
SDG 15,000 per month (between USD 10,000
business situation (including issues related to
and USD 11,000).
COVID-19)?

The organization puts on at least one major

The COVID-19 situation is unprecedented, and the
production a year and these can be large
multidisciplinary shows with budgets that art scene as a whole has taken quite a hit. But I do
can run as high as SGD 80,000 (approximately also feel that it has opened up new opportunities
USD 58,000). for us to create works a little bit differently, such
as digital media and films, for example. And our
In addition to a company manager, the government has really been supportive of this
organization has a part-time production and has been subsidizing and commissioning
assistant-cum-designer who receives a works.
monthly honorarium and an additional
payment for projects, and an in-house studio What is one word that describes a successful
manager/sound engineer, who receives achievement or lesson related to the
‘intern pay’ as well as additional payment management of your organization?
for projects. Due to its limited resources, the
organization is unable to pay a competitive
Bonds. The bonds of family, the bonds of
wage; the salary it offers is SGD 2,500 per
friendship, the bonds between employer and
month (approximately USD 1,800), which is
employee, bonds between artists. I think that’s
considered low by Singapore standards. This
low salary requires the staff to supplement a very important thing that we have seen during
their income through engaging in other jobs. this COVID situation.

What are your plans/projects moving ahead?

Moving forward, our plans are to release a dance

film with a couple of collaborators for this year’s
Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA)
in December 2020, and we will be releasing
our upcoming album in 2021. We will also be
digitizing some our works, so do look out for our
works on our social media sites and website.

49
 Phare Financing structure
Performing
Social Enterprise
Cambodia does not have the legal framework
required to register as a social enterprise,

Cambodia
so the PPSE is registered as a company.
It is owned by the Phare Ponleu Selpak
Association, and is funded by a loan from
the social impact investor Grameen Credit
LLC / Social enterprise (2012) Agricole Microfinance Foundation and by
private investors. The PPSE has a share in
Based in Siem Reap, the Phare Performing the Phare Cambodia Landholding company
Social Enterprise (PPSE) creates employment (49 per cent is owned by the PPSE and 51 per
opportunities for artists in Cambodia, mostly cent is owned by private individuals who are
friends of the PPSE).
in the performing arts (theatre, circus) sector
and to a smaller extent in the graphic design
It generates income through ticket sales
and animation sector. One of PPSE’s main
(75 per cent of income), mainly for a tourist
activities is to offer career development grants
audience, and from retail sales from the Phare
and creation grants for artists to develop new boutique (24 per cent of income). It also gives
works. The organization’s main artistic activities performances and offers graphic design and
are daily circus performances in Siem Reap. Its animation services to generate additional
artists have also toured overseas. income.

The main goal of the PPSE is to financially

sustain the Phare Ponleu Selpak Association Operating costs
(‘The Brightness of the Arts’), an organization
Like other organizations in Cambodia, PPSE
based in Battambang that provides young
spends a large portion of its budget on taxes
Cambodians from disadvantaged backgrounds
and licences, including VAT, service tax, profit
with the opportunity to receive arts education.
tax and signage tax, and an operational license.
Furthermore, the PPSE aims to revitalize the Due to its limited financial resources, it can
arts within Cambodia and elevate Cambodia’s only offer low wages and therefore struggles
profile internationally as ‘the Kingdom of to retain qualified staff members. Thanks
Culture’. to a good relationship with its landlord, the
organization benefits from a low rent of only
USD 280 per month.
Team

Seventy full-time staff.

Ten part-time staff.
Forty artists hired on a project basis.
Several directors (finance, marketing, human
resources, operations).

50
Huot Dara
Chief Executive

Could you provide an update on the current

business situation (including issues related to
COVID-19)?

The COVID-19 crisis has caused strong hardship

at Phare, the Cambodian circus, because of the
absence of international tourism. Phare cannot
perform overseas either and we had to suspend
all performances for many months. We have used
this downtime to develop capacity and creativity,
and have produced a new performance with all
of our energy. In August 2020, we relaunched
our shows, to be performed twice a week, and
have revamped our programme by adapting it
to local audiences. We want to make our venue
attractive for locals and have added pre-show
entertainment targeting both children and adults.
For each show, we comply with the Cambodian
government’s standard operational procedures to
ensure public health and safety.

51
 Five
Arts Financing structure

Centre The Five Arts Centre is registered as a private

Malaysia
company (Sendirian Berhad), but is operated
as a collective.

One of the biggest enablers for the growth and

Private entity (1984) sustainability of the FAC has been the support
from Malaysian satellite television and radio
Founded in 1984 as a collective, the Five Arts operator, Astro. In 1998, the relationship
Centre (FAC) is an arts company with five between Astro and the FAC enabled the
areas of focus: theatre, dance, visual arts, organization to rent a two-storey terrace
creative writing and a space for exploration shophouse in the neigbourhood of TTDI as a
studio and office. The corporate philanthropy
and experimentation (for ‘whatever they want
funding from Astro, which lasted over twenty
to do’).
years, is now phasing out and the organization
has to start thinking about its financial future.
The FAC is a dynamic collective of Malaysian
artists and producers, dedicated to alternative The FAC has worked with multiple donors
art forms and images in the contemporary including government, government-related
arts landscape. It is well-known for cutting- and private. One government grant the
edge performances in theatre, dance, music organization benefited from was the Creative
and theatre, and incorporates aspects of the Industries Development Fund, in the mentor-
visual and digital arts. The centre is committed mentee, apprenticeship and new writing
to articulating the complexity of Malaysian programme. It has also received support from
culture and identity. It has been instrumental Cendana, the Creative Economy Development
in the growth of a Malaysian identity in the Unit, which became quite substantial in 2020.
arts, which draws from multiple influences
and hybrid histories. Other sources of income include ticket sales
from productions, rental of their studio/black
box and revenue from sponsorships, though
The FAC’s work is driven by members’
none of them are particularly lucrative.
interests and by art. The members talk about
If a significant amount of profit is made,
their work as a very organic process and the
producers are encouraged to reinvest 10 per
impulse, it is emphasized, is always artistic. cent into the company, after making sure that
The FAC runs projects and productions driven all artists are decently compensated.
by the fourteen members’ interests and there
is no fixed number of productions each year.

Team

Fourteen members.
It is a flat structure, without hierarchy, but
has two executive directors.
Full-time staff members receive a monthly
salary and project collaborators are paid on a
project basis.

52
Operating costs
Operational costs are between USD 28,000
and USD 36,000. This amount excludes project
costs. Human resources, utilities and rent
are the largest expenses. The government
imposes licenses and fees, including a
USD 2,400 deposit for any event with local
performers and a USD 7,300 deposit for a
show with international artists.

Production budgets are determined based

on consideration of various factors, including
available funds. If sufficient funding is not

“I don’t even know

secured, the FACs make a projection of 50
per cent of tickets sales, weighed against the
minimum income needed to make an event
happen. how FAC survived
over these thirty-five
years, in this climate
with a lack of arts
policies... We’ve just
managed to do it
and exist. We have
churned out work
against all odds – or
maybe because of
the odds.”
June Tan, FAC Producer

53
 Prakerti Financing structure

Collective It was initiated with a personal investment by

Intelligence
the founder of about 60 million Indonesian
rupiahs (approximately USD 4,300) and does

Indonesia
not receive any donations from external
bodies.

Prakerti Collective Intelligence registered as

LLC (2019) a limited liability company in 2020. With this
status it is able to apply for commissions from
Prakerti Collective Intelligence works the government and educational institutions.
to trigger social transformations via It sustains itself through income generated
intellectual means. It was initiated in 2019 from offering services and implementing
as a research consulting firm that produces projects developed in collaboration with
various individuals and institutions.
reviews of academic journals to support
network researchers as well as curatorial
Most of the organization’s projects rely on
projects and research in the arts and
a network of clients and acquaintances. As
culture. Prakerti Collective Intelligence
demand for the kind of research services
trains ‘literati’ to produce ‘literati products’ offered by the organization is marginal,
for researchers, students, writers, artists, greater public awareness of the value of
organizations and research groups. research work in Indonesia is needed.

Operating costs
Prakerti’s annual operating costs are
approximately IDR 70 million (excluding
worker’s salaries, which vary depending on
the volume of activities).

Rent constitutes the largest portion of their

expenses as it is more than half of their annual
budget at IDR 55 million. Other spending is
tied to the payment of workers, which varies
according to each project or task performed.
The organization has a business model with
Team an unconventional compensation scheme.
Workers earn a kind of ‘currency’ called
A working group of fifteen (academics, KAP (co-remuneration of contribution for
researchers, artists, designers with various production activities) - based on a labour value
backgrounds). chain concept that returns surplus value
Three full-time staff. to all labour democratically. This reflects
Several part-time staff who earn an income from their model of co-ownership. This system
of apprenticeship works across different
other jobs.
skills set and the shared responsibility over
The organization has adopted a non-
management roles. The experimental model
hierarchical, collective collegial decision-making
is still being tested but it is hoping to sustain
system that is akin to cooperative management.
itself through commissioned works.

54
Serrum a publications manager and an overseas

Studio
coordination manager.
Two accountants, one office clerk and a driver.

Indonesia Financing structure

Serrum draws on several sources of funding,

LLC (2006) including a grant from the Ford Foundation’s
Building Institutions and Networks (BUILD)
Serrum defines itself as an ‘art handler expert’.
programme and revenue generated from
It uses an artistic and educational approach works (e.g. murals, art event handling and
to address socio-political and urban issues. large-scale artworks) commissioned by
Its activities include art projects, exhibitions, corporate clients, hotels, the government and
workshops, discussions and creative non-governmental organizations.
promotional materials using video, murals,
graphic, comic and installation art. With its strong capacity for implementing
profit-generating arts activities, Serrum is not
The name Serrum is derived from the sound of dependent on grants and can therefore keep
the English words ‘share room’, referring to the a degree of financial autonomy. Its successful
notion of sharing as space, life and a means to business structure allows the collective to
create and produce. continue working on numerous non-profit
initiatives related to educational and social
endeavours, including the Gudskul education
The collective was founded as a limited liability
project.
company in 2006 by a group of fine arts students
from Jakarta State University and evolved
into a dynamic creative enterprise working Operating costs
on commissioned projects and for social
change. The organization is investigating new Serrum spends around IDR 400 million
possibilities in the conservation, restoration and (approximately USD 28,000) per year. Its
preservation of artworks, in collaboration with operational costs per month are around IDR
25 million. Costs include the operational
museums in Indonesia.
expenses of the institution, members’ health
insurance, as well as the salaries of the
organization’s two accountants, office clerk
and driver.

Serrum’s board of management, including

the chairman, treasurer, secretary and
director, are not paid a regular salary. The
management team and organization members
are paid only by commissioned projects, such
as the art handling work and murals. From
such projects, the nine members of Serrum
receive around IDR 4 million per month.
Other costs include training in finance and
Team accounting for members and non-commercial
public programmes, including Gudskul.
Seven founding members including: a business
coordinator, two programme managers, a
financial manager, an administrative officer, 55
 Heritage Team

Space Team 1: One CEO, one programme manager

Viet Nam
and one administrator.
Team 2: Part-time staff, including four
programme development officers
(music performances, film, art talks
Social enterprise (2014) and art practices), one accountant, one
communication officer, one fundraiser and
Heritage Space was founded at the end of 2014
two technicians.
by Nguyen Thi Hong Minh, with consultation
Team 3: Volunteers.
from artist Tran Trong Vu. The organization’s
goal is to become a high-quality art hub for
creative practitioners and the general public,
Financing structure
with a mission to support and promote an
interdisciplinary approach to contemporary Heritage Space has been successful in gaining
art in Viet Nam, as well as to facilitate funding from international organizations,
stronger connections between Viet Nam and including the British Council, Goethe
contemporary art across South-East Asia and Institute, the Embassy of Denmark, the
the world. Japan Foundation and the Korea Foundation.
This support has enabled the organization
Its major activities include the production to implement large-scale projects, such as
of art exhibitions and the facilitation of its signature Month of Art Practice, which
multidisciplinary activities for creative facilitates art residencies in Hanoi.
practitioners from various fields, including
While most of the organization’s activities
music, theatre, architecture, cinematography,
are free of charge, Heritage Space does
photography, performance art and experimental
earn some income from ticket sales at small
art.
events such as musical performances and
training workshops. Three events of this type
Most activities are free of charge to the public. are organized each month, on average. This
This is part of the organization’s vision to income covers performers’ fees, utility costs,
support contemporary art in Viet Nam through service costs and human resources.
audience development.

Since registration as a non-profit is not possible Operating costs

in Viet Nam, Heritage Space initially registered
Heritage Space pays USD 260 per month for a
as a private enterprise. But in 2019 it changed
shared rental space and spends around USD
its status to become a social enterprise. All of its 1,600 monthly, on average, on staff salaries
profits are re-invested into projects with social and utility costs. The organization pays taxes,
benefits. including business income tax and VAT.

