Jaya Gibson's photostream

Raised in Scotland by wolves. Caused trouble in 4 continents. By trade a creative project manager, journalist and producer – not necessarily in that order. My passions are being in the outdoors and human rights advocacy.

Raised in a remote part of the Scottish highlands by wolves (OK maybe not) with some lost years in Virginia and Texas. From there I went to India with a brief stopover in blighty before cutting my [professional] teeth in London. Tired of working on millennium campaigns, I quit in ’99 and went on a world tour. I made it as far as New Zealand via an uninhabited island in the south pacific (no joke) to watch the new millennium sunrise. Briefly tried to make it big in Japan but returned to NZ when I realised I couldn’t read kanji. Here I met my wife whom I married 7 years later in London after a brief spell in a Singaporean sing-sing for being a law-abiding human rights journalist.

In my spare time I also direct sensitive political lobbying throughout the world, including giving testimony at the UN in Geneva and the UK and US governments on China human rights issues. After submitting a report to the UNHRC in Geneva, alleging political influence of the Chinese Communist Party on the Singaporean judiciary, my advocacy work credentials were verified when I was detained by the Singaporean government upon my return. Here’s a link to the 2006 Amnesty International Report that cites the incident briefly: www.amnesty.org/en/region/singapore/report-2007

I have been lucky enough to have been involved in the production of three documentaries and films on Falun Gong including the award-winning feature “Sandstorm” and award-winning documentary “Plum Blossom In Snow.” Previously, I combined film with my passion for freestyle sports in New Zealand, forming my company Gifted to make 3 snowboard feature films; “Gifted”, “The Dream” and “Early Days”. I went onto produce and direct a 13-part documentary series on extreme freestyle mountain-biking for National Geographic. Gifted also developed a clothing fashion label and marketing services agency, producing youth market and freestyle culture campaigns for corporations such as Vodafone, Export Gold and Boost Mobile.

Back in the day [the Nineties] I designed key art and created marketing campaigns for independent and foreign language films in London for the likes of Artificial Eye, Merchant Ivory and the BBC. I also did a bit of branding in between for Holstein Pils, NFL Europe, Camel & Budweiser to name drop a few.

Apart from being a nuisance to oppressive governments, I can be seen taking part in a bit of sideways action on any of the snowy slopes available between the Cairngorms and the Southern Alps in Central Otago, NZ or at the back of a cinema throwing popcorn at the talkers and mobile phone users.