PHNOM PENH — France and ASEAN have officially launched Creative ASEAN, a major new regional initiative designed to deepen ties and expand collaboration across the arts, culture, and creative sectors in France and all 11 ASEAN Member States.
Announced at the Residence of France in Jakarta, Creative ASEAN creates a unified regional framework and support network aimed at driving artistic creation, professional capacity-building, knowledge exchange, and cross-border partnerships.
A Unified Framework for Regional Culture
Supported by the ASEAN-France Fund under the broader ASEAN-France Development Partnership, the program operates under the stewardship of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Culture and Arts (SOMCA). It directly supports the ASEAN Creative Economy Sustainability Framework adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit.
While France has long backed cultural projects in Southeast Asia through its network of Embassies, Instituts français, and Alliances françaises, Creative ASEAN consolidates these individual initiatives under one regional roof. This streamlined approach aims to broaden reach and generate expanded opportunities for creators across both regions.
“ASEAN has invested significantly in building our cultural identity and a thriving creative ecosystem. Creative ASEAN represents our sustained efforts towards building a strategic partnership that connects ASEAN’s dynamic creative landscape with France’s distinctive artistic excellence and expertise,”
— Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN
“Creative ASEAN reflects our shared ambition to deepen cultural ties between France and ASEAN Member States with a regional ambition. It will create new opportunities for artists, institutions and creative professionals to collaborate, exchange knowledge and develop projects with regional and international impact,”
— Fabien Penone, French Ambassador to ASEAN
Flagship Initiatives Across Every Member State
Under the new label, every ASEAN Member State will host at least one flagship initiative, guaranteeing a minimum of 11 new projects across the region. Participating host nations will run either:
- Research- or creation-focused artistic residencies, or
- Professional exchange and capacity-building workshops bringing together artists, curators, creative entrepreneurs, policymakers, cultural managers, and researchers.
Activities will take place locally or across multi-location itineraries involving both ASEAN and France. Priority fields include film and audiovisual production, design and fashion, performing arts and music, gaming and animation, immersive technology, literature, creative entrepreneurship, and cultural policy.
“Creative industries affirm our identities and breathe new life into our societies. Creative ASEAN brings together the strengths of ASEAN and France: France’s deep intellectual, historical, and artisanal capital… alongside Southeast Asia’s rich histories, distinct yet shared traditions, and growing prosperity,”
— Evangeline T. Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq, Philippine Permanent Representative to ASEAN
Mobility, Inclusion, and Strategic Networking
To encourage genuine cross-cultural dialogue, Creative ASEAN will feature multi-location and itinerant residencies. For instance, a creator may start research in one ASEAN country, develop the work in another, and finalize or showcase the project in France.
Direct participants will include approximately 15 to 20 residency delegates and 25 to 40 workshop and exchange professionals. The initiative will also engage creative hubs, festivals, galleries, industry bodies, investors, and private partners. Core principles of gender equity, youth engagement, geographical diversity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability are integrated throughout project delivery.
Building a Long-Term Digital Hub
To maintain momentum beyond individual events, Creative ASEAN is launching a dedicated digital resource and networking platform. The online portal will feature:
- An interactive regional map
- Comprehensive directories of cultural and creative organizations
- Calls for applications and funding opportunities
- Artist features, sector reports, and case studies
- Dedicated tools for professional networking and collaboration
The platform aims to give participating programs heightened regional and international visibility while serving as a lasting connection hub for the creative sectors of France and ASEAN.
