– Learn about Kachin –
– Learn about Sakse –
Mission & vision
The Sakse Media Ecosystem project aims to strengthen the capacity of emerging media-makers in Northern Burma to both produce world-class photography and film content and exhibit, distribute, and archive the content themselves. We do this through a system of training, long term mentorship, grants, the archive and providing exposure through exhibitions, social media platforms and international networking. Sakse aims to disseminate nuanced stories from this largely unknown part of the world to national, regional and international audiences.
The Sakse aims to work through a mixed social enterprise model, which will place specific emphasis on helping students to understand the business side of media production / distribution. By working through this approach, we are building a durable model that will help our alumni and members to become successful artists both financially and creatively. It will also reduce the need for external funding for Sakse as an organization. Last but not least, a significant focus of Sakse is nurturing a new generation of leaders so that the organization can become fully locally-led.
Locally-led, world-class, independent media is crucial to push back against dominant narratives and tell nuanced stories that reflect people’s lived experiences, especially in complex ethnic contexts. Working in collaboration at the community level enables Sakse to develop an inter-generational media ecosystem, which allows people to tell stories not only of conflicts and displacement, but also of resilience and the capacity of the human spirit to create – against all odds.
Kachin Media Development
Highlights
2007
First Sakse media workshop for ethnic activists from Burma.
at Earth Rights International’s Burma School. The sucess of this workshop inspired the development of broad reaching media development programs
2008
Established a media workshop series in Laiza
First workshop in Laiza was 7 days long with 15 participants. We have since held over 100 workshops with 1000’s of alumni.
2011 - Oct
Received a grant from the W. Eugene Smith Fund in NYC at the Asia Society for creating a social enterprise documentary photo gallery / library / workshop space.
2011 - May
Sakse founder, Ryan Libre, talks at the first TEDx in Chiang Mai about the vision of creating a army of world-class independent media makers in Kachin & beyond.
2011 - Sept
2011
2012 - Dec
2012
2013
Opening of a photo gallery / photobook library / workshop space in Laiza on the 2nd floor of the national library.
2013
2013
2015
2015 - Dec
When Naw Ming passed, we established the Naw Ming Memorial Media Award / grants, to give 1 million Kyat to a selected next generation Kachin media trail blazer with local nominators & an international jury. Naw Ming won ‘citizen of the year’ for Burma, before he passed.
2016
Everyday Kachin social platform launched and becomes an official member of the Everyday Projects. Soon after founding, we began offline exhibitons of Everyday Kachin in galleries, univeristies and photo festivals.
2017
2018
2019
‘The Burmese Photographers’ published
This book, which illustrates the history of photography in Myanmar, includes a section on Kachin photographers & our work there. Published by the Goethe Institute & edited by Lukas Birk.
2019
Sakse curates / produces “Rebels & Reform’ a Burma Photography Showcase
2019
2020
2020
2021
2021
2022-2028
Sakse’s Board of Advisors
Our advisors give critical advice & networking to help drive Sakse and it’s members to their goals
Lukas Birk
Archive Advisor
artist, archivist & storyteller. Lukas is the founder of the Myanmar Photo Archive & Fraglich Publishing.
John Novis
Impact Advisor
After running Greenpeace’s international media desk, John Novis knows how to use an image or media campaign to achive real world impact.
Jarrad Hope
Strategic Advisor
Status co-founder
Naw Ming Lahpai
Honorary Advisor
Naw Ming worked with Sakse in the early days before he was shot & paralized documenting the conflict in Kachin
Chris Lowenstein
Film & Cinema Advisor
With a reputation for integrity and experience, Chris has lead Living films to become one of the top production houses in South East Asia.
Jeanne Hallacy
Networking Advisor
Jeanne has directed several documentary films on a range of topics from political prisioners to rape as a weapon of war in Burma and ran ‘ Insight out” a photo education program.
Special thanks to our supporting partners:
We are also incredibly grateful to all previous partners, sponsors and army of interns & volunteers who have contributed to Sakse’s mission
– Learn about Media making –
We are actively developing more online resources for learning to become a full time world class media maker.
Sakse’s custom designed low tech offline format for writing a film script.
