With two special presentations, Coming Out Day (11 October '22) was a fantastic day.I had been working on the project ESTRANGED for a long time and finally it could be presented. That ESTRANGED was going to be a special project. Even before the presentation took place yesterday, parts of the project were already on display at exhibitions in Malaysia and Nigeria, among others.
Together with journalist Max Govers, I worked closely over the past year, shaping the project with stories in addition to images. This way, the project is not only photographically strong, but also forms a strong whole with the personal stories of LGBT+ young people.
Over lunch, the opening of the exhibition at De Nederlandsche Bank took place. After thanking Sabrina Pufflijk and Menno van der Ven for the organisation, I talked about my personal experiences, motives and about the project. I also made the connection between the importance of social safety and employee development using Maslow's pyramid. Because if people do not feel safe at work, absenteeism increases and the development and thus output of your employees lags behind. Furthermore, I talked about how D&I policy is important in large organisations, but that it is the employees and managers who have to shape it together.
Links naar recht : Arjan Spannenburg - Ricarco Roest - Max Govers
As De Nederlandsche Bank is obviously a closed and secure environment, we had organised a small book launch in the evening. As location, we chose the centre of Amsterdam's LGBT nightlife, where a company of invited guests had gathered in Bar Blend from 19:30. With a glass in hand, they toasted the success achieved so far, but also how the project will develop further.
Furthermore, the Cultuurfonds Almere has also joined the project. This provides additional visibility, allowing us to reach more people who are unfamiliar with the rainbow community. Their contribution enables us to distribute the book in local waiting rooms and canteens, among other places. In this way, we offer visitors the chance to learn about the vulnerable stories of young people from the rainbow community in an accessible way.
Organisations can still join the initiative to make a major contribution to Diversity and Inclusion in the Netherlands in an accessible way.