Etcetera x NTGent Etcetera & NTGent

"When it comes to old people, negative mindsets dominate. They are 'out of touch with the times' and do nothing but grumble and complain. Public discourse tends to talk about older people rather than with them. As a group of people who are no longer economically profitable (at best, still consuming) but the welfare state mostly costs money, the voice of the elderly is of no consequence.

But what does 'being old' actually mean? From when do you become old? Is old age something that alienates us from ourselves or does it count as a moment of ultimate self-awareness? In a society obsessed with youthfulness and productivity, can an older body also act as a form of resistance?

On 3 June, cultural magazines Etcetera and rekto:verso, in collaboration with NTGent, will take old age out from under the dust. In panel discussions, readings, artistic interventions, debates and a people's assembly, we will relate live to questions that also appear in our paper issues: How do we deal with old age socially and culturally today? Which clichés do we urgently need to break? And what role do the arts play in the representation of old age and older people?"

Programme (walk-in from 13:15):

all names listed are confirmed, some more will be added later)

Hosting: Charlotte De Somviele and Simon Baetens

13:30 Antoon Vandevelde & Marleen Wynants (guest editor rekto:verso) en editors Etcetera

13:45 Gita Hacham: Spoken poetry 'Fear us'

14:00 Debate on ageing (in the arts) Moderation: Hannelore Roth Speakers: Monika van Paemel, Bob De Moor, Vanessa Van Durme, Koenraad Tinel

15:30 Three short literary/artistic interventions: Astrid Roemer, Willem de Wolf & Siska Van Daele

16h30 Bingo 

17h30 People's Assembly Theme: social participation by the elderly Host: Marleen Wynants

19h End