PRISM project: Challenging ageism through digital storytelling

As a society we’re living longer and ‘older’ people occupy a growing larger proportion of the community. Still, common misconceptions about getting older and being old exist.

Council is embarking on a year-long collaborative community video project that aims to foster communities that value and respect older people and which challenges ageist attitudes and stereotypes.

The PRISM project is a digital storytelling project that shares positive stories and images of older Maroondah residents as a means of changing deep-seated ageist beliefs, attitudes and behaviours in the community.

Over the next 12 months, Council in partnership with three community groups aim to produce 16 videos featuring personal stories of older Maroondah residents to demonstrate their significant contribution to the local community.

Members of Maroondah Voice, Ringwood Movie Makers and University of the Third Age (U3A) Croydon have been trained by Humankind Enterprises, an experienced strategic storytelling and social multimedia company, to help tell their stories.

Richard Hallford is a member of Ringwood Movie Makers, one of Australia’s most successful non-professional movie-making clubs. He is one of a handful of trained volunteers working behind the scenes filming and editing the short videos.

Through interviewing project participants he’s discovered the 60-plus generation are much happier than perceived.

“My role in the PRISM project is to procure, interview and record a range of questions of older community members in Maroondah,” Mr Hallford explained.

“It used to be the norm to retire at 65 and disengage. It is clear that this is an out-of-date paradigm. Older people are much more inclined now to be actively engaged in the community in a far-ranging list of activities than previously imagined. From the interviews I’ve conducted so far, I am impressed with the wide variety of skill-sets and involvement with my interviewees,” he said.

“I hope that those who see the final videos realise what a vast range of skills, value and help older members of the community are able to offer and eventually begin to form better community perceptions of growing older,” Mr Hallford said.

The PRISM Project follows on from Council’s recent digital awareness campaign highlighting the many forms of mistreatment of older people as part of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines ageism as the stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination towards people on the basis of age.

Cr Nora Lamont, Council’s representative on the Maroondah Age-Friendly Cities & Communities Network, said it is important that older people feel valued and respected in our community.

“As a community we must challenge some of the harmful beliefs and attitudes that can lead to discrimination on the basis of age,” Cr Lamont said.

“The purpose of capturing these stories is to build empathy and understanding of older people in the community and change people’s perceptions and thoughts on ageing. It also gives a face to the many older residents in Maroondah who keep the heart of the community beating through their volunteer efforts,” she said.

Are you a senior member of the community who has a great story to tell? To get involved in the PRISM Project contact Richard Joseph by emailing [email protected] or call 1300 88 22 33. 

The short videos will be featured weekly on our social media channels such as YouTube and Facebook, as well as on on