Art in Brunei

Brunei’s art sector does not have a single overall body for all disciplines. The Culture and Arts Division of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan) promotes culture, artistic development, the preservation of traditions and links to the Melayu-Islam-Beraja identity. The Museums Department collects, preserves and displays works. The Language and Literature Bureau (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka), abbreviated DBP, carries out government responsibilities for language, literature and publications. The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for permits and censorship of public events. The Brunei Intellectual Property Office and the Attorney General’s Chambers deal with copyright and industrial designs. Universities, art collectives and private exhibition forums such as the Brunei Art Forum and CSBN supplement this network. Visual art is active in Brunei but is often tied to individual events. The 2nd Uciran Calak exhibition presented works in 2025 by 65 local artists working in painting, sculpture, stone painting and hanging textile works. Art for All presented more than 100 works in 2024 and involved people with disabilities, schools and non-governmental organisations. Public access depends on the call for entries and the conditions of the specific event. No uniform government fee for the art market, verified fee schedule for artists or reliable national market statistics are available. Local culture includes, among other forms, Gulingtangan gong music (Gulingtangan), Brunei’s Dikir performance (Dikir Brunei), also known as Syarafil Anam, pantun poetry (Pantun), Kebaya dress (Kebaya) and the traditional art form Uciran Calak (Uciran Calak). Traditional and contemporary music are passed on through performances, workshops and competitions. A two-day workshop on Dikir Brunei reached a total of 25 participants in 2026. A 2025 performance by the National Orchestra featured 14 musical pieces and involved 80 orchestra members and 16 dancers. Cultural heritage is transmitted formally in schools and workshops and informally through joint practice sessions and competitions. Brunei ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. Kebaya was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2024 and Pantun in 2025. For literature and publishing, DBP is the central government institution. At the 2025 Brunei Book Festival, 38 exhibitors took part; the event lasted ten days and included seven new DBP publications. For a manuscript submission, originality and compliance with content requirements matter. The requirements reviewed exclude sensitive religious, social, political and economic content. If DBP accepts a manuscript, the institution receives extensive rights to publish, translate, dramatise, film, record and issue it as an electronic book. This transfer of rights distinguishes the government publishing route from mere advice or a private reading. Film and digital forms are institutionally connected mainly to universities and permit procedures. The University of Brunei Darussalam (Universiti Brunei Darussalam) offers, within the Design and Creative Industries field, abbreviated DCI, subjects including Short Film Making, Advanced Screen Production and film criticism. A film must be submitted to the Panel of Censors before a public screening. The procedure may result in approval, editing requirements, further conditions or refusal. No independent state film-funding programme or state film school is documented in the sources reviewed. Performing arts under public-event law include theatre performances, stage plays, Wayang-wayang theatre (Wayang-wayang), concerts, dance, opera and other performances. A Public-Entertainment licence is required for a public event at an approved venue. The application goes to the Ministry of Home Affairs; depending on the content, a script or description may be submitted for censorship. Processing time depends on the individual case. A public exhibition of photographs, pictures or figures may also require a permit for public entertainment. Architecture and design offer comparatively clearly structured university pathways. The University of Technology Brunei (Universiti Teknologi Brunei) offers a three-year full-time bachelor’s degree in architecture. Admission is possible, among other routes, through suitable A-Level, IB or Level 5 qualifications; the programme also requires at least ten portfolio works and an interview. For professional practice as an architect, registration as a practitioner through BAPEQS is required; the responsible state body for architects, professional engineers and quantity surveyors (BAPEQS) is the relevant state institution. Universiti Teknologi Brunei also offers three-year programmes in Product Design and Fashion Design and Technology. These design programmes require at least ten original portfolio works and an interview. For Brunei citizens and permanent residents, the stated fees for the undergraduate programmes named are 16,000 BND. For international students, the published fees for Architecture and Product Design are 27,000 BND; 50 percent of the annual fee must be paid in advance. For the Bachelor in Design and Creative Industries at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, requirements include English proficiency at C6, IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 550 or an equivalent qualification, as well as A-Level results of 64 or 88 UCAS points, or an IB score of 24. Meeting these figures does not guarantee admission. Photography and digital art are visible through study programmes and public events. The DCI programme at Universiti Brunei Darussalam includes Digital Photography and Videography, Animation, CGI, Digital Publishing, Game Design, Mixed Media and Visualisation, among other subjects. Participation in workshops, festivals and exhibitions depends on the relevant call for entries. In Brunei, artistic rights generally arise automatically without registration. Authors are generally the rights holders; in employment or service relationships, employers, and for public servants the state, may hold the rights. The protection period is generally the author’s lifetime plus 50 years, and moral rights also exist. Galleries, market structures, professional representation and funding opportunities remain fragmented, while exhibitions and festivals usually take place periodically.