Due to limited funding, staff wages are quite

low and most employees have other jobs in
order to sustain themselves. Despite the low
compensation, there is a high level of interest
in working for the organization, from people
who seek to acquire experience in the arts.

56
Nguyen Anh Tuan
Artistic Director

Could you provide an update on the current

business situation (including issues related to
COVID-19)?

When COVID-19 came to Viet Nam in the

beginning of March 2020, we had to close our
office and library for nearly two months. Our
annual plan suffered, as we had to postpone
some important activities: meetings with partners
and sponsors, and a fundraising campaign. It was
impossible to start our new monthly programmes
until September, including the launch of the new
format of our library programme, the art history
courses, the art tours for experts and students,
etc.

In the autumn of 2020, the COVID-19 situation

was improving in Hanoi, and we began slowly
restarting our annual plan. We’re running two big
projects. One is ‘Month of Arts Practice’ (MAP):
our annual project aiming to create a platform
for artistic exchange between Vietnamese and
international artists / curators (this project is
an online version in 2020); the other project is
the Viet Nam Art Archive: an online archive for
contemporary arts in Viet Nam.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Flexible. We think this is an essential survival skill

and strategy for an independent art space like
ours. ‘Flexible’ means that the organization is able
to change its programmes, structure and team in
order to survive and keep to its orientation and
mission.
57
 HERITAGE & ARCHIVES

Heritage preservation and archiving

require considerable resources to
remain sustainable and relevant for
younger generations. From government-
funded programmes to self-financed
archives and privately sponsored spaces,
examples from the region show that the
process of safeguarding culture is not
necessarily led by governmental bodies
but can be initiated by informal groups
of passionate individuals.

58
 Film Indonesia
Indonesia

Khao Niew Theatre Company

Lao PDR

Siong Leng Musical Assocation

Singapore

Penang House of Music

Malaysia

59
 Film Indonesia
Indonesia
Unregistered entity (2007) Financing structure

film indonesia (FI) works to compile film industry The main challenge for FI is to find long-term
data and to maintain the Indonesian film funding to properly compensate its members
industry database. The initiative emphasizes for their efforts and ensure sustainability. FI
the importance of maintaining a functional is hesitant to get involved in a government
support scheme because of the unstable
database and archives of Indonesian film.
nature of public funding. The organization
The organization began in 2007 through the
has found various ways to generate income.
network of J.B. Kristanto, a senior film journalist
After collecting data weekly for five years,
who pioneered the idea of an Indonesian film
the organization members realized that the
catalogue. data could be monetized. The organization
also generates income by providing data
Over time, the organization gained the trust of presentations to industry stakeholders. The
industry players, who now entrust their data to forum is supported by grants from Bekraf (the
FI. The group collects data on a weekly basis, national agency for creative economy).
door to door, from commercial cinemas and
production houses. FI also consolidates data As of 2020, FI was not registered as a legal
from existing film encyclopedia created by S. M. entity but was considering registration as
Ardan, a filmmaker and archivist. a civil association in order to access more
funding opportunities.
FI also produces editorial data analysis and
proposes film data related programmes to
Operating costs
the government. It also runs an ongoing film
industry forum. FI presents digital data and FI’s largest expenses are related to
information about Indonesian films through maintaining its database. FI pays a third-
their website FilmIndonesia.or.id. The database party cost for a domain and web server
is available both in Indonesian and English. infrastructure. Running the website costs
between IDR 18 million and IDR 20 million
per year. Another major expense is labour.
Team FI does not pay monthly salaries to its staff
and compensates them by evenly sharing
One founder and four partners including an any available income. This arrangement is
IT manager, programme manager, editorial
possible because its workers have other jobs
team and a data and administration officer.
Volunteers. to support themselves.

60
Khao Niew Team

Theatre One founder.

Two family members carry out tasks related

Company
to finance and administration.
Volunteers.

Lao PDR
Financing structure

LLC (2008) Khao Niew’s core programmes depend

heavily on support and sponsorship from
The Khao Niew Theatre Company is the overseas agencies and it implements projects
only contemporary theatre company in Lao commissioned by international organizations.
PDR. Created in 2008, the private, family-run It generates additional income through the
company produces theatre performances, sales of puppets. While it receives some income
creates puppet-based performances and adapts through ticket sales for performances, this is
insufficient to sustain the organization.
traditional plays. The company also conducts
theatre workshops for youth groups around
the country in collaboration with development Operating costs
projects and international organizations.
Additionally, it manages a retail business that The organization does not have any full-time
sells handmade puppets to foreign markets. employees because it operates on a project
basis and does not have a regular cash flow
Khao Niew seeks to preserve unique traditional (and therefore cannot pay regular salaries).
theatre forms by combining them with Nevertheless, in the last ten years, Khao Niew
has seen a positive evolution in the professional
contemporary elements and international
capacity of its staff. Over time, it has become
cultures, while using recycled items, to generate
able to manage bigger and more complex
a renewed interest in local culture among the
productions.
younger generation. A key challenge facing
the organization is that the local audience in Khao Niew has its own rehearsal space and
Lao PDR is used to free events and people are produces its puppets at the family house, so
generally reluctant to pay for a show. does not pay rent. The only regular running
costs of Khao Niew are water and electricity
It is a limited liability company registered with bills which are under USD 100 per month. All
the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other expenses are related to the projects the
the Department of Culture, Information and organization implements.
Tourism.
Project budgets vary greatly, ranging from USD
500 to USD 50,000. Likewise, project lengths
vary enormously, ranging from two weeks
and eighteen months. The bulk of the costs of
projects are: remuneration of the team, venue
rental and lighting and sound equipment.

61
 Siong Leng
Musical A family organization, in operation for three

Association
generations, Siong Leng operates out of a
building it owns in the Chinatown heritage

Singapore
district of Singapore. In 1987, their founder
and chairperson, the late Teng Mah Seng, was
awarded the Cultural Medallion, Singapore’s
highest honour for an arts and culture
Society / Charity (1941) practitioner. The current chairperson is the
son of the founder. The general manager and
The Siong Leng Musical Association was
the head of programmes are the sons of the
founded in 1941 as a society. One of the oldest
executive director.
arts organizations in Singapore, it practices
Nanyin, the ‘music of the south’, a UNESCO-
recognized ancient Chinese art form from Team
Fujian, China. Siong Leng’s mission is to
preserve, promote, protect and develop the art Eight full-time staff including: an executive
form in Singapore and to engage with audiences director and arts manager, a general manager
through performances, education and outreach and an artistic director.
programmes. Three cross-functional teams: administrative,
artistic and projects.
Siong Leng organizes at least one major
production a year, sometimes two. Described
Financing structure
as a ‘multisensory banquet experience’, this
production takes place between August and Siong Leng has been a recipient of the National
October to celebrate the birthday of Lang Jun, Arts Councils (NAC) Major grant since 2016 and
a god of music. An event with high production entered its latest three-year cycle in 2019. The
values, until 2019 tickets were usually priced at association has a tiered membership and donor
around SGD 100 (approximately USD 75). The programme. The scheme seeks to nurture
organization subsequently embarked on a new donor relationships and grow a wider network
venture with the prices of the tickets ranging of friends for the future. The association also
from SGD 300 to SGD 10,000. This significant leases units in its heritage building to generate
increase in ticket prices was less to do with additional income (SGD 17,000 per month). This
increasing the organization’s income and income is used to cover operating costs.
more to do with a repositioning of its brand. In
addition to its annual major production, Siong
Operating costs
Leng is commissioned to organize performances
around four to five times a year. Siong Leng owns its own building and
therefore does not have any rental expenses.
The organization does not charge for the With its non-profit organization and charity
lessons it provides to individual students. The status, it also benefits from tax exemption. All
free lessons are part of its mission to cultivate a team members are paid but their salaries are
new generation of Nanyin practitioners. It also lower than average because of the non-profit
provides workshops and classes for schools free status and limited resources.
of charge.

62
Lim Ming Yi
Education & Outreach Manager / Artist

Could you provide an update on the current

business situation (including issues related to
COVID-19)?

Due to the COVID-19 situation, we have had to

postpone or cancel shows in 2020. In order to
engage our audience and interact with them, we
have been posting some of our past performances
and videos on Facebook and YouTube. We
have also been lucky to get the support of the
government during this difficult time. We’ve
actually received a few grants, which allowed us
to make new works such as music videos.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Family. We work in a small organization so when

we have meetings or discussions we are very
open to everybody’s inputs and ideas. We are
respectful towards what they think would work
or would not work and we accept each other’s
differences.

What are your plans/projects moving ahead?

For now, we really miss performing live and

interacting with our audiences. But this situation
has made us take a step back and reflect on how
we have been promoting our art form. Technology
has been present in our lives but we did not really
use it to its fullest potential, so moving forward
we will be incorporating technology to better
promote our art form.

63
 Penang
House of Music
Malaysia
Project under a private company Team
(2016)
One director.
The Penang House of Music (PHM) evolved Three full-time staff, three part-time staff and
from a project launched by Paul Augustin and interns.
James Lochhead, from their personal archives
of popular music. The project that the two
Financing structure
men implemented sought to document the
diverse culture and music traditions of Penang’s The initial funding was MYR 3 million
local community. This led to exhibitions at the (approximately USD 721,500) for three years.
Penang State Museum in 2010 and 2013, and the This included MYR 2 million for the set-up
publication of a well-received book, Just for the costs and the first year of operations, and MYR
Love of It: Popular Music in Penang, 1930s-1960s. 1 million for its operations over the next two
years. As of 2020, PHM was being funded by
Discussions with the Chief Minister of Penang Penang Tourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage
and PBAPP (a state-owned company) (PETACH), which oversees the Penang State
subsequently led to the founding of the Penang Museum. Revenue generated through PHM’s
House of Music in 2016. The PHM has three parts: ticket and retail sales is insufficient to cover
the gallery, which displays the state’s iconic past costs.
musicians and musical history; a 100-seater
black box performance space to support Operating costs
upcoming artists; and a resource centre, which
features a ‘treasure trove’ of music and serves The PHM’s budget is about a quarter of
as a focal point for musicians, scholars, students a million USD per year. This covers rent,
and others interested in Penang’s history. overheads, salaries, insurance, maintenance,
archive equipment and more. The rent is
The current space, with an area of 6,800 square about MYR 17,000 per month (USD 4,000),
feet, is located on the fourth floor of a high- a considerable expense. Despite the large
amount of funding and support, the
rise office tower and is costly. Rent takes up a
organization struggles to cover its costs.
large proportion of the organization’s budget
and the location of the PHM poses challenges
in attracting visitors, so relocation is being
considered.

New ways of running the PHM are under

consideration, including plans to place the
PHM under the oversight of the Penang
State Museum Board, in which case PHM staff
members would become state employees, and
the financial responsibilities would be placed in
the hands of the museum board.
64
Paul Augustin
Director

Could you provide an update on the current

business situation (including issues related to
COVID-19)?

We have had to make changes to the Penang

House of Music. For our gallery, we had to
create a virtual tour and also conduct tours
by appointment only: three times per week,
because of the cleaning process, which is the
standard operating procedure required by the
government. For the ‘blackbox’, we had to stop
all performances and events. But what we did is
we have closed-up performances by musicians.
And we have been editing a lot of the footage that
we have been accumulating over the past three
years. Now our focus is more on the resource
centre, with documentation and digitization.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Research. Research is so important. We

realized that there is not a lot of material or
documentation related to music specifically, or to
culture, arts and performing arts in Malaysia, and
we have taken it upon ourselves to document and
digitize all this. Because in order to move forward
we have to look back to see what has happened
before. We have to recognize the contributions
that people have made to arts, music, and culture
in Malaysia. It is a very exciting journey for us
because we are discovering new things every day;
things that we have never seen before or never
knew about before.

65
 PROMOTION &
COMMUNICATION

The understanding of arts and culture

by diverse audiences is fundamental to
the sustainability of artistic practices and
the intellectual development of the Asia-
Pacific region. Self-financed projects and
volunteer networks have played a vital
role in promoting and disseminating the
arts in South-East Asia. Various models,
including both non-profit organizations
and commercial entities, have served as
support hubs for the arts communities.

