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Uniqueness of the manuscript
Content, age, place of copying and other codicological aspects that make a manuscript stand out — a unique copy is endangered the moment it sits outside safe preservation.
About the Programme
Preserving a written heritage at risk.
DREAMSEA digitises endangered and affected manuscripts across Southeast Asia, opening the region's documentary heritage to everyone.
Programme background
A partnership spanning Jakarta and Hamburg.
DREAMSEA is carried out by the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, in cooperation with the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC), University of Hamburg.
The digital repository is presented in collaboration with the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, and the programme is supported by Arcadia — a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin. Initiated in 2017, it runs throughout the year on a full-time basis.
Our mission
Preserve and open access.
To preserve the content of manuscripts across the entire region of Southeast Asia, and to make that content fully and openly accessible online — for researchers, source communities and the public alike.
Our vision
Safeguard cultural diversity.
Southeast Asia holds extraordinary cultural diversity. DREAMSEA accommodates manuscripts in any script and any field of knowledge, as long as they originate from the region — safeguarding that diversity for future generations.
How manuscripts are selected
Five principles of endangerment and affectedness
DREAMSEA prioritises manuscripts under threat of being damaged or lost. These criteria guide which collections are digitised.
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Significance of text
A text may be central to the identity of a community, minority group or association — raising its importance for the cultural heritage to be preserved.
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Cultural endangeredness
Heritage held by minority groups outside centres of authority, measured by how many actively preserve it and what pressures the community faces.
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Physical endangeredness
The actual condition of the manuscripts — traces of neglect, insect or water damage — and whether safe future storage can be guaranteed.
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Number of manuscripts
No fixed limit is set on how many manuscripts are digitised in a collection, as long as the criteria above are fulfilled.
Read more
Frequently asked questions
Detailed guidance on eligibility, access and how collections are handled.
Open the FAQ
Collaborators & supporters
The institutions behind DREAMSEA
PPIM UIN Jakarta
Center for the Study of Islam and Society — programme lead
CSMC Hamburg
Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, University of Hamburg
HMML
Hill Museum & Manuscript Library — repository partner
Arcadia
Charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing & Peter Baldwin
Programme timeline
From initiation to a regional network
2017
Programme initiated
DREAMSEA is founded as a partnership between PPIM UIN Jakarta and CSMC, University of Hamburg.
2018
First digitisation missions
Fieldwork begins across communities in Indonesia and the wider region.
2018–23
Missions across Southeast Asia
Rescue missions reach dozens of locations — from Java and Sulawesi to Sumatra and Luang Prabang, Laos.
2025
Seven years of preservation
DREAMSEA marks seven years and ushers in a new chapter for the programme.
2026
A new future for digitisation
A Regional Workshop in Malaysia and a partnership with Khazanah Fathaniyah extend the network further.
Partner with the programme.
Hold a collection at risk, or want to support preservation? We would like to hear from you.