Forward Together

This project was made possible through a generous ACT Government Capital of Equality Grant 2021.

PhotoAccess and Gen S Stories, in partnership with Meridian and A Gender Agenda, invited seven people from across Canberra’s LGBTIQ+ communities to join a multi-week workshop exploring the wisdom and skills of people of different generations. The group were guided through creating their own short films, from script to edit, sharing their experiences of living LGBTIQ+.

Supported by local artist Jenni Savigny of Gen S Stories, as well as photographer David Lindesay and videographer Megan Watson of PlusOne Productions, the Forward Together participants completed a seven week intensive workshop. With no prior experience required, they each scripted, storyboarded, researched, narrated and edited a film of 3-5 minutes, with many drawing particularly on their personal and shared image archives. Sharing their personal stories and supporting each other through their individual challenges was a key aspect of the workshop.

The stories, told in the filmmakers own voice and using images from personal archives, have come together as a unique collection of six deeply personal films grappling with change, identity and what it means to be alive.

View the short films by Jessica Brisbane (she/her), Alistair Ott (they/he), Fiona Hooton (she/her), Tim McCann (any), Beth Miles (she/her), Alexandra O’Brien (she/her), and Jacquie Reid (she/her).