In the case of festivals, dedicated

leadership and well-coordinated efforts
are necessary to ensure international
exposure and access to diverse artistic
contents. Festivals and events in South-
East Asia strongly depend on informal
networks and the development of a solid
audience base, most often consolidated
through private sponsorships and
individual support.
66
 Titikmerah Collective
Malaysia

Anonymous Publishing House

Myanmar

Penang Island Jazz Festival

Malaysia

MATCA
Viet Nam

Arts Equator
Singapore

Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting

Thailand

Vientianale International Film Festival

Lao PDR

67
 Titikmerah Financing structure

Collective Unregistered and operating as an informal

Malaysia
collective, Titikmerah strongly relies on a
network of friends. Its main source of income
is from the exhibitions it holds. These are solo
and group shows, mainly by members of the
Unregistered collective (2014) collective, but the organization also holds
open calls and invites other artists to work
Founded in 2014, Titikmerah is a collective of with it.
visual artists based in Kuala Lumpur. Titikmerah
is also the name given to their art space, which The gallery is considered ‘non-commercial’ in
functions as both a gallery and studio. the sense that while it sells works, it does not
seek to make a profit from the sales, merely
Titikmerah translates as ‘red dot’ in English, charging enough to cover their running
and refers to the red dots artists want to see at costs. Unlike standard galleries, which have
the bottom of their sold canvases. The red dot a division of 50-50 or 60-40 between the
is also a reference to an emergency button or a gallery and the artist, Titikmerah normally
recording button, and to something important takes between 10 per cent and 15 per cent,
or indicative of danger. and only goes as high as between 20 per cent
and 30 per cent when the organization works
The founders of the collective are all self-taught with an external curator. If it is falling short on
artists who consider themselves ‘outsider funds, it might raise its dividend to ensure it
artists’, and who have experienced difficulty in has enough funding to keep things running.
the past in securing gallery representation. The In the event that the organization is unable to
collective and their gallery are characterized cover its monthly expenses, members of the
by the spirit of DIY (do-it-yourself) culture, collective who have financial means donate
reflected in the ethos of their collective and in their personal funds.
the aesthetics of their practice. As a collective, it
is independent, experimental, entrepreneurial, The collective is facing an ‘adolescent’ phase,
risk-taking and also reflexive in its activities. which requires that the organization is
consolidated and develops a clearer business
Through their projects, the members act as plan in order to attract new investors without
mentors and enablers for their peers and losing its initial model based on friendships,
for younger artists. Balancing business and flexibility and mutual support.
artistic integrity with an eye on the surrounding
context, the founders present a lucid worldview
that places community and social relationships Operating costs
at the heart of what they do as artists, with a
The biggest expense for the collective is rent.
willingness to try new things.
Titikmerah recently relocated to a suburb of
Kuala Lumpur where it benefits from lower
Team rental costs. The collective does not have full-
time professional staff and pays interns at hourly
Eleven members, including three founding rates.
members.

68
“We look at what
can we contribute
to each other rather
than what can we
take. Better to be
friends first. It always
starts with friendship.
Relationships are
important to us.”

Ajim Juxta, Co-founder

69
 Anonymous
Publishing
House
Myanmar
Private entity (2004) Financing structure

Registered in 2004, this publishing house The publishing house was established by
releases books and a bi-monthly magazine a respected senior publicist and is run by
that covers culture and literature (i.e. poems, two people, one of whom holds financial
book reviews) and also touches on issues of responsibility and was originally a writer.
development, sustainability, inclusiveness Both directors inject their own money into
and human rights. The magazine caters to a the company to support the production of the
niche audience that local mainstream media magazine.
publications do not reach. While the magazine
While the magazine is not doing well
represents the heart of the company, books
financially due to its small circulation, it is
generate the actual income stream.
considered to be one of the leading magazines
in literature and culture in the country. It
Team is published at a loss of around USD 1,000
per issue, which is covered by the financial
Two directors. contributions from the two directors, who
Three full-time staff including a designer, a have other jobs, such as teaching.
proof-reader and an administrative assistant.
The publishing house does not have a business
Three part-time editors.
plan and is increasingly threatened by the
growth of digital content, which is more easily
accessible. As long as the directors are able

The publishing to subsidize the publishing of the magazine,

house is increasingly
they intend to continue in the current way.
They are aware that it is not a sustainable

threatened by the
practice and have thought about applying for
grants or operating in a more entrepreneurial

growth of digital
way.

content, which Operating costs

is more easily
accessible.
The cost of printing the magazines can be up
to USD 2,000 per bi-monthly issue. Another
major cost is staff salaries. Salaries are not
covered by the income generated by the
sale of publications and must be paid by the
money injected by the two directors. The
organization does not pay rent for its office
but pays USD 450 per month for storage of
books and magazines.
70
Penang Island Financing structure

Jazz Festival Since the beginning, the festival has been run

Malaysia
like a project and almost completely relies on
volunteer labour. Neither Paul nor Chin earn
a fixed salary from their events work. Thus,
their company operates in some ways like a
Private entity (2004) social enterprise; it reinvests money back into
the company, only retaining what the staff
The Penang Island Jazz Festival (PIJF) was need to survive.
launched in 2004. The festival is owned and
The festival receives funding from private
operated by the events company the Capricorn
sponsors and investors, such as Mercedes
Connection, which belongs to festival co-
Benz, which has sponsored the festival in the
founder and director, Paul Augustin. The festival
past, and the PBAPP, which has invested in
has a hybrid nature, positioned between
the festival (getting a return of 30 per cent on
a commercial business and a non-profit any profits made). Additionally, the festival
organization. It is one of Malaysia’s longest- has received funding from the Penang state
running music festivals and is the longest- government, the federal government and the
running jazz festival in the country. Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau.

The Capricorn Connection is an events and

venue management and consultancy company
founded by Paul Augustin and Chin Choo Yeun
Operating costs
in 1996. From their experience in managing a The cost of running the festival varies from year
stadium they had amassed a network of clients, to year, but the average total budget is between
suppliers and artists, and started managing USD 120,000 and USD 140,000. The major
festivals. At the time, the only way to survive in costs include artist fees, accommodation,
the business was either to run a public relations logistics, transport, production (stage, sound
and advertising company or to manage your and technical crews), marketing, permits and
own events. In 1996, they first raised the idea of a licenses.
jazz festival, having conducted market research
into its feasibility. However, it was only in 2004
that their idea finally came to fruition.

Team

Two founders, including the festival director.

One full-time staff member and several part-
time collaborators and volunteers.

71
 Matca seeks to
connect and
strengthen the
ties between
photography and
contemporary
expressions,
especially by
presenting
photography as
a distinctive art
form that goes
beyond journalistic
and commercial
approaches.

72
Matca
Viet Nam
Unregistered collective (2016) Financing structure

Matca is a bilingual website that serves as a In 2018, the group obtained funding from
platform for self-initiated photography projects several donors, including a one-year grant
and ideas, which often struggle to find markets from the Cultural Development and Exchange
and audiences. The group primarily seeks to Fund (CDEF) of the Embassy of Denmark in
develop new ties between photography and local Viet Nam.
audiences. It also works to develop educational
The new physical space offers the group new
activities and experimental projects.
opportunities to generate revenue through
renting out exhibition spaces. Rates vary
It was founded in 2016 by photojournalist Linh
from between USD 500 and USD 1000 per
Pham, in collaboration with two photographer project. Matca also jointly runs a caféé and
friends, Mai Nguyen Anh and Dat Vu. In 2017, the a studio. The sale of photographic works
team was joined by Ha Dao, who was initially the also offers a source of regular income. The
site’s editor and later became the programme largest source of revenue is from providing
coordinator. commercial photo and video services. Matca
has begun experimenting with the production
The website gradually became a leading of photography books and merchandise.
publication on photography, with a focus on
practices and histories, often from a critical Matca aims to become an independent gallery.
perspective. Over the years, it has gained about The team enjoys operating on a small scale
20,000 followers on its social media sites. within a niche market, however, and without
the pressure of growing big. In focusing on
Building on this success, Matca expanded its
small projects and finding the suitable grants
activities to portfolio review, photo editing, art
to finance their activities, the organization is
tours, residencies and exhibition, among other
slowly gaining momentum.
things, and in April 2019, the group launched its
own physical space in Hanoi.
Operating costs
Matca works on a project basis. In its first three
years of operations, it built strong partnerships Human resources and utilities cost around
with regional platforms such as World Press USD 700 per month. The founder’s property is
used as the workspace and he also oversees
Photo, Angkor Photo Festival and OBJECTIVES -
financial management of Matca.
Centre for Photography and Film.

Team

Two key personnel.

One international project coordinator, who also
carries out communication, administrative and
logistical tasks.
Several external consultants, such as art writers
and logistics assistants.
73
 Arts Financing structure
Equator The organization is registered as a public

Singapore company but is in the process of applying

for status as a charity. The co-founders,
Kathy Rowland and Jenny Daneels, invested
a significant amount of capital to start the
Public company / Non-profit
company. Arts Equator was also a recipient
organization (2016)
of the National Arts Council’s Seed Grant.
Devoted to the arts and cultures of South-East The grant provides funding for up to three
years. Another source of funding is project
Asia, ArtsEquator.com is a website that focuses
management fees. A small percentage of
on the region’s creative practices, including
funding (between 7 per cent and 9 per cent)
performances, literature, visual culture, fashion,
comes from advertorials. However, with the
film and more, and features original articles,
continuously changing landscape of digital
videos and podcasts. Arts Equator aims to media and the growing space taken by social
convey how people, place, policy, money, media, the number of companies willing to
theory, history, politics and religion, intersect pay for advertising is very limited.
with arts and culture in the countries that make
up the region of South-East Asia. Arts Equator has a five-year plan and a ten-
year plan that describe their aspirations for
In addition to creating website content the company but it does not have specific
production, Arts Equator organizes capacity- plans for gaining the required funding. It has
building workshops, talks and training been exploring options such as fundraising
programmes in Singapore and other countries campaigns, endowments and crowd-funding.
of the region. It also collaborates with private art
schools to post content produced by students
Operating costs
for free. In addition, it produces ‘previews’,
which are promotional content, articles and The organization rents a corner of a co-
posts that are produced upon request. They working space that is subsidized by the
are usually produced for a fee, but some are government, and therefore pays a relatively
provided free of charge if the editors feel that low rent (for Singapore) of approximately USD
the content is beneficial for the readers and the 430 per month. The organization’s largest
artists do not have sufficient funds to pay for the expenses are salaries and human resources.
items. The organization’s average monthly
overheads are between SGD 11,000 and SGD
18,000, and when it implements projects
Team those costs can be as high as SGD 25,000. The
annual operating costs for the second year
Two full-time contract staff: the co-founder of operation (2017-2018) were about SGD
and editor. 172,000 (approximately USD 124,000).
One part-time assistant who works two days
per week. A significant challenge for the organization
has been to maintain a steady cash flow. The
Two volunteer advisors (consulted twice a
revenue generated does not always come
year or when there is a specific need).
in when needed, which results in the two
founders making financial advances to the
company and then being paid back once the
money comes in.
74
Nabila Said
Editor

Could you provide an update on the current

business situation (including issues related to
COVID-19)?

At Arts Equator, we kind of had to pivot and reflect

on the fact that there are no shows to review and
to see how we can cover the arts in a different
way. From the organization’s perspective, it is
about raising money. So we have been trying
to raise money from the public to support
independent arts media in the region.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Conviction. It’s about thinking what drives us,

what keeps us going, what is the reason why
we need to exist; that is the kind of message
that we need to put forth to our public and our
supporters. That conviction to cover the arts and
to be a free voice for the artists and the arts is
really important to us and it drives us forward.

What are your future plans/projects moving

ahead?

Moving forward, we really want to go back to the

connections within the region and see what we
can do together. Secondly, it’s about working with
institutions on different projects that can help
to support the arts, promote the arts in different
ways on different projects. Lastly, it’s about going
back to our website and creating content that is
relevant for the readers of tomorrow.

75
 Bangkok Goethe Institute, Institut Français and the

International
Japan Foundation.

Performing Arts
BIPAM has built upon strong partnerships,
which provide in-kind support. Partners

Meeting (BIPAM)
include the International Association of
Theatre Critics (IATC), the Ministerium für

Thailand
Kultur Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-
Westfalen, Kulturamt Frankfurt am Main,
ARTWAVE Taiwan, Festival/Tokyo, the Seang
Arun Art and Culture Center, Media Vision,
Unregistered collective (2004) the Thai Theatre Foundation, the Bangkok
Theatre Festival (BTF), the Unfolding Kafka
The Bangkok International Performing Arts Festival and SATARANA.
Meeting (BIPAM) was established in 2004 with
the objective of becoming South-East Asia’s BIPAM and B-Floor (a theatre group)
performing arts ‘launch pad’, showcasing the earn income through tickets sales and
region’s creative talents, and a space for the commissions/royalty fees for performances.
This income is used to cover operational
exchange of knowledge and experience so as to
expenses. The directors and managers only
strengthen the performing arts community in
receive compensation after all costs have
the region.
been covered. Royalty fees are charged by
the number of shows and calculated by the
Every year, BIPAM organizes a performing arts numbers of performers. There is no fixed or
festival, an event that includes panel discussions standard rate. Rates can be negotiated, but in
and a forum. Each event seeks to continue most case the artists are requested to make
crafting a more complete and comprehensive concessions.
perspective of the theatre scene in the region.
Improvisation has been part of the management Despite financial struggles, BIPAM has been
approach. able to sustain itself for a long period of time
because of the dedication and passion of its
members, who support themselves through
Team other full-time jobs. BIPAM has no financial
strategy or plans regarding how to ensure its
One artistic director. long-term financial sustainability.
Four artistic committee members, including
two writer-translators / language and
writing teachers, one co-artistic director and Operating costs
founder of B-floor theatre, and one project
coordinator. Given that affordable rental spaces are
scarce, BIPAM operates out of the house of a
supporter. Members of the collective mostly
Financing structure work voluntarily without a salary and rely on
other jobs to sustain themselves.
BIPAM relies on project grants, including from
Thai government agencies, e.g. the Thailand
Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB),
the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
(BMA) and the Alliance of Performing Arts in
Higher Education of Thailand (PATH), and
from foreign cultural agencies such as the
76
As the number of
theatres remains
limited in Thailand,
BIPAM would like
to see a better
integration of
performing arts in
everyday life and
make shows more
accessible in both
urban and rural
areas.

