For Kachin people living in north-eastern Burma, the annual manau festival, held on Kachin State Day, is an opportunity to celebrate their shared history and culture in difficult political times.
Brighton Museum has one of the largest collections of Kachin objects and records in the world and has been working with the Kachin community for over a decade.
During the manau, thousands of Kachin people come together to dance. Young people living in Kachin State and the UK told us about the importance of the festival to them and their community.
Young women at the manau in Myitkyina, Kachin State, Burma January 2011
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Burma is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse countries with at least 135 distinct ethnic groups.
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Almost 70% of the population are Burmese, but other groups like the Kachin are in the majority in border and mountain states.
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Over a hundred languages are spoken in Burma.
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Burma was part of the British Empire until 1948 and many Kachin men served in the British armed forces.
- From 1962 to 2011 Burma was ruled by a military dictatorship.
Watch this short film to meet members of the Kachin community in Kachin State and the UK talking about what the Manau festival means to them.