About The Project
What is this project about?
You are invited to join us in exploring your hopes and fears of ageing in Australia. Join us if you are aged 50 and above, come from a multicultural (non-English) background and identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender diverse, brotherboy, sistergirl etc.). Through this project, we hope to raise awareness about the lived experiences of multicultural LGBTQ+ people and advocate for more inclusive ageing policies and practices.
What does participation involve?
You can choose to join either the individual interview(s) or group photo-journey.
Individual interview(s)
Participation involves a one 1.5 hour online individual interview on your hopes, fears and experiences of ageing in Australia. After the interview, you can choose to join 1-2 photo-based individual interviews lasting 1-1.5 hours. You will be taking photographs on aspects of ageing that matter to you and discussing them during the interviews. If you like, you can select photographs to be featured in our public photo-exhibition at the end of the project.
[Closed] Group photo-journey
The photo-journey will be held online using video conferencing software on Sat afternoons (2-4pm Adelaide time) from 15 May to 12 June.
Who can take part?
You can join the project if you fulfil all of the following criteria:
For individual photo-based interviews or group photo-journey, you need to have a phone/digital camera. No need to be a photography expert though. If you are not sure if you fit the project criteria, do get in touch with us here.
What will I get from participating?
This project allows you to explore your hopes and fears of ageing in Australia through dialogue and/or photography. We hope the insights from your participation will help raise public awareness and inform ageing policies and programmes for the multicultural LGBTQ+ community.
(Individual interviews) You will receive a $15 online grocery voucher for each interview as a small token of appreciation.
(Group photo-journey) You will receive a $50 online grocery voucher at the end of Phase 2 as a small token of appreciation.
What is this project about?
You are invited to join us in exploring your hopes and fears of ageing in Australia. Join us if you are aged 50 and above, come from a multicultural (non-English) background and identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender diverse, brotherboy, sistergirl etc.). Through this project, we hope to raise awareness about the lived experiences of multicultural LGBTQ+ people and advocate for more inclusive ageing policies and practices.
What does participation involve?
You can choose to join either the individual interview(s) or group photo-journey.
Individual interview(s)
Participation involves a one 1.5 hour online individual interview on your hopes, fears and experiences of ageing in Australia. After the interview, you can choose to join 1-2 photo-based individual interviews lasting 1-1.5 hours. You will be taking photographs on aspects of ageing that matter to you and discussing them during the interviews. If you like, you can select photographs to be featured in our public photo-exhibition at the end of the project.
[Closed] Group photo-journey
The photo-journey will be held online using video conferencing software on Sat afternoons (2-4pm Adelaide time) from 15 May to 12 June.
- Phase 1: Online workshop to meet other participants and learn about the project
- Phase 2: 4 online group meetings to share and discuss photographs on your ageing hopes and fears. These meetings will be with other multicultural LGBTQ+ people and feature a different photo theme or sharing.
- Phase 3 (Optional): photo-exhibition where you can share your photographs.
Who can take part?
You can join the project if you fulfil all of the following criteria:
- are from a multicultural (non-English) background
- identify as LGBTQ+
- are aged 50 and above
- live in Australia and want to grow old here
- use or can learn how to use video conferencing software*
- have a stable internet connection for the online meetings*
- be able to communicate in English
For individual photo-based interviews or group photo-journey, you need to have a phone/digital camera. No need to be a photography expert though. If you are not sure if you fit the project criteria, do get in touch with us here.
What will I get from participating?
This project allows you to explore your hopes and fears of ageing in Australia through dialogue and/or photography. We hope the insights from your participation will help raise public awareness and inform ageing policies and programmes for the multicultural LGBTQ+ community.
(Individual interviews) You will receive a $15 online grocery voucher for each interview as a small token of appreciation.
(Group photo-journey) You will receive a $50 online grocery voucher at the end of Phase 2 as a small token of appreciation.
Frequently Asked Questions (click to expand each question)
Who is this Project by?
This project is carried out by Jin Chen (she/her), a PhD candidate at Flinders University, Adelaide. Co-investigating and supervising this project are Dr Helen McLaren and Dr Michelle Jones. Find out more about the project team here.
Are there any risks to me?
We do not expect the discussions to cause any harm or discomfort to you. You do not have to share any information or discuss any issue that you find sensitive. However, if you experience feelings of distress as a result of participation in this study, please let us know immediately. You can also contact the following services:
(For group photo-journey) If you attend group meetings in Phase 2, you will meet other participants. There is a small risk of participants recording the meeting or accidentally revealing details to others. To reduce this, we will emphasise privacy and confidentiality. However, if you are not comfortable, you can attend the individual interviews instead.
- QLife – 1800 184 527
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
(For group photo-journey) If you attend group meetings in Phase 2, you will meet other participants. There is a small risk of participants recording the meeting or accidentally revealing details to others. To reduce this, we will emphasise privacy and confidentiality. However, if you are not comfortable, you can attend the individual interviews instead.
i'm not comfortable meeting others. Can i still participate?
Yes, you can! You can participate in the individual interviews with Jin, the project lead. Your information will also be de-identified (removing any names, information or features that could identify you).
What will happen to my information?
The online group photo-journey and individual interviews will be recorded over video conferencing software. The recordings will be transcribed and de-identified (removing any names, information or features that could identify you). Your photographs will be de-identified. The information will only be used for this project (e.g., exhibition, reports, publications). You will not be named or identifiable in any project outputs unless you choose to. Pseudonyms will be used instead.
Your de-identified information will be stored securely at Flinders University. Only the project team has access to them. The video recordings will be destroyed 5 years after project publication. The de-identified photographs and information will continue to be stored.
If you choose to display your de-identified photographs in the photo-exhibition, they will be in the public domain and may be copied or shared by others.
Your de-identified information will be stored securely at Flinders University. Only the project team has access to them. The video recordings will be destroyed 5 years after project publication. The de-identified photographs and information will continue to be stored.
If you choose to display your de-identified photographs in the photo-exhibition, they will be in the public domain and may be copied or shared by others.
Can I withdraw from the project halfway into it?
Yes. Participation in this project is voluntary. You can choose to withdraw from the project at any point, without any consequence, by contacting the project team. Any information about you collected up to this point will be securely destroyed.
(For group photo-journey) While your information recorded during group discussions cannot be destroyed, it will not be used in the project.
(For group photo-journey) While your information recorded during group discussions cannot be destroyed, it will not be used in the project.
Can i participate in the project outcomes?
During the group photo-journey or individual photo-based interviews, you will identify key themes from the photographs and discussions. We will also seek your feedback and clarifications on the analysis and findings. You can choose to display your photographs in the photo-exhibition, or even join us in co-organising it. Upon project completion, a short summary of the outcomes will be provided to all participants via email. A brief report will also be published.
What if i'm not very creative?
Don't worry! You don't have to be creative or a photography expert to join this project. It's more about using photography as a way to explore your ageing hopes and fears. If this interests you, do join us!