77
 Vientianale
International Financing structure

Film Festival The Vientianale is funded through international

Lao PDR
support and private sponsorship, notably
by large beverage companies. The national
government does not offer any support for
this type of cultural organization. The festival
Unregistered entity (2009) events are free and therefore do not generate
any income. While this is a financial burden,
The Vientianale International Film Festival is providing free entry is essential to keeping
one of only two film festivals in Lao PDR. The the festival accessible to all. Income is earned
event is organized each year in Vientiane and through merchandise that is sold during the
presents Lao and international films to the local events. The festival is currently reviewing its
audience. The festival also conducts capacity- financial situation and operational strategy to
building workshops for young Lao filmmakers seek alternative sources of funding.
and organizes mobile film screenings called
‘Vientianale on the Road’ for audiences in The initiative is not registered as a legal entity.
remote areas so as to disseminate the work of However, it has signed a Memorandum of
young Lao filmmakers. In addition, it runs basic Understanding with the Ministry of Information,
filmmaking workshops for rural youth. Culture and Tourism, and is recognized as a
‘project’ with an annual renewal.
The Vientianale provides an opportunity
to share the impressions and insights of
Lao filmmakers on their society from their Operating costs
perspective. Its activities enable the organization
The festival does not have an office space
to promote its distinctive approach to film
and the staff operate via the internet, social
and to foster the development of the Lao film
media, phone calls and meetings (whenever
industry with a distinctive voice.
necessary). It relies heavily on volunteering to
minimize costs. As an informal group mainly
Team composed of volunteers, it is not required to
pay taxes. Equipment and venue rental costs are
Two directors: Athixay Boundaoheaung and high.
Helene Ouvrard.
A large number of volunteers are involved in The festival must go through a censorship review
the festival production phases. process every year (a government requirement)
and must bear all the costs related to this
process. The process has become more flexible
over the years and a wider range of films are
now approved. Rural areas are logistically more
challenging and the requirements for each
location affect production costs. They include
accommodation, DSA and fees, which can vary
from one province to another.

78
“We put all our effort
in organizing the
festival and mobile
film screening with
our limited budget.
We hope that one
day the government
will take action
and financially
support cultural
organizations,
especially regarding
venue and
equipment rental
costs.”

Helene Ouvrard, Co-director

79
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Creative businesses from the private

sector have managed to stay financially
independent, generating enough income
to carry out their activities, sometimes
even making a profit. In some contexts,
the generated income may be re-invested
into social endeavours to benefit the
local community, and it can also be used
to promote South-East Asian artists
overseas or for the development of
creative capacity and professional skills.

80
Shma & Shma SoEN
Thailand

La Lanta Fine Art

Thailand

81
 Shma & Financing structure

Shma SoEN Shma was established with the three

Thailand
founders’ personal assets and is registered
as a business company with tax obligation.
The landscape architecture company is a
professional company with specific legal
Private company / Social enterprise regulations in Thailand.
(2007)
Income is generated through professional
Shma is one of the leading landscape
commissions and projects. The clients are
architecture companies in Thailand. Founded
70% from the private sector and 30% from
by Namchai Saensupha, Prapan Napawongdee
the government sector. Stable revenue is
and Yosapon Boonsom, its mission is to build
generated from commercial projects with
earth-friendly architecture through a balanced
the private sector. In parallel, Shma SoEN
and sustainable approach, guided by three
works with governmental bodies to carry out
themes: ecological, social and conservation.
non-profit projects to benefit society more
The company only works on projects that are
particularly by improving public spaces.
related to environmental and social issues.

With its first investment of around USD 30,000,

In 2014, the company opened a division called
the company has managed to generate
Shma SoEN (society and environment) with
revenue from commercial projects. In the
two more partners, Kirin Tanglertpanya and
following five years, the company generated
Joy Kongchoksamai, and ten staff members.
around USD 1 million annually through both
This division operates as a social enterprise
domestic projects and international projects
tackling social causes and responding to
from Singapore and China. In its 10th year,
environmental challenges. Although Shma
the company’s income reached around USD 3
SoEn operates as a social enterprise, it is
million per year.
registered as a business because when it was
launched there was no legal structure for
Shma shares its revenues with Shma SoEN in
social enterprises in Thailand.
order to carry out initiatives that benefit the
public. The companies are also fundraising
Team for WePark (a non-project organization which
provides a platform for development projects
Three founders. to turn public empty spaces into green spaces
Administrative unit of five staff members. in a sustainable way) and City Crackers (a non-
Sixty staff members across various profit platform which gathers discussions,
units: A strategic unit of three people, an generating knowledge and providing
administrative unit of five people (one information on city design, environment,
administrative officer, three finance officers, lifestyle, and collective solutions.)
one human resources officer), a research unit
of three people, a graphic design unit of two
people, a public relations unit of two people,
a landscape architecture unit of forty-two
people and ten horticulturists/botanists. The
companies hire specialized experts, including
irrigation experts and water plant botanists.
82
 Namchai Saensupha
Prapan Napanongdee
Yossapon Boonsom
Co-directors

Operating costs

It is registered as a business company and

therefore has tax obligations. The costs,
including taxes, are around 80 per cent of total Could you provide an update on the current
income, so the annual profit is around 20 per business situation (including issues related to
cent. All staff members receive a salary and COVID-19)?
with social benefits. Shma rents a workspace
that also houses Shma SoEN, the non-profit COVID-19 has definitely affected our business, but
arm of the collective. Computer software and the fact that we have diversified our services and
hardware are some of the company’s most we implement various types of projects, in various
important expenses. locations, has helped us to manage this difficult
time. On the bright side, COVID-19 has also
shifted the focus of society to the concept of well-
being, which has prompted developers and the
government to be innovative in how we create our
society and how we can be more environmentally
sustainable. Landscape architecture has a big role
to play in that.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Agility. We have been reviewing and adapting

our company’s goals and direction to address
emerging challenges, through participatory
processes with everyone in the company, so we
are able to move and adapt very quickly, while
maintaining our passion in the process.

What are your plans/projects moving ahead?

Our services need to be more relevant to

the changing world, which means that our
creativity needs to extend to other areas besides
physical design and physical space. It has to
involve research, process, policy and even
communication. This means that our company
needs to transform into a platform to embrace
multidisciplinary collaborations to make sure that
what we do is about creating a better society, an
inclusive one. 83
 La Lanta
Fine Art
Thailand
Private company (2003) Financing structure

La Lanta Fine Art is an art gallery with a focus La Lanta Fine Art was registered as a company
on contemporary art in Asia. The gallery seeks in 2003 and was established with funding from
to give more exposure to Thai and South-East its founder, who specializes in the business of
Asian contemporary art by participating in importing licensed art prints from European
international events in Asia, Europe and the and United States art publishers.
United States, and simultaneously introducing
As a commercial gallery, La Lanta Fine Art
international artworks in Thailand. Its approach
has never received public funding. Its main
is that of a commercial art gallery, putting
revenue comes from sales at art fairs. As
business activities at the forefront and
of 2020, the revenue generated by its sales
importing and exporting artworks. It currently covered the operational costs of the gallery
represents 20 artists. space in Bangkok but was insufficient to
expand the business further.
La Lanta Fine Art’s exhibition space, established
in 2006, was one of the first contemporary art La Lanta Fine Art does not have a long-term
galleries in Bangkok. After its inception, the business strategy and the activities are
gallery investigated the art market situation carried out on a year-to-year basis. It remains,
in Thailand and realized that Thai artists had however, a rare example of an art gallery that
very limited exposure. In response, the gallery manages to generate a profit and stay afloat
quickly refocused its strategy, working to without depending on external grants or
raise the visibility of Thai contemporary art at financial support.
international fairs and to expand the demand
for such art. The gallery participates in nine art Operating costs
fairs per year, including prestigious art fairs for
art collectors as well as the more affordable art The cost of attending art fairs is between
fairs. Over the years, the gallery has gained a USD 100,000 and 150,000 annually. A
presence in the art scenes of Basel, New York, large proportion of this is spent on the
London, Miami, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, transportation of artworks and associated
Malaysia, and the Philippines. taxes.

The operational costs of running the gallery

Team include the salaries of two staff members,
including the owner, as well as rent, water
Founder: Ms Sukontip Prahanpap. and electricity. These costs amount to around
One paid staff member: gallery assistant USD 50,000 per year. The company’s cash flow
manager. fluctuates depending on the outcomes of the
art fairs.

84
Sukontip Prahanpap
Founder

Could you provide some recent updates on the

current business situation?

I would like to mention the groundwork that we

did before the global crisis. We did three things:
we started to cultivate relationships with local
collectors, we tried to discover high quality artists
and represent them, and we invested resources
in digital platforms. All of these three elements
helped us to perform well during the global
pandemic.

What is one word that describes a successful

achievement or lesson related to the
management of your organization?

Resilience. We have been operating our business

for fourteen years and this has come with lots of
challenges in many different areas. For us to be
able to adapt, and also work smart, helped us not
just to survive but also to be successful.

What are your plans/projects moving ahead?

We will create a new art space that taps into the

experimental side of art creation; it will serve not
only artists wishing to explore new ideas but also
assist curators to develop art programmes that
engage the public on social issues.

85
 Business Planning

Annual
Operating Budget

23% 48%
go day by day
without a plan
have a
1 - 3 year plan
42%
have less than
USD 10K per year
Surplus / Deficit

18%
have more than
USD 100K per year

28% 37%
had a deficit had a surplus
in the last in the last
3 years 3 years
86
 CCI numbers in the region
*collected through surveys involving 321 CCI organizations in South-East Asia

Creative Sectors

15% 22%
4% others
multidisciplinary

music

6%
10% film &
animation
design

3%
literature

visual arts performing arts

16%
19%
craft

5%
87
Facts & Numbers
* based on the 29 case studies featured in this publication

46%

80%
of organizations are
private entities

2%
are not generate their
registered own income
through sales
and/or services

53%
operate as a social
20%
operate without
enterprise model funding support
or address social issues
88 within their projects
 51%
49%

44%
international funding
is slightly higher than
domestic support
work with volunteers
or people with other jobs
to save on HR expenses
that they cannot afford

20%
increase their
90%
revenue by renting
out their space(s) to
other businesses have to comply with
some form of
government
requirements such as
licensing or monitoring89
 Cambodia The financial context
Country Brief of CCI organizations

Introduction Operating costs

Cambodia has several strong actors in the field Unsurprisingly, human resources and project costs
of CCI, many of which were initially foreign are among the largest areas of organizational
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that expenditure. Rental costs are a worryingly high
transitioned into locally-registered organizations. expense item for many organizations, an issue
While the tax burden on CCI organizations is high that is particularly relevant for organizations in the
and rising rents are becoming a challenge, in 2018 capital, Phnom Penh, where rapid urbanization
the majority of CCI organizations generated a and foreign investment have resulted in a
surplus after two years of deficits. While Cambodia construction and real estate boom, leading to
has some legislation that is favourable to the CCI skyrocketing rents. Other significant expenses are
sector, it is rarely enforced to its fullest potential; marketing and travel. License fees and taxes are
instead, informal practices in public administration universal burdens that affect NGOs and for-profit
stifle progress of the sector. Other major factors businesses alike, accounting for up to 20 per cent
in the predominantly entrepreneurial CCI sector of expenses in both.
that need to be addressed are a lack of willingness
among the public to pay for cultural goods and The surveyed Cambodian CCI organizations come
services, and weak internal capacity to identify in all sizes and are distributed somewhat equally.
and manage in-come from diverse sources Over half (59 per cent) have an annual operating
budget of USD 100,000 or less. About a quarter of
all respondents operate on less than USD 10,000

Organizations in annually, but all of these organizations were

the CCI sector

founded within the past three to five years.

