What advice would you give your 16 year old self?
This photo essay is a tribute to the wisdom of women over 60. Historically marginalised, older women in truth demonstrate power and fortitude in the face of limited opportunities.
We’re going to run a mini project along the lines of this exhibition for you to get involved in. If you like photography, portraiture and the stories of women this workshop is for you.
Yve will outline her process, purpose and intent of the initial work and invite you to play along with some activities to revisit and share your knowledge with your 16 year old self.
Dates and times:
Thu 16th Jul 2020, 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm AEST
Thu 30th Jul 2020, 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm AEST
I had been looking to begin a photographic portrait project celebrating that contribution and speaking to women of all ages. A project that would demonstrate the wisdom, knowledge and resilience of women.
The exhibition involved Yve asking women over 60 what advice they would give to themselves aged 16. She wanted to give us an opportunity to learn from the experiences, wisdom, humour and resilience of these gracious women. In doing so, Yve hoped to provide an access point of reflection and dialogue for women of all ages and the wider community as a whole.
Sweet 16 Exhibition
Mary Jane
Sweet 16
“Ask the important people in your life why they say and do the things they do. And I would tell myself there’s no Cinderella story! No one’s going to rescue you. If you find a glass slipper be careful.”
Donna
Sweet 16
“There would be a lot of little things like read books, look after your health, don’t have sex on a first date. But the big one would beget to know yourself. Figure out who you are, what your values are and be true to that.”
Charlie
Sweet 16
“That’s the point that Julia Gillard made with the misogyny speech. Women know the undercurrent of misogyny, which is you don’t believe in yourself. I suppose what I’d want to say is believe in yourself.”
Menaka
Sweet 16
“Spend more time getting to know yourself, really understanding who you are, your values. Know what you value in others – honesty, integrity, being congruent? Understand who you are, because otherwise you could make a terrible mess. Differentiation and self awareness. Find out who you are before you go looking for a relationship.”
Shirley
Sweet 16
“Have a dream, a vision. Some doors will close but others will open. If you have disappointments don’t worry you’ll get new opportunities. You see, I can now say I am a doctor, but not a medical doctor and I am in Africa.”
Aunty Beryl
Sweet 16
“No advice. My goal was to work and get an education, then move toward that, I had to go through the hard times to acquire the good times. I bounce back, I got the work ethic from my oldies, even though they weren’t educated they taught us that. To become the person I want to become but always respect others regardless of race, creed, colour or background.”
Self-isolating? NO problem. We have it covered!
Older Women’s Network NSW
The Older Women’s Network in NSW believes in a society rich in social capital, where mutual respect and trust are paramount, where diversity and debate are valued and where people and their networks have a legitimate voice.
CONTACT US
Older Women’s Network NSW
8-10 Victoria Street,
Newtown NSW 2042, Australia.
+61 – 2 – 9519 8044
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