MENOPAUSE MATTERS

Part of the BLOODY BEAUTIFUL programme by affect lab.

This event took place on June 14 2023 at Tempel in Amsterdam and was presented in Dutch under the title De Overgang in Beeld.

De Overgang in Beeld was an evening full of stories, knowledge sharing and exploring some of the stereotypes and taboos around menopause. Inspired by the historical sense of the word ‘gossip’ - a feminist practice of sharing ideas, knowledge and making connections - this event was our first event in the Bloody Beautiful calendar. 

Menopause is a desperately under researched subject and in everyday conversations is often still shrouded in shame. The aim of this gossip session was to open a space for people to freely share their stories about menopause and bear witness to each other’s experiences.  

For this session we invited three experts to lead the discussion. Photographer and artist Petra Kroon kicked off the evening with a reading from her wonderfully provocative memoir and cultural study titled ‘Silenced Womb’, setting the tone for the event. Media personality and TV presenter Milouska Meulens shared insights from her own menopause journey, highlighting the experiences of people of colour, specifically in the context of the medical world. Menopause consultant Desirée van Cleef emphasised the huge knowledge gaps that exist amongst general practitioners in the Netherlands in dealing with menopause. She shared insights based on conversations she’d had with thousands of patients in her practice. Petra’s photo-research project around menopause was presented after the talks. Dymphie Brown moderated the discussion, fielding questions during a very lively Q&A.

About BLOODY BEAUTIFUL

BLOODY BEAUTIFUL is a movement for lesser heard stories about menstruation and menopause. Our goal is to creatively propagate new public narratives about menstruation and menopause in a gender-forward way. 

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