Jakarta, August 28, 2026 – The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) is accelerating post-disaster recovery in Aceh Tamiang Regency, Aceh, through the “Cerita Pulih: Photography and Storytelling Training” program. Through the program, Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya emphasized that the creative economy provides communities with opportunities to develop skills, produce creative works, and transform their experiences into economic potential.
The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) is accelerating post-disaster recovery in Aceh Tamiang Regency, Aceh, through the “Cerita Pulih: Photography and Storytelling Training” program.
“Post-disaster recovery is not only about rebuilding what has been damaged, but also about rebuilding the spirit, capacity, and opportunities for communities to move forward. Through the creative economy, communities can become part of this process by producing works that document their journey while also opening up new economic opportunities,” said Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky on Thursday (27/8).
The program, organized by the Directorate of Publishing and Photography of the Ministry of Creative Economy, was attended by 70 local photographers and videographers at WD Coffee, Karang Baru. It aims to transform experiences of disaster into visual works with economic value by strengthening visual skills, narrative writing, and digital content monetization. Director of Publishing and Photography Iman Santosa said that post-disaster recovery is not only about rebuilding infrastructure and meeting the physical needs of communities, but also about restoring their spirit, capacity, and productivity.
“We do not want communities to merely become the subjects of a story. We want them to become the storytellers, creators, and key actors in the recovery process itself,” said Iman Santosa.
According to Iman, through photography, writing, and storytelling, community experiences can be documented and transformed into works that carry value while opening up economic opportunities. Stories of how communities survive, recover, and rebuild their lives can become part of the recovery process while creating space for the growth of creative economy activities in disaster-affected areas.
The activity was opened by Assistant III for General Administration of the Aceh Tamiang Regency Government, M. Zein, together with Director of Publishing and Photography Iman Santosa. During the training, participants received materials from Nurul Fauziah and Ferdy Siregar covering photography skills, storytelling, and writing, including an understanding of opportunities to commercialize their works through stock photography platforms, social media, and other digital channels.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
In addition to classroom sessions, participants took part in hands-on photography practices with support from Xiaomi Indonesia, which provided mobile phone units to be used during the training. Xiaomi Indonesia also presented door prizes to participants with the best works, while Faber-Castell Indonesia provided stationery as prizes for the top three participants in the photography and storytelling practice.
As one of the program’s outputs, the documentary photographs produced by participants during the training will be compiled into a book. The book will serve as a visual archive documenting the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the creative economy following the disaster in Aceh Tamiang, as well as documenting the implementation of the Ministry of Creative Economy’s program.
A similar activity was previously held in Padang Pariaman Regency on August 20, 2026, and will next be held in South Tapanuli Regency on September 17, 2026. Through this series of programs, the Ministry of Creative Economy is promoting a recovery process focused not only on physical aspects, but also on strengthening community capacity, creativity, and economic opportunities.
