Nadine Manissha Aprilli from SMA Negeri 1 Amlapura, Bali, won First Place, while Muhammad Danish Rakhshan of SMA Taruna Muhammadiyah Gunungpring claimed Second Place. The Third Place award went to Lillah Maghfirotul Karimah from Albukhary International University, Malaysia.
MARITIMEPOSTS.COM – JAKARTA – Young storytellers from across Southeast Asia have been recognized for their creativity and commitment to preserving the region’s rich oral traditions through the ASEAN Lumina 2026 Storytelling Competition.
Organized as part of the ASEAN Lumina cultural initiative, the competition attracted 173 participants from ASEAN member countries, highlighting the growing enthusiasm among youth to celebrate shared heritage through the art of storytelling.
The competition provided a platform for students and young creatives to reinterpret traditional narratives while promoting the cultural values that connect ASEAN communities.
Participants showcased stories inspired by local wisdom, folklore, and oral traditions, reflecting the diversity and richness of Southeast Asia’s cultural landscape.
Indonesia emerged as the strongest performer in this year’s competition, securing four of the five top recognitions.
Nadine Manissha Aprilli from SMA Negeri 1 Amlapura, Bali, won First Place, while Muhammad Danish Rakhshan of SMA Taruna Muhammadiyah Gunungpring claimed Second Place. The Third Place award went to Lillah Maghfirotul Karimah from Albukhary International University, Malaysia.
The First Honorable Mention was awarded to Ma La Wonn Aein of the National University of Art and Culture (Mandalay), Myanmar, while Ni Made Ayu Keya Lakhsmi Divyananda from Labschool Kebayoran Senior High School, Indonesia, received the Second Honorable Mention.
In announcing the results, Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture extended its congratulations to the winners and expressed appreciation to all participants for their creativity, dedication, and passion in preserving ASEAN’s cultural heritage.
The ministry noted that the competition demonstrates how storytelling remains a powerful medium for safeguarding cultural identity while encouraging dialogue and mutual understanding among young people across Southeast Asia.
The selected winners will be contacted by the organizing committee regarding prizes and their participation in ASEAN Lumina: Waves of Resonance 2026, an international cultural gathering scheduled to take place in Makassar, Indonesia, from 11 to 14 August 2026.
The event is expected to bring together artists, cultural practitioners, academics, and youth representatives from across the ASEAN region to celebrate cultural diversity through storytelling, performances, discussions, and collaborative exchanges.
It also aims to strengthen people-to-people connections while promoting the region’s shared cultural heritage on an international stage.
Through initiatives such as the ASEAN Lumina Storytelling Competition, organizers hope to encourage younger generations to preserve traditional narratives while exploring new and creative ways of communicating cultural values.
As oral traditions continue to evolve in the digital era, storytelling remains an important bridge between past and present, helping foster intercultural understanding and reinforcing the sense of community that unites the ASEAN family.
