We are an art collective consisting of Tamika, a Dutch photographer; Ari, an Italian anthropologist and illustrator; and Noémie, a French Spoken Word artist. We are working on a project that focuses on the joyful aspects of queer experiences within the 50+ LGBTQ+ community in the Netherlands.

Within the LGBTQ+ community, queer people over 50 are a less visible group. And when they do get portrayed, it is often through stereotypical stories or a focus on their traumatic experiences and obstacles. However, it is equally important to highlight the joy, fulfillment and rich diversity of this group’s life experiences. Connecting generations is crucial, especially since queer youth often have limited contact with adults and elders within the community. For many of them, living a life beyond a certain age seems unimaginable. How can they imagine being able to flourish fully within their community later in life? It is essential to show that this is possible and has been done before. The representation of queer elders is therefore of great importance.

Our vision is an artistic and photographic exhibition, accompanied by a piece of spoken word, that focuses on the question: How do 50+ lesbian, gay, bi and transgender people find joy inside and outside the queer community? What do their lives, their networks and their families look like? We want to create a space where we can give voice to their experiences and celebrate their joy.

While photographing and interviewing 50+ LGBTQI+ people for the exhibition, we decided to organize a workshop connecting the younger and older community. On November 11th, we successfully hosted our workshop day at Productiehuis Nowhere, after receiving financial support from the Bob Angelo fonds. The afternoon started with a warm introduction where participants from diverse regions of the Netherlands, including Utrecht, Nijmegen, Schiedam, Zoetermeer, and predominantly Amsterdam.