Creative industries and disaster resilience: A focus on arts- and culture-based industries in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to determine the mechanisms through which creative industries build resilience to disasters in the Global South. Existing studies on the resilience of creative industries have been dominated by the context of economic crises in urban Europe and digital-based sectors. We examine the extent to which arguments based on this literature are applicable to arts- and culture-based creative industries in the Global South, which have different characteristics and face different types of shocks, including natural hazards. We develop a conceptual framework that enables a comprehensive comprehension of the disaster resilience exhibited by creative industries, considering their unique characteristics and dynamics. We employ qualitative research methods in which a case study is set in three villages in Lombok and Yogyakarta regions, Indonesia, that represent different strengths of attachments to tradition and times taken to build resilience after disasters. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with local stakeholders, and the resulting data is analyzed using an interactive model. Our findings show that arts- and culture-based creative industries have inherent capacities that help them carry out with their businesses after disasters, namely creativity, the ability to maintain their market segments, and motivation for cultural preservation and empowerment. Nonetheless, it is imperative to convert these abilities into the capacity to find new knowledge and identify opportunities for enhancing resilience. The role of external assistance matters in building resilience, especially from physical damages and losses, but it remains the capacity of business owners to organize their businesses to be able to face any new challenges.