Interestingly, the cultural and creative industries

have seen a major increase in profitability in
Of the twenty-two organizations surveyed, six were
recent years. While in 2016 only 21 per cent of the
registered as for-profit private companies and
organizations reported a surplus, the situation was
one as a for-profit art gallery that self-identified
significantly different in 2018, with 56 per cent of
as a ‘self-financed business that supports the
the organizations ending the year with a positive
arts, environment and education’. The remaining
balance.
organizations comprised six collectives, five that
were registered as associations; two charities/
foundations; one informal group; and one Funding opportunities
and financing structures
organization operating in Cambodia but registered
in the United Kingdom as a public company.
Almost half of the organizations described
Grants and other funding: In the absence of
themselves as multidisciplinary, while the other
support from the Cambodian government, several
half described their activities as specialized in one
of the respondents reported that they rely on
of the following: visual arts, music, performing
funding from foreign governments. This comes
arts, film, literature and handicrafts, in that order.
90
as no surprise considering Cambodia’s recent lists itself as a public company, and is most likely
history of conflict and the international funding an internationally-registered non-profit operating
that has entered the country over recent decades in Cambodia, derives between 20 per cent and 30
in the form of humanitarian aid, development per cent of its income from investment funds.
cooperation assistance, conflict transformation
and trade promotion. Sales of services and goods (artwork, products
and merchandise) are among the largest income
Income: Most CCI organizations have a mix of generators for CCI organizations. This indicates
income sources, with ten of the twenty-two that many organizations employ an entrepreneurial
surveyed organizations showing some diversity in approach, so as to generate at least some revenue
their sources of income. through their activities.

The vast majority (82 per cent) of the organizations Ticket sales and individual donations are
benefit from private support in some way or important yet secondary, while license fees,
another. Most organizations rely on corporate royalties and investments are the least important
sponsorship, with three organizations attributing contributors to organizational funding. Around
the bulk of their income to corporate sponsorship a third of the surveyed organizations (seven of
and two from corporate donations. About 20 the twenty-two organizations) earn a significant
per cent of the surveyed CCI organizations proportion of their income (70 per cent and
reported being heavily dependent on corporate upwards) from the sale of tickets or artwork, and
sponsorship. these organizations tend to be performing arts
organizations and art galleries.
Around two-thirds (69 per cent) of the self-
proclaimed non-profit organizations and those not One organization operates a hybrid business
formally registered receive individual donations, model with a profit-generating enterprise selling
but only in a few cases do these donations arts related services which are directed to a
constitute one of the main income streams. A small foundation. One association receives a small
number of organizations are highly dependent on portion of funds from membership dues. About
grants. Only four organizations receive no private a third of the organizations surveyed also appear
money, whether from corporate or individual to derive some income from rental properties.
donations, relying instead on sales of artwork and/ Organizations are thus supporting themselves
or services. by various means, with some diversity in income
sources. But many respondents voiced concerns
Only two organizations reported receiving the bulk over an over-reliance on grants, individual
of their funding from the Cambodian government, donations and corporate sponsorship.
with one of them, a private organization reporting
the second main source of income being
corporate sponsorships, at a ratio of 6:4. These
two organizations were the least diversified and
entrepreneurial of all of the CCI organizations,
reporting no other sources of income. All
except the two receiving government funding
support themselves through private donations,
sponsorships and sales.

At least six organizations receive money from

foreign government funds. The organization that
91
 Challenges
• An unsupportive tax regime: High tax was
one of the most often quoted hurdles for
financial sustainability, with no tax breaks for
NGOs and no provision for social enterprises
in Cambodian law as of 2018.
• Lack of government support in the form of
funding and/or technical support.
• Difficult and tiresome registration processes.
• A lack of rigorous enforcing of intellectual
property and copyright legislation.
• Inadequate knowledge of professional
fundraising: Many of the smaller
organizations suffer from a lack of capacity
and a lack of knowledge in how to pursue
long-term funding.
• Weak markets: Many respondents
mentioned there are too few local people,
organizations and businesses that value
cultural and creative products and services
sufficiently to pay for them. This was relevant
to both the business to consumer (b2c) and
the business to business (b2b) sectors.

92
 Indonesia
Country Brief

Introduction Organizations of
the CCI sector
In 2016 the Creative and Cultural Industries
(CCI) sector contributed IDR 922.59 trillion
Of the 118 CCI organizations surveyed in Indonesia,
(approximately USD 60 million), to Indonesia’s
over half (58 per cent) were unregistered. Of the
GDP, representing 7.44 per cent of the total.
registered CCI organizations, 11.8 per cent were
According to a forecast by Indonesia’s creative
limited liability companies while the rest were
economy agency, Badan Ekonomi Kreatif (Bekraf),
registered as collectives, non-profit associations
the CCI sector was expected to contribute IDR 1,200
or cooperatives. A small percentage was ‘informal
trillion to Indonesia’s GDP in 2020. Bekraf also
groups’. Private CCI organizations with any type
anticipated that in 2020 sixteen of Indonesia’s CCI
of formal registration structure can receive
sub-sectors would employ 17 million people, and
government funding, but they need to register
that Indonesia’s CCI sector would contribute up to
as a commercial for-profit entity in order to carry
USD 21.5 million of Indonesia’s foreign exchange.
out business activities that can augment their
income. The formally-registered organizational
The sub-sectors of the CCI sector are managed
status therefore does not reflect the reality of
by various ministries, with some overlap. For
management practice of CCI organizations, which
example, the creative services and ‘creative
is often more informal, collective, consensus and
sector as innovation hotbed’ are handled by
kinship-based.
the ministries of trade and industry as well as by
the labour ministry, while arts and culture are
handled by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
In addition to this, foreign aid and funding for civil
society organizations, including arts and culture
organizations, are regulated by the Ministry of
Home Affairs and the State Secretariat. However,
most CCI actors reported difficulty in funding
access from the governments. The CCI sector is
managed by workers in a precarious situation, who
juggle jobs and challenges with little space and
energy to focus on funding and self-development.

94
The financial context Funding opportunities
of CCI organizations and financing structures
Grants and other funding: Around two thirds
Operating costs (64 per cent) of the organizations rely on
private donations, with twelve organizations
Just over half of the respondents reported an reporting this as their largest source of funding.
annual operating budget for the previous financial One multidisciplinary non-profit organization
year of less than USD 10,000, while 13 per cent received 90 per cent of its funding from corporate
had an operating budget of between USD 10,000 donations. Over a third (35 per cent) of the surveyed
and USD 25,000. A large number of respondents organizations receive corporate sponsorships,
reported more deficits than profits over a three- with four reporting this to be the largest source of
year period. income.

The main costs tend to be administrative (salaries Financing in the form of bank loans and investment
and rent), followed by marketing and outreach and instruments are available for small and medium
project costs or the cost of producing/presenting businesses in all industries in Indonesia, including
their core activity. Many organizations operate on the CCI. New government policies allow artworks
a project basis, with staff receiving remuneration to be used as collateral for bank loans, and tax
only when there is project work (and funding). exemptions are now offered to private companies
Overall, the findings of the survey indicate that the who fund arts and culture, including research.
workers/initiators are subsidizing the cost of their However, despite encouraging state policies, there
creative initiatives with personal income made is a delay in the implementation of programmes;
from other jobs and gigs. therefore, the benefits of new policy directives
have yet to be felt by most CCI actors. Moreover, the
majority (73.7 per cent) do not receive government
grants. Of the 31 organizations that receive
government funding, three reported it as the bulk
of their income (over 70 per cent), with one, a non-
profit organization, reporting being almost 100
per cent government funded. The organizations
that receive the most government funding are
among the least diversified and entrepreneurial,
reporting little to no other sources of income.
Thirteen organizations receive money from foreign
government funds.

Income: The majority of the surveyed organizations

reported supporting themselves through private
donations, corporate sponsorships and sales. Only
sixteen organizations do not engage in any form
of sales, and they show variation in sector and
registration status, being collectives, associations
and unregistered groups. Almost two thirds (64 per
cent) of the respondents were service-oriented,
with some reporting more than half their income
95
 from services and four reporting between 90 per
cent and 100 per cent of their income from services.
Challenges
About a fifth of the organizations receive income
through rental of their space, with five reporting • Precarity of CCI labour: CCI workers tend
this income as making up over 20 per cent of to be exhausted from the balancing act of
their total income. A small number (six) of the making ends meet while engaging in the arts;
organizations receive modest contributions from they need to work ‘day jobs’ to earn a living,
membership dues. Most CCI organizations rely since their artistic and collective cultural
heavily on social capital, a network of voluntary endeavours do not provide sufficient income.
initiators and people as infrastructure. Their • Lack of skills in management: Ideas and
survival is often dependent on the energies of this initiatives are abundant but can be stifled
network of people united under a shared cause. by day-to-day needs. Workers often do not
have the resources required to develop
the necessary skills to manage their
organizations, to finance them or to thrive.
• Bureaucracy and registration costs:
Registering as a legal entity and engaging
with the government incur a high operating
and administrative cost, and require energy
and expenses, burdening the operation of
many organizations and initiatives.
• Insufficient understanding by policy-
makers of the nature of local CCI: There
remains a gap between long-term policy
and what the organizations experience, and
bottlenecks in terms of access to support.
• Unsupportive markets: The pricing of many
CCI products and services is low and not
commensurate with the cost of the labour to
produce it, and CCI products struggle in an
open market.
• Perception that arts and cultural works are
non-profit: A major issue for the CCI industry
is that its products and services are often
perceived as something donated or that
belongs to society; thus, there is a tendency
for CCI workers to be taken for granted and
not be paid well for their labour.

96
 Lao PDR Organizations of
Country Brief the CCI sector

Introduction The survey respondents represented a diverse

range of CCI practice, including film and animation,
film festivals, theatre, music, dance, visual arts and
Lao PDR is a landlocked mountainous country with
fashion. CCI organizations in Lao PDR generally
a population of 6.9 million, mainly reliant on the
have the option of registering as either a private,
agriculture industry, with 60 per cent living in rural
for-profit company or a non-profit association.
areas (in 2016). Agriculture plays an important
Alternatively, they can operate as an informal
role in the country’s economy, and development
group. Of the twenty-one organizations surveyed,
policies are focused on agriculture, education and
nine were private companies, falling under the
sectors that do not include art and culture.
category of SMEs, while three organizations were
registered as associations and one as a charity. Six
The Lao PDR government does not have a specific
were informal groups.
policy or strategy for the CCI sector and does not
provide financial support such as grants or tax
Associations fall under the supervision of either
exemptions. The Ministry of Information, Culture
the Ministry of Home Affairs or the ministry
and Tourism (MoICT) follows four policies in art
relevant to the nature of the association’s activities.
and culture that are focused on regulation of
Registration can take a long time, resulting
media and traditional culture, viewed through
in organizations operating with temporary
the lens of national cultural identity and values.
authorization for some time, which limits the scope
The MoICT oversees artistic and cultural units,
of their activities and their sustainability efforts.
including the national and provincial libraries,
Informal groups tend to operate like non-profits,
cultural centres, museums and artistic troupes,
with relatively more freedom than formal groups
and these organizations receive support for their
and fewer administrative requirements, but have
venue rental costs and human resources costs, but
no access to official funding from international
lack budgets for activities and maintenance.
organizations and corporations.

Since 2005, various laws have been established that

impact the creative and cultural industries, such as
support for small and medium-sized enterprises
(2011) and protection of intellectual property
(2011, amended in 2017), and in recent years there
has been increasing focus on tourism promotion.
There is an encouraging emergence of young artists
and cultural actors in the CCI sector, but they face
significant challenges, including global market
competition and diminishing interest among Lao
youth for local cultural products and expressions.

98
The financial context
of CCI organizations

Operating costs Funding opportunities

and financing structures
Most organizations operate with small budgets.
Approximately two thirds of the respondents Grants and other funding: None of the surveyed
reported an annual budget of less than US$25,000, locally-owned CCI organizations receive financial
with the rest operating under US$10,000. Almost support from the government but some provide
all (90 per cent) of the respondents have fewer goods and services to the government, and
than five full-time permanent staff and most get by five receive funding from international NGOs
with only part-time staff and/or volunteers. and embassies, mainly for community-oriented
projects. For three of these organizations, this
Human resources, venue and equipment rental and funding forms the bulk of their income. The only
project-related costs constitute the main expenses. organization that reported receiving government
Rental costs can include rental of a sound funding is also the only public company, and it is
studio for a recording, renting a specific venue to an internationally-registered non-profit operating
organize a festival or hold a public performance, in Lao PDR.
and equipment rental, such as lighting and sound
systems. As CCI is still developing in Lao PDR, there Most organizations (65 per cent) receive private
are few good quality options in the country and support, but private funding tends to be in low
organizations have limited scope for negotiation amounts, with most organizations listing individual
with suppliers. and corporate donations as only between 1 per
cent and 10 per cent of their income. Only two
Six of the respondents reported being in operation organizations reported such donations as making
for fewer than three years. Of the organizations up to 20 per cent of their income. Most of the time,
in operation for three or more years, only three in-kind contributions are more frequent than
reported a surplus over three years, while seven financial support and this tends to come from
organizations reported losses three years in a row. relatives and friends. Only two of the surveyed
Five reported a surplus in two of the previous three organizations receive up to half their income from
years. corporate sponsorships.

