QMU graduate driving festival revolution in Indonesia wins prestigious British Council Award
Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh is proud to celebrate the achievements of an inspiring graduate who has been named the national winner of the Culture, Creativity and Sport Award at this year’s Study UK Alumni Awards, which recognise the global impact of UK-educated international alumni.
Dinda Intan Pramesti Putri, from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is a 2018 graduate of QMU’s MA Arts, Festival and Cultural Management. She received the award at a ceremony on 6 February 2026 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to her community, industry, and country.
Dinda was honoured for her pioneering work in festival management and cultural policy, particularly through founding Jogja Festivals - an umbrella organisation connecting more than 40 festivals across Yogyakarta. Her leadership has helped establish the city as a regional and international hub for festivals and creativity.
Reflecting on her award, Dinda said:
Studying in the UK was a transformative experience that reshaped how I understand culture, leadership, and collaboration. At QMU, I was challenged to connect academic theory with real-world practice while gaining hands-on experience within Edinburgh’s globally renowned festival sector. Those opportunities gave me the confidence to translate knowledge into action and inspired the vision for what I would later build in Yogyakarta.
Dinda’s journey into festival management began in 2015 during her time at Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, where she took part in the Yogyakarta City Branding & Festival Management Programme. A talk delivered by Festivals Edinburgh proved transformative, revealing how cities can strategically harness festivals to drive cultural and economic growth. Inspired by this approach, Dinda set out to champion Indonesia’s festivals as a powerful, yet underutilised, force in strengthening the nation’s creative economy and tourism sector.
She subsequently came to Scotland on a prestigious Chevening Scholarship to study at QMU, gaining extensive experience working across the city’s festival scene and in turn, a deeper knowledge of how festivals, culture and communities can align to shape and strengthen a city’s identity. Her master’s dissertation, ‘Feasibility Studies of Jogja Festivals: A Strategic Umbrella Organisation for Festivals in Yogyakarta, Indonesia’ compared the festival ecosystems of Edinburgh and Yogyakarta and later became the blueprint for her pioneering work.
On returning to Indonesia, Dinda left her government position to create Jogja Festivals, now recognised as a leading platform for collaboration, research, and cultural advocacy. Its flagship programmes include the Jogja Festivals Forum & Expo, which attracts more than 500 creative practitioners annually. In 2025, the organisation became an ASEAN partner for the Festivals Management Training Academy, drawing nearly 300 applicants from across the region. That same year, Yogyakarta was officially designated a ‘City of Festivals’, placing culture at the centre of its development - a vision first ignited during Dinda’s time in Edinburgh.
During her time at QMU, Dinda fully embraced Edinburgh’s world-leading festival scene, gaining experience across a wide range of arts organisations and events. Applying her thesis research in practice by establishing Jogja Festivals is a truly remarkable achievement. Her commitment and research has not only strengthened Yogyakarta’s creative economy but has also made a lasting positive impact on communities across Southeast Asia. Dinda was an exceptional student, a joy to teach, and she has become an inspiring advocate for the arts – a more than deserving winner of this Study UK award. We are proud that she chose QMU to be part of her journey.
Alongside her leadership work, Dinda is committed to sharing knowledge and mentoring the next generation of cultural leaders. She provides hands-on training for emerging festival organisers, combining theory with real-world practice - an approach inspired directly by her Scottish study experience.
The UK didn’t just give me an education, it gave me a mindset grounded in curiosity, openness, and cooperation that continues to guide my work. I am proud to carry the name of QMU and to represent the spirit of learning, collaboration and social impact that the university instilled in me.
Dinda’s achievement highlights the global reach and lasting impact of a QMU education, demonstrating how learning in Edinburgh can inspire cultural leadership and systemic change far beyond the UK.
Professor David Stevenson concluded:
Dinda’s achievement highlights the extraordinary reach of QMU’s alumni community, which spans more than 100 countries and includes leaders in culture, health, business and public service. We are proud to see how the knowledge, values and hands-on experience gained at QMU continue to empower graduates like Dinda to drive innovation, strengthen communities, and create lasting positive change around the world.
Find out more about the Study UK Alumni Awards.
Find out more about Jogja Festivals.
For further media information contact Emma Reekie, Media and Content Officer, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: ereekie@qmu.ac.uk (copy to E: pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk).
