Written by: Viony Prajogo
Most people see Indonesian Culture Night (ICN) Cultural Production as just another university musical. But to us the students who build it, it is so much more. It began in 2007 with nothing more than a spark of ambition, a dream shared by a handful of Indonesian students at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
No big budget. No professional crew. Just heart, ambition, and a belief that stories rooted in home deserved a stage. That belief became a movement, one that brings people together, pushes us to grow, and reminds us that with the right community, we can build something truly meaningful.
About ICN
In its early years, ICN drew deeply from our cultural roots, myths, folktales, and ancestral wisdom. Our productions echoed with traditional dances, classical melodies, and pride in where we came from. But as Indonesia evolved, and as we, its youth, grew with it, so did the stories we chose to tell. Today, our productions reflect on where we are from and who we are now, shaped by experience, vulnerability, and voice. ICN’s journey has been a constant cycle of evolving and reflections.
We spoke of prophecies and ancestral burdens in 2013, love and sacrifice in 2018, healing in 2023, the struggles of young artists from passion and expectation in 2024. And in 2025, we stood at the edge of twilight, asking what it means to be remembered. These are reflections of our generation, woven with care by each cast, each crew, and each story that adds to the growing legacy.
Dedication, Effort & Success
What makes ICN special is not just what is on stage, it is about who puts it there. They are a hundred NTU students who pour in their nights, weekends, and holidays into something that may live for one day, but leaves a lasting mark. Up to that one moment when we, the crew, finally say, “we did it”, and someone in the crowd turns and whispers, “this is amazing”.
A Voice for Indonesian Students Abroad
ICN is where identity finds its voice. For many Indonesian students living abroad, home can sometimes feel distant, unfamiliar places, and evolving expectations. But ICN reminds us that we never truly left. Home lives in the voices we raise, the stories we tell, and the culture we celebrate. It connects students from different cities, schools, and walks of life, creating a space where we can be proud of who we are together, and in our own voice.
That purpose of building something that unites and speaks, is what fuels us, year after year for the spark to return. This year we will be holding our show Amerta – A Musical on 14 February 2026 at the Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building. The legend lives again, and with it, the promise that new voices will rise, and new stories will be told. Stories we cannot wait to share with the world.
📅 14 February 2026
📍 Drama Centre Theatre
Secure tickets now at show.icnmusical.com
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