99
 Income: At least a third of the twenty-one
organizations surveyed show some diversity in
Challenges
their sources of income and some evidence of
entrepreneurship. The expatriate community • Small domestic market and low demand:
in Lao PDR represents the sole market for the The small size of the population, with low
performing arts and fine arts, and this sub-sector wages and general lack of interest in paying
is very small in scale. The handicrafts sub-sector for art and culture limits the market for
earns income from both the local market and cultural goods and services.
tourists. • Lack of government support: Financial
support from the government to the CCI
Sales are the most significant form of generating sector is very limited. The government
income, with most (80 per cent) organizations provides non-financial support in various
engaged in sales. Four of the organizations forms, including assisting with awareness
reported sales are their main source of income – raising, the diffusion of information
with two earning income from sales of merchandise to facilitate networking and business
and two from sales of artwork. opportunities, and encouraging public-
private partnerships for long-term project
Eight organizations receive income from rentals, work and greater sustainability.
with two organizations reporting this as providing • Unfavourable incorporation environment:
between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of their total The current status of CCI organizations does
income. Somewhat surprisingly for a lower-income not allow them to benefit from the country’s
country with still developing infrastructure tax exemption framework and other business
for CCI, three organizations reported fees from benefits and incentives.
royalties and licensing as sources of income. • Low levels of private philanthropy: Private
giving is underdeveloped in Lao PDR and
cultural workers tend to lack the knowledge
and skills required to fundraise.
• Lack of administrative skills: Organizational
staff are often underpaid and under-
resourced, and tend to lack project
management skills and knowledge of
intellectual property and legal frameworks,
which adds to their vulnerability in dealing
with third parties.
• Rising costs of doing business: This is a
particularly serious issue in the capital city,
which has high rents.
• Weak networks: This limits opportunities
for support between the members of the
community of practice.

100
 Malaysia
Country Brief

Introduction Organizations of
the CCI sector
Malaysia is an emerging economy with a large
middle class. The country has several culturally
vibrant cities, including Kuala Lumpur, George The survey received responses from thirty
Town, and Ipoh. organizations in Malaysia, almost half of which self-
identified as multidisciplinary and almost a quarter
Except for the 2009 Creative Industries Policy of which reported being engaged in the performing
(Dasar Industri Kreatif Negara, DIKN), which arts. Other key sub-sectors included the visual arts
remains largely aspirational, the creative industries and the literary arts. One organization identified as
have not been embraced by the government as being in the art education field.
a significant area for economic development. Art
and culture are essentially seen as a way to achieve Almost a third (30 per cent) are registered as private
a tourism agenda or, more recently, to engage in companies, 20 per cent are registered as societies
urban regeneration and city branding efforts. or associations and 10 per cent are informal,
unregistered groups. Only one respondent
There is in general a lack of clear responsibilities reported being part of a limited liability public
and coordination among the sector’s stakeholders, company. A large number identified as collectives.
including the Department of Culture and Art
(Jabatan Kebudayaandan Keseniaan, JKKN) under
the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, which
assumes the overall responsibility for the arts and
cul-tural sub-sectors, and other agencies such
as the National Film Development Corporation
(FINAS) and the Malaysia Digital Economy
Corporation (MDEC). Allocated budgets to the
sector are inconsistent. The study found that most
small-scale CCI organizations do not have the full
knowledge of the government support they are
entitled to. The bulk of their income (such as from
individual giving and product/services sales) is
spent on running projects and programmes. Most
of them do not hire full-time professional staff,
likely due to limited resources.

Market development is also an ongoing challenge

with many practitioners of the opinion that there
needs to be greater recognition of the value of
the artistic and creative process on the side of the
public as well as government funders.

102
Financial context of
the CCI organizations
Funding opportunities
Operating costs and financing structures
CCI organizations tend to run on small budgets, Grants and other funding: Thirteen out of
with half of them having a budget of less than thirty organizations (43 per cent) receive some
RM3,500 per month (approximately USD 865). The government funding although it is not clear
main costs reported by the surveyed organizations whether these are grants that organizations apply
were administrative (salaries and rent), followed by for or whether they are providing services to a
marketing and outreach and project costs, which government client, and three derive the bulk of
are the cost of producing and presenting their core their income from government. Interestingly,
activity. Rent makes up as much as 50 per cent of all three organizations are from Penang and all
running costs. Many organizations reported that three have either an education or community
they operate on a project basis, with staff receiving component in their work, suggesting a possible
remuneration only when there is project funding. niche in terms of regional government interest.

Only four of the thirty surveyed organizations Cendana, an organization set up directly under
reported having a surplus in the previous three the Prime Minister’s office in 2017, provides
years, and half of the respondents reported a some intermediary support to CCI organizations
loss in the previous three years. Thus, although in the form of grants and research for policy
organizations are managing to stay in operation, development. State agencies such as FINAS (film)
they often are in difficulty and have financial and MDEC (multimedia) provide sector-specific
deficits. grants and incentives. There is no Arts Council
or equivalent and the exact nature of support
provided by the Department of Culture under the
Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism is unclear.

103
 Challenges
Half of the organizations benefit from corporate
support in some way or another, with four
• Ambiguity of government support: Where
organizations attributing the bulk of their income
available, funding tends to go towards
to corporate sponsorship or philanthropy.
projects and not to organizations themselves,
and for many the criteria for selection are
Income: Organizations support themselves by a
unclear. There is also a significant level of
variety of means, with some diversity in income
uncertainty on the status of tax exemption.
sources, ranging from government funding/
Furthermore, ministerial support for culture
grants and corporate sponsorship/philanthropy
tends to be subordinate to their support
to crowdfunding. The most commonly-reported
for tourism and there are low levels of
sources of income were individual donations
understanding and interest in the CCI sector
(nineteen organizations) and sales of tickets,
at the ministry level.
artwork, merchandise and services (seventeen
• Precarity of CCI labour: Although CCI
organizations). Most of the organizations
organizations in Malaysia are operating and
engage in some form of sales (tickets, artwork,
producing work at an international level of
merchandise, ser-vices), and nine derive at least
professionalism and are displaying a high
half of their income from these, with two (a
degree of resourcefulness in finding ways to
performing arts company and a private museum)
finance their work, they are often living hand
attributing more than 70 per cent of their income
to mouth and need to supplement their
to ticket sales. Almost two thirds (63 per cent)
income through work in other sectors. The
listed individual giving as a significant source of
CCI sector relies largely on unpaid labour,
money, with four deriving the bulk of their funds
and those who are paid receive low wages.
this way. One organization listed crowdfunding
Related to this are issues associated with
or crowdsourcing as a source of income but at
the underdeveloped philanthropic culture in
no more than 10 per cent of their total revenue. A
Malaysia.
second organization mentioned a crowdfunding
• Audience development is weak: Low
platform as a ‘passive’ source of income but did
consumption of arts and CCI goods and
not state how much they derive from this. Both
services, and low willingness to pay has an
organizations are informal collectives.
adverse impact on the sustainability of CCI
organizations.
• Challenges to freedom of expression and
assembly: The bureaucratic system of permit
applications and censorship of content
leads to groups either circumventing official
processes, which hampers their ability to
grow and become more self-sustaining, or
using already strained resources to comply
with tedious administrative requirements.
• Lack of arts management and business
skills: Around half the organizations surveyed
do not undertake business planning due
to lack of skills in this area and some
organizations lack skilled managers.

104
 Myanmar
Country Brief

Introduction Organizations of
the CCI sector
The financial situation of the CCI sector in
Myanmar is characterized by a lack of access to
Of the eighteen CCI organizations that responded
funding, lack of funding diversity and limited
to the survey, three were registered as for-profit
internal capacity for financial planning and
private companies, three as non-profit associations
business administration. The financing context
and one as a social enterprise (though the actual
in Myanmar is very dependent on international
legal status of the organization is unclear). Four
donors and is restricted by bureaucratic hurdles to
were informal groups and two were collectives.
formally register NGOs and receive tax exemption
The remaining five organizations include an
status. Many organizations operate hand to mouth
international NGO, an unregistered business, a sole
and are subject to unpredictable project funding
proprietorship and an organization in the midst of
changes and consumer whims. This situation is
changing its status from a private company to a
currently not addressed by the government as
non-profit organization.
there is practically no regulatory framework for
CCIs in Myanmar other than the censorship and
The CCI sub-sectors represented among the survey
licensing regulations.
respondents included visual arts, film, performing
arts, craft, music and advisory services for the use
of culture to achieve social impact and conflict
transformation. The respondents thus represent
a good cross-section of the types of organizations
in operation in the CCI sector in Myanmar, without
any one category being dominant.

106
The financial context Funding opportunities
of CCI organizations and financing structures
Grants and other funding: Government funding
Operating costs for CCI organizations is almost non-existent in
Myanmar. Any funding seems to go through
Organizations in the CCI sector in Myanmar tend unofficial channels cultivated through patronage
to be very small entities, with only 18 per cent and favouritism. At least five organizations receive
reporting an annual operations budget of more support from foreign government funds and for
than USD 100,000. Half of the organizations three of these this money forms the bulk of their
operate on less than USD 25,000 per year. The small income.
size of the organizations is reflected in staff size
with the organizations having five staff members Donations from corporations and foundations are
on average, not all of whom are necessarily paid, a major income source for two thirds of the CCIs.
however. For more than half of these, this income accounts
for 40 per cent or more of their annual income.
Human resources and projects make up the Four organizations receive an income from
majority of operation expenses. Rent is the third- corporate sponsorships, but these are relatively
largest cost for most organizations, followed by small amounts.
utilities, maintenance and telecommunications.
Only a third of the organizations reported spending Over two thirds (69 per cent) of the non-profits and
money on marketing and outreach activities, with the organizations that are not formally registered
organizations reporting that their strained budgets receive donations from individuals, but only in a
mean that they are unable to accommodate such few cases do these donations constitute one of
expenses. About half of the organizations make use their main income streams.
of the legal provisions for tax exemption, but they
reported that this process is difficult and some Income: Most organizations have a mix of sources
respondents were unaware of their tax status. of income. Most (72 per cent) of the organizations
derive income from private sources, with at least
Most (78 per cent) of the surveyed organizations six reporting this as at the highest contributor of
are fairly new, as they have been in operation for income, mainly through corporate donations, and
fewer than three years. Of the rest, one reported four also list individual giving as a source. Sales
a surplus each year over the three previous years, of services and goods (both artwork/productions
one reported a surplus in two out of three years and merchandise) are among the largest income
and two reported a deficit in two out of three years. generators, indicating that many organizations
employ an entrepreneurial approach to maintain
their activities. However, many respondents noted
that the market for their products and services
is small and sales are not easy. Ticket sales,
rental income, royalties and license fees are only
significant sources of income for a few actors.
Three organizations receive income from rents
and two reported receiving income from fees from
royalties and licensing.

107
 Challenges
• Small pool of institutional donors: While
some CCI organizations receive support
from international donors, for most of the
organizations gaining access to such funding
and achieving long-term financial security
are major challenges. Many organizations
operate hand to mouth and find it hard to
attract donors. The funding preferences of
the few institutional donors operating in
Myanmar tend to be for projects rather than
operating expenses.
• Formal registration is required for funding
support: While Myanmar’s law allows
organizations to operate informally, such
groups are ineligible for most forms of
institutional funding support.
• Onerous process of registering as an NGO
and applying for tax-free status: This
bureaucratic process is especially difficult
for small organizations and collectives that
have grown out of individual artists’ personal
initiatives. Such organizations therefore tend
to be predominantly self-financed, with weak
organizational capacity.
• Weak market: The market for creative
products is very small and very few people
are willing to pay for arts and culture or have
the means to do so.
• High rents and tax: The financial burden is
further strained by the high cost of rent and
taxes for those who pay them.
• Volatile political environment: The volatility
of the political environment and favouritism
of certain groups negatively impacts the
sustainability of CCI organizations.
• Lack of legal and regulatory policy
frameworks for the CCI sector: Uncertainty
and lack of clarity can hinder CCI
organizations.
• Weak organizational capacity: Staff at
CCI organizations often lack training in
business administration, financial planning,
resource mobilization, fundraising, strategic
communication and outreach.
108
109
 The Philippines
Country Brief

Introduction Organizations of the CCI

sector
The Philippines is home to a variety of cultural
resources owing to its geographical and ethnic
Of the twenty-one organizations surveyed, six were
diversity and the deep and complex history
registered as for-profit private companies, three
of colonization, intercultural exchange and
were charitable trusts and foundations, one was
negotiation. Efforts since 2008 to classify and map
an association, five were informal groups and two
the CCI environment include gathering baseline
were collectives. Two of the organizations reported
data on the CCI sector to create a map of the
being in the process of becoming registered, one
industry, institutionalizing grant systems and tax
was registered as an NGO and one described itself
benefits to incentivize the formation of cultural
as a ‘government-registered community-based
groups and products, and greater coordination
heritage volunteer organization’. The status of CCI
between government agencies to create a general
organizations has an impact on how they operate
strategic roadmap and a solid policy framework to
and on their financial situation because Philippine
facilitate the operations of the CCI sector. Despite
law distinguishes between for-profit and non-profit
these positive developments, challenges remain,
organizations. The survey responses indicate that
especially in the financial context of CCI sector.
the majority of the surveyed organizations were
There remains a lack of awareness among the
performing arts or multidisciplinary organizations,
surveyed CCI organizations regarding accessible
with the remainder being in the visual arts, craft,
government support, a lack of cohesion between
film, design and literature sub-sectors.
existing policies for CCI support, a lack of access to
information about these policies and associated
programmes, and a bureaucratic process that
complicates the disbursement of grants. As a
result, most CCI organizations rely on individual
donations and corporate sponsorships to ensure
their continued operations and function. The
challenges that CCI organizations face are also
impacted by cultural assumptions regarding the
value of creative goods and services.

