LET’S MEET Sevilay Sevilay Maria Maria van Dorst & Micaela Micaela Bartels
LET’S MEET Sevilay Sevilay Maria Maria van Dorst & Micaela Micaela Bartels
Wie had kunnen bedenken dat een vluchtige ontmoeting in 2012 zou kunnen leiden tot een vruchtbare en veelbelovende samenwerking in het hier en nu. Door hun krachten, kunde en netwerken te bundelen weten initiatiefneemster Micaela Bartels en fotografe Sevilay Maria van Dorst de ingeslepen negatieve stereotypen over ouderen te weerleggen. Hun pro-age gedachtegoed verspreidt zich gestaag en overtuigt steeds meer mensen dat “met trots en eigenwaarde oud worden” een stuk prettiger voelt dan “eeuwig jong blijven”
LET’S MEET Sevilay Sevilay Maria Maria van Dorst & Micaela Micaela Bartels
Who would have thought that a brief encounter in 2010 could lead to a fruitful and promising collaboration in the here and now? By bundling their strengths, skills, and networks, initiator Micaela Bartels and photographer Sevilay Maria van Dorst have begun to challange the ingrained negative stereotypes about old people. Their pro-age philosophy is spreading steadily and convinces more and more people that "embracing their age" feels much better than "staying young at all costs".
THE TEAM
Wie had kunnen bedenken dat een vluchtige ontmoeting in 2010 zou kunnen leiden tot een vruchtbare en veelbelovende samenwerking in het hier en nu. Door hun krachten, kunde en netwerken te bundelen weten initiatiefneemster Micaela Bartels en fotografe Sevilay Maria van Dorst de ingeslepen negatieve stereotypen over ouderen te weerleggen. Hun pro-age gedachtegoed verspreidt zich gestaag en overtuigt steeds meer mensen dat “met trots en eigenwaarde oud worden” en stuk prettiger voelt dan “eeuwig jong blijven”.
MICAELA
– Idea & Implementation
Ideas worth spreading… this is definitely one of them. Micaela has been an entrepreneur all her life with a solid focus on improving the human condition. “What I love about PR:OUD is the fact that we don’t need to change reality. Instead we ‘only’ need to change people’s perception. People’s age beliefs are rooted in the culture they grew up in and culture is fluid and constantly evolving. As soon as people realize that their beliefs about aging determine how well and long they live, they can choose to discard negative stereotypes in favour of a more positive outlook.
SEVILAY MARIA
– Fotografie & Art direction
Sevilay Maria van Dorst initiates conversations by shining her light on societal issues. Through the lens of her camera she zooms in on what ’tends to be overlooked or disregarded. She strives to look further than the obvious in search of an overall understanding of a multifaceted reality. Her portraits are the result of a true connection rather than a fleeting encounter. ‘Once you dare to look beyond the superficiality ‘that’s’ where you find authenticity.’
RICHARD
– Styling
“I have worked as a stylist for quite some time but never have I gotten so close to the people I have worked with. Clothes can be an extension of who you are. That’s why we chose to dive into the closets of our role models looking for treasures accumulated over a life time. Closets are private spaces often situated in the sanctuary of a person’s bedroom. It felt like an amazing sign of trust to be allowed in. The results are astonishing.”
You need to feel better about aging in order to age better. It’s that simple. Luckily we are living in a time in which pro-age ideas are on a rise.Despite that, anxiety and pessimism in regard to aging are still common. The reasons for this inherently negative approach are a multi-layered and a deep-rooted part of our culture.
The more we understand about the origins and consequences of age-related anxiety the better people will be able to recognise and decrease it. Micaela's plea for a positive revaluation of old age is a first step towards more contentment. She invites us to take a closer look at the mainstream narrative and consequently challenge our own assumptions and prejudices in a pleasant manner. The easy-to-follow techniques for improving age beliefs contribute not only to successful aging but also present a blueprint for reducing structural ageism and igniting lasting change towards an age-just society.”
You need to feel better about aging in order to age better