110
The financial context Funding opportunities
of CCI organizations and financing structures
Grants and other funding: There are numerous

Operating costs government-based grant opportunities covering

traditional arts and performing arts, and in

The two largest expenses of CCI organizations are recent years these have been extended to cover

human resources and project costs, followed by film and new media. These grant schemes

marketing. Utilities and rent are not major expenses include seed capital for initiatives and travel

because rental spaces are usually obtained via grants to enable participation in international

connections (and therefore at discounted rates) symposia and exhibitions. Such grants are overly-

and utility costs are generally manageable. Other bureaucratic, however, and in some cases involve

expenditures, including equipment rental and reimbursement schemes that put a financial

outreach tend to be specific to each sub-sector strain on CCI organizations. Because of this, CCI

and are also discounted due to the connections organizations tend to seek grants from foundations

that CCI organizations have. The dependence abroad, which more often than not have

of CCI organizations on networks highlights the streamlined procedures and involve immediate

frequently overlooked but important aspect of disbursement. Although ten organizations report

their work: the maintenance of social capital. receiving government funding, these are mostly in

This social capital ensures that these connections small proportions, and only one lists it as a major

flourish, which in turn ensures that these CCI source of income (up to 50 per cent) while two

organizations are able to remain in operation.. list it as about one third of their income. Around
three quarters (76 per cent) of the organizations
are receiving some form of private support, but for
most these are in relatively small proportions (20
per cent to 40 per cent) whether corporate funding,
corporate donations or individual donations.

Income: CCI organizations in the Philippines

support themselves through a range of
means, including sales of merchandise, fees
for performances, design services and rental
of spaces for other groups to use. Almost half
the surveyed organizations (ten out of twenty-
one) showed some diversity in their sources of
income and some evidence of entrepreneurship.
However, while diversity of sources is positive, four
organizations reported only small proportions
of income across most of the options offered,
suggesting a more opportunistic than strategic
approach to income generation. The survival of
the organizations, in terms of staying afloat despite

111
 their small margins from earned income, depends
significantly on their resourcefulness and their
Challenges
connections, which ensure low operating costs.
Sales appears to be the most significant form of • Difficulties in accessing government
revenue, with only one unregistered organization support: While the government provides
not engaging in sales of any kind. For 57 per cent several grant opportunities, these are
of the organizations, sales form the bulk of their often not advertised or information about
income. Six organizations reported income from them is not disseminated well because of
rentals and fees from royalties and licensing. technological challenges, and they involve
complicated bureaucratic procedures.
• CCI labour is undervalued: The development
of the creative industry is limited because
labour in this industry is undervalued.
Workers often participate on a pro-bono
basis, and creative work is usually seen as
merely a hobby.
• Inadequate baseline data for policy
formation: Lack of data hinders the ability to
address the issues faced by CCI organizations.
Although there are plans to draft a holistic
country framework for the CCI sector and
to collect data, it is necessary to ensure
that micro and small CCI organizations are
covered by this process.

112
 Singapore
Country Brief The arts sector is heavily dependent on
government support and private funding sources
are under-developed A key issue is that the supply

Introduction of arts and culture products and services exceed

demand due to a small market for the creations of
local practitioners.
Singapore has made significant investments in

Organizations of the CCI

the development of artistic and CCI infrastructure
since the 1990s. According to the Cultural Statistics
Report 2019 published by the Ministry of Culture,
Community and Youth (MCCY), the budget
sector
allocation for arts and heritage in 2017 was SGD
438.13 million (approximately USD 314.5 million). Of the thirty-four organizations that responded to
the survey, twenty-two are non-profits and twelve
Policies to develop the arts and the creative are for-profits. As is typical of the landscape in
sector have been in place for over twenty years. Singapore, the majority (eighteen) of the non-
The government conducts periodic reviews of the profits are registered as public companies. Three
national arts and culture policies and prepares are societies and one is listed as a charitable trust.
five-year strategic plans. The development of Of the non-profits, fourteen have charity status.
the CCI sector is highly planned with ministries Almost all (eleven) of the for-profit organizations
and agencies (statutory boards) tasked with are private companies, and one is a partnership.
the implementation of policies and plans. The
development of the arts and culture is the Nine of the organizations are engaged in the
responsibility of the National Arts Council (NAC), performing arts and nine are multidisciplinary.
while heritage is managed by the National The remaining sub-sectors represented include
Heritage Board (NHB); both fall under the purview music, visual arts, literature, film and animation,
of the MCCY. Policy development is overseen by design and craft, with one identifying specifically
the Design Singapore Council, which in 2018 was as traditional arts and one as an arts-based
placed under the Economic Development Board as community development company.
part of a strategy to increase the business potential
of design companies. The local film industry is
supported by the Singapore Film Commission,
under the Infocomm Media Development Authority
(IMDA).

With world-class facilities and integrated policies,

Singaporean practitioners enjoy significant
financial and infrastructure support from the
government and also benefit from employment
opportunities via projects and commissions for
the government agencies. CCI organizations are
able to take advantage of grant provisions and
other forms of support offered by the government
through the various agencies.

114
Financial context of a surplus in two out of the three years. At the oth-

CCI organizations
er end of the spectrum, six reported a deficit three
years running.

Operating costs Funding opportunities

and financing structures
For most of the surveyed organizations, the largest
expense is human resources. Surprisingly, rent was Grants and other funding: The Singapore
found to be a relatively small expense, possibly government has an extensive system of support
due to subsidized studio and office rentals for in terms of grants, incentive schemes, tax
arts organizations under the NAC’s Arts Housing exemption and benefits. These are linked to
scheme. corporate regulatory frameworks, as well as to
charity registration rules and Institution of Public
Project costs or the cost of producing/presenting Character (IPC) status, which are mechanisms for
their core activity is a large expense for almost monitoring and governance. In addition to giving
every organization surveyed. Many of the surveyed funds directly to organizations, the government
organizations engage in marketing and outreach also facilitates corporate and private giving. One
but that is a relatively small proportion of their such facilitation mechanism is the government’s
budgets. A small number of respondents listed annual recognition of corporations and individuals
touring and travel as a significant expense. that donate to the arts as ‘patrons of the arts’.

Taking into consideration the high cost of living Twenty-five out of the thirty-four surveyed
and labour in Singapore, operating budgets are organizations (73.5 per cent) receive government
considerable, with twenty-one of the thirty-four grants and for fifteen of them it is their largest
surveyed organizations reporting budgets of USD source of funds. Most of these are non-profits, but
100,000 or more. Five organizations reported there are also five private companies that report
a budget of under USD 10,000, but all were receiving funding from the government, most likely
organizations with unsalaried members. in the form of fees from government agencies as
clients.
Fewer than half of the organizations seem to be
financially stable, with only seven reporting a
surplus in the past three years and eight reporting

115
 Over half (53 per cent) also receive money from
private sources. Of these, all benefit from private
Challenges
donations, fourteen receive corporate donations
or sponsorships, ten receive donations from local • Limited domestic market: The country’s
philanthropic organizations or foundations, and small size affects supply and demand, where
three list international foundations as a source. creative capacities have outgrown demand.
• High cost of doing business: Particularly for
Income: Organizations support themselves more commercially-oriented organizations
through various means, with some diversity in and for-profit companies, daily operating
income sources. These include, in order of the most costs and expenses to maintain market
frequently cited and proportion of income received: competitiveness were all major concerns.
government funding, corporate sponsorship and • Donor cultivation: A lack of understanding or
philanthropy, individual donations and sales. A demand by donors, low levels of awareness
few organizations also reported receiving income or appreciation, and greater interest in
from royalties and license fees. sectors such as health and education. In a
small country, this is especially challenging
Eighteen organizations derive income from for smaller organizations that compete for
ticket sales and for four of these it is their biggest attention in a small pool against larger,
revenue source. One organization lists the bulk well-established ‘prestige’ or national
of their income from the sales of artwork and organizations.
merchandise, and this organization also happens • Audience development: While government
to be a for-profit company that listed ‘retailer’ as efforts have had an impact in terms of
one of the things they do as a company. A third infrastructure development and funding,
of the organizations derive most of their income greater education and audience-building
from sales overall and of these eight are private efforts are needed to stimulate interest in
companies and therefore more dependent on consumption of CCI goods and services.
commercial means of generating income. Two
organizations earn income from performance fees
and commissions, three from education-related
work and running workshops, and one listed
‘interest-free loan from family’.

116
 Thailand
Country Brief

Introduction Organizations of
the CCI sector
Thailand has seen the emergence of small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups and Of the thirty-two surveyed CCI organizations,
social enterprises over the past five years, and fourteen were registered as for-profit private
has seen increasing attention by the government companies, one was registered as a charitable
on developing a creative economy strategy and trust and one was registered as a social enterprise.
improving the export of Thai creative goods. The others were mostly unregistered collectives
In 2018, the government founded the Creative and informal groups.
Economy Agency under the Prime’s Minister Office
with the mission: ‘to promote the creative economy In Thailand, for-profit companies can register as
as a driving force for a balanced and sustainable either an ordinary or limited liability partnership
economy’. This agency acts as the focal point for or as a private company, while non-profits can
inter-ministerial collaboration and public-private register as foundations or associations. Few CCI
partnerships in support of the CCI sector. In recent organizations register as foundations, however,
years the government has also promoted creative due to the high cost of such registration.
economy networks, leading to the rise of industry
associations, federations, regional cooperation
clusters and local cooperation clusters. While
not new, the social enterprise model has only
recently been properly legalized, with the passing
of a law in 2019. The law is expected to lead to a
more sustainable and transparent financial and
operating mechanism for CCI organizations.

118
Financial environment Funding opportunities
of CCI organizations and financing structures
Grants and other funding: Currently, the Ministry
Operating costs of Culture makes available several annual
funds and grants to contemporary artists, both
By far the largest expense reported by the surveyed individuals and organizations, especially in the
CCI organizations was human resources, followed crafts and film sub-sectors, but this funding is
by the costs of rent, utilities and project costs. Most administered inconsistently and without a long-
pay taxes and licensing fees, and engage in some term strategy on developing the CCI sector as a
form of marketing, but these costs are low. whole. Thus, it tends to be perceived as static and
inflexible, and as a ‘one-off’ form of support.
Almost half of the surveyed organizations had been
in operation for fewer than three years. Of those In February 2019, Thailand passed a new law
in operation for three or more years, six reported on social enterprises aimed at facilitating the
having a surplus in the previous three consecutive creation of more socially-oriented businesses and
years and six reported a deficit over the previous this may have positive impacts on the CCI sector.
three years. Changes are anticipated for CCI frameworks and
strategies in Thailand as the government revises
its economic development plans and twenty-year
national strategy.

Ten of the surveyed organizations reported

receiving some form of government funding,
with two listing it as the largest portion of their
funding (as high as 90 per cent) while for the rest
government funding represents less than 30 per
cent of their total income.

Fewer than half of the surveyed organizations

listed private or corporate donations and corporate
sponsorship as a source of funding. For those who
did list this as a source of funding most listed
it as making up between 10 per cent and 20 per
cent of their total funding. Three reported that it
represented between 70 per cent and 100 per cent
of their funding. Two of the surveyed organizations
listed their founder’s personal contributions as
their largest source of funding.

Income: Sales are an important source of income

for 80 per cent of the respondents, and for ten
organizations it is their largest source of funds. Two
organizations, both informal unregistered groups
identifying as hubs, reported that they derive the
bulk of their income from rental of spaces. One
119
 organization, a commercial private gallery, listed
investments in stocks as a source of funds. While
Challenges
only five organizations showed diversity in their
sources of income, most of them appear to be • Inconsistent strategies and policy
relatively successful in their ventures as they earn coordination: Policies related to CCI are not
significant income from their specific activities. coordinated and there is no clear strategy for
a consultation mechanism. The Ministry of
Culture and the Creative Economy Agency
are working towards setting up intersectoral
collaboration for the CCI in order to map out
all the related ministries and line agencies
responsibilities and existing policies.
• No clear definition and no data on the CCI’s
contribution to the economy: The definition
of ‘cultural and creative industries’ is
understood differently in different ministries
and there is no reliable cultural statistics and
data to assess the contribution that the CCI
sector makes to national GDP.

120
 Viet Nam
Country Brief Organizations of
the CCI sector
Introduction
The survey responses indicate that in Viet
Nam most CCI organizations are registered as
In Viet Nam, the idea of developing policies and commercial enterprises. Of the twenty-eight
strategies for cultural and creative industries is organizations surveyed, 60 per cent were for-
relatively new. In 2016, the government approved profit organizations, with eleven registered
a national strategy for the development of cultural as private companies and a smaller number
industries, which focuses on five sectors: film, registered as joint-stock companies, ‘family’ or
performing arts, cultural tourism, advertising ‘household’ businesses, five as informal groups,
and fine arts, and photography and exhibitions. two as collectives and one as a social enterprise.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is Registration as a non-profit organization is
responsible for the implementation of the strategy complicated and registering as a social enterprise
at both the provincial and national levels. The is viewed as having no tangible benefits.
strategy is being implemented across the country, Regardless of their structure or registration status,
with priority given to three centres for cultural many organizations see themselves as non-profit
industries Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. organizations because that category best reflects
their vision, mission and actual work.

With regard to their main activities, most

respondents described themselves as being in the
visual arts and design sub-sectors, and the rest
were in the performing arts, film, animation and
arts education sub-sectors.

122
The financial context
of CCI organizations

Operating costs Funding opportunities

and financing structures
Most CCI organizations in Viet Nam operate with
modest annual budgets. The majority of the Grants and other funding: The responses
surveyed institutions reported an annual operating to the survey indicate that there are funding
budget under USD 100,000, with a substantial opportunities for the CCI sector, but most are small
number of the respondents (24 per cent) operating and short-term. While some government funding is
on less than USD 10,000 per annum. available, grants from non-governmental sources
are preferred. Seven of the respondents reported
Costs associated with human resources, including receiving some form of government funding,
salaries and benefits, account for the largest though it is not clear whether this was grants
portion of most organizations’ operating expenses, that organizations applied for or whether the
followed by office and studio rental. Most of the organizations provide services to a government
surveyed CCI organizations in Viet Nam function client. Almost half (47 per cent) of the respondents
with a small number of people, however, with only receive private donations and a third of the
a quarter of those surveyed employing more than organizations receive funding through corporate
ten people. The cost of running projects is also sponsorships. For one organization, corporate
substantial, making up almost half their overall sponsorship is their largest source of income. Only
costs. Some organizations cited marketing and one organization reported funding from foreign
outreach as significant costs. donors as a source of income.

123
 Income: Of the twenty-eight organizations
surveyed, only four show some diversity in their
Challenges
sources of income. Diversifying income sources
remains a challenge, especially in the context of • Unsustainable business models:
high uncertainty in securing financial resources Sustainability could be improved through
and managing human resources. Almost two the diversification of income sources, which
thirds (60 per cent) of the surveyed organizations could be achieved through expanding the
generate income through sales. For eight of the organizations’ range of products and services
organizations in the performing arts and visual arts and achieving a balance between cultural/
sub-sector, sales of tickets or artworks are their social purposes and financial profits.
primary sources of income. Nine organizations • Lack of skilled human resources: Hiring
reported sales of merchandise and services as people with the appropriate skills, combined
primary sources of income. with passion and resilience in the face of
uncertainty is a challenge.
• Lack of funding: Funding tends to be limited
and short-term.
• Lack of incentives and benefits:
Organizations in the CCI sector do not have
access to benefits in areas such as taxation,
concessions on land rental fees and access
to credit. This is related to ambiguities in the
legal status of CCI organizations.
• Market and audiences: Audiences/
consumers are limited; a domestic market
that would be willing to pay for CCI products
and services is still being developed.

124
125
 Recommendations

In view of the goals of the

2005 convention and the
need for multiple pathways,
as identified by the UNESCO
Creative Economy Report 2013,
the study of the financial
context of the CCI sector in
SEA identified fundamental
issues that need to be
addressed in tandem with,
or even before, financial
development strategies
for CCI. The following five
recommendations are aimed
at addressing those issues.

126
Develop enabling
strategies, action
plans, policies and
data collection
mechanisms

It is important that
governments recognize that a
more holistic and integrated,
i. Audience development
cross-ministerial approach to aligned with arts education,
strategy planning is needed in and skills development of
order to achieve healthy growth artists and creative/culture
of the CCI sector in SEA. workers;
ii. Provision of hard
This process can begin infrastructure – upgrading
with detailed mapping of of national institutions,
the roles and strategies of subsidized rent for CCI
existing government players. businesses, enabling access
New agencies set up for to facilities and equipment
the administration of CCI – combined with soft
development and support infrastructure of a skilled
will need to take into account and knowledgeable work-
the overall coordination force as administrators,
mechanism. including those working
in government cultural
There is also an urgent need for departments;
more robust and representative iii. Ease of doing business and
baseline data that is sector- regulatory frameworks;
specific and that takes into iv. Sector-specific market
account production and analysis to understand
distribution chain linkages. production and distribution
chains.
As well as provision of funding,
policy development and/or
strengthening is needed in the
following areas:
127
 Strenghten Implement
local governance new models of
and community organization
participation
This study found that many CCI
organizations are operating
Responsibility for CCI
in a hybrid manner, either
development needs to be
registered as for-profit but with
enacted at all levels, from the
a non-profit ideology, purpose
municipal level through the
and practice; or as for-profit
state/province/district level to
with strong social purpose.
the national level. Situating
While some appear to be
policy-making and enactment
surviving adequately with such
at the municipal level and
ambiguity, this situation has led
decentralizing government
to uncertainties about taxation
administration can be one way
and frustrations in identifying
to alleviate the pressures at the
and accessing appropriate
federal/state level, while also
income streams. Recognizing
allowing for greater access by
that if a clear operational model
people to their lawmakers.
is not defined and supported
by the system, an organization
There is a need for increased
will inevitably encounter new
advocacy for the facilitation
challenges as it grows. In
of dialogue between
alignment with global trends
government officials, civil
of revising organizational
society organizations and CCI
structures in recognition of the
practitioners and groups. Even
changing needs in both the
in countries like the Philippines
business and philanthropic
where there are already
sectors, it is recommended that
mechanisms for communication
governments of countries in the
between the state and civil
SEA region invest in exploring
society organizations, there are
a broader range of models.
obstacles in terms of access,
These could include social
efficiency and transparency.
enterprises, the community
128
interest company model and sustainable development
the various models identified as goals, including through
‘for-benefit’ organizations in the North-South, South-South
fourth sector. and triangular cooperation’,
it is recommended that
Thailand and Viet Nam are governments take advantage of
now introducing the social opportunities for intra-regional
enterprise model, with such cooperation, such as through
organizations becoming legally- agencies such as UNESCO and
recognized entities. This could ASEAN, for capacity-building
be beneficial for the sector in and knowledge exchange. Some
the long run. In Indonesia the of the systems of support and
‘cooperative entity’ has been schemes that are currently in
identified as a form supportive place, notably in Indonesia and
of the needs and hybrid Singapore, are possible models
nature of CCI groups, but such for adaptation. Cooperation
organizations are still relatively at the ASEAN level between
complex to register so adoption cultural agencies and ministries
of this organizational structure could help address deficiencies
is limited. in skills and knowledge within
government departments
in some countries with
Strengthen underdeveloped infrastructure.
collaboration across
the South-East Asian
region
In accordance with SDG Target
17.9: ‘Enhance international
support for implementing
effective and targeted capacity-
building in developing
countries to support national
plans to implement all the
129
 Integrate culture
into sustainable
development
The integration of culture
into existing sustainable
framework development frameworks
is also a logical move for
Too often, cultural policy is countries that lack sufficient
not aligned with a country’s capital to offer financial aid to
sustainable development goals. the CCI sector. As CCI policies
It is important for national are still being developed or
governments to develop a are yet to be fully developed
holistic and comprehensive in many countries, there is an
system to support the culture opportunity for a much more
sector, one that goes beyond integrated and analytical
political and/or nationalist approach.
agendas. Culture should be
recognized for its contribution It is recommended that
to social capital, environmental municipal governments also
sustainability and community integrate the culture sector,
identity, beyond just economic notably small and medium-
benefits. Viewing culture sized CCIs, into their overall
solely in economic terms, development policies, taking
for its tourism income or its into account the specific
connection with the digital characteristics of the sector.
economy, can have adverse This will help to address the
impacts on sustainability precarity of CCI workers and
as it neglects fundamental enable them to better withstand
characteristics of the CCI sector. market forces and competition
with fully commercial
enterprises.

130
Conclusions

This study examined the

frameworks of policy, financial
support and business
operations of CCI organizations
in SEA. It revealed gaps in
terms of policy provision and
the challenges faced by CCI
organizations, and this report
recommends several measures
to improve the financial and
market environment for these
organizations, including
revising or creating policies
and implementing appropriate
models of organization.

131
 Credits Page 39
© SIRKAM, Women’s Creative
Page 61
© Lattankorn / Khao Niew Theatre
Circulation Company

Cover page Page 41 Page 63

Embedded photos: © Aung Kyaw © Myanmar Deitta © Siong Leng Musical Association
Tun / Inwa School of Performing
Arts, © Myanmar Deitta Page 43 Page 65
© Jerwyn Buenaventura / British © Penang House of Music
Page 3 Council
© Heritage Space Page 69
Page 45 © Sunitha Janamohanan /
Page 10 © Sanit Chitra-chinda / Mayarith Titikmerah Collective
Top © La Lanta Fine Arts
Middle © MondiBlanc Film Page 49 Page 71
Workshop © SAtheCollective © Penang Island Jazz Festival /
Bottom © Matca Penang House of Music
Page 50
Page 13 © Phare Ponleu Selpak / Phare Page 72
Top © Myanmar Deitta Circus © Matca
Bottom © Hélène Ouvrard /
Vientianale Page 51 Page 75
Top left © Phare Circus Top left © Nabilah Said /
Page 23 Top right © Yun Ranuth / Phare ArtsEquator Ltd.
© MondiBlanc Film Workshop Circus Middle right © ArtsEquator Ltd.
Bottom right © Mam Senleaphea /
Page 27 Phare Circus Page 77
Top left © VOA KHMER / Epic Arts Top right and bottom right
Top right © Epic Arts Page 53 © BIPAM
Middle right © Paul Bloomfield/ © Five Art Centre Middle right © The New Yangon
Epic Arts Theatre Institute
Bottom right © Epic Arts Page 54
© Johanes Bily / Prakerti Collective Page 79
Page 29 Intelligence © Hélène Ouvrard / Vientianale
© The Sound Initiative International Film Festival
Page 55
Page 30 © Serrum.id Page 83
© MondiBlanc Film Workshop Top left and bottom left
Page 57 © Shma Soen
Top left © Vietnam Creative Hub Top right © Shma Company
Page 32 Initiative / Heritage Space Limited
© Aung Kyaw Tun / Inwa School of Top right © Félix-Antoine Morin /
Performing Arts Heritage Space Page 85
Middle right and bottom left © La Lanta Fine Art
Page 35 © Heritage Space
© TPD Page 91
© Epic Arts
132
Page 93 Page 113
© The Sound Initiative © Bagane Fiola / British Council

Page 94 Page 114

© Serrum.id © ArtsEquator Ltd

Page 95 Page 115

© MondiBlanc Film Workshop Bottom left © SAtheCollective
Bottom right © Siong Leng Musical
Page 97 Association
© SIRKAM Women’s Creative
Circulation Page 117
© Siong Leng Musical Association
Page 98
© Lattankorn / Khao Niew Theatre Page 118
Company Bottom left © San’ Chitra-chinda
Bottom right © La Lanta Fine Art
Page 99
Bottom left © Association for Page 119
Promotion and Preservation of © BIPAM
Art and Literature (PPAL)
Bottom right © Hélène Ouvrard Page 121
/ Vientianale International Film © UNESCO Bangkok
Festival
Page 122
Page 101 © TPD
© Lattankorn / Khao Niew Theatre
Company Page 123
Bottom left © Wouter Vanhees /
Page 102 Matca
© Five Arts Centre Bottom right © Heritage Space

Page 103 Page 125

© Penang House of Music © Wouter Vanhees / Matca

Page 105
© Five Arts Centre

Page 106
Bottom left © Aung Kyaw Tun /
Inwa School Performing Arts
Bottom right © Myanmar Deitta

Page 109
© Myanmar Deitta

Page 111
© Apa Feliciano / British Council 133
 The publication, Backstage: Managing Creativity and the Arts
in South-East Asia, draws on the findings of UNESCO’s recent
study of the creative sector in the nine countries of the South-
East Asian region (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam).

The publication showcases the policy environments in which

the creative sector is operating and concretely identifies
areas in which exchanges and further development can be
engineered to unleash the full potential of the sector. It also
tells the stories of the twenty-nine organizations across the
region, serving as examples of those who are on the front line
of moving the sector forward.

134 9 789231 004438