What began as a personal photographic project in 2023 has grown into something far more significant. Flock50, founded by Adelaide photographer and creative director Grier Neilson of Bohemian Ekko Creative, has now brought together 99 women across two editions, with participants travelling from interstate to be part of the project and the work reaching audiences nationally.
The second edition, Flock50 Rising, continues this celebration by expanding to include women in their 60s and 70s. The project explores identity, visibility, confidence, connection and the experience of being seen authentically.
What is Flock50?
By the time many women reach 50, they have lived, loved, lost and gathered a lifetime of wisdom and experience. In many cultures, elders are respected for their knowledge, guidance and perspective. Yet women can begin to feel invisible or as though they are shrinking in their homes, families, careers and communities.
Flock50 turns that narrative around. Through a deeply personal photographic experience, participants reflect on their lives, their stories and the women they are becoming. The impact extends beyond the photographs themselves, with friendships, conversations and community continuing long after the images are created.
“This is not about making women into something they are not. It is about their own authenticity. It is real and moving. It is about empowerment, legacy and being part of something bigger than oneself,” says Neilson.
The creative movement has opened up new perspectives and important conversations with those looking on, including husbands, partners, friends and strangers. It has inspired a songwriter, seen husbands encouraging their wives, and invited women to lean into vulnerability, courage, curiosity and fun.
The exhibition and book launch
The Flock50 Rising exhibition will see all 50 women involved exhibited together at Paxton Wines in McLaren Vale. A coffee table book brings together the stories and portraits of women who participated in this second edition.
Official opening event: Saturday 19 September 2026, 5pm–7pm (formalities at 5.45pm)
The opening evening will include an original Flock50 participant as MC and panel host, alongside a panel of four women from the Flock50 Rising edition. The conversation will explore their experiences of participating in the project, the questionnaire, the photographic process, and what it means to be seen and celebrated in this way.
Exhibition dates: 19 September – 25 October 2026
Venue: Paxton Wines, McLaren Vale
A growing movement
Since its beginning in 2023, Flock50 has continued to grow through the power of storytelling, photography and community.
“Every woman has a story worth telling,” says Neilson. “Flock50 is about creating the space for those stories to be seen, heard and celebrated.”
For more information, visit bohemianekko.com or follow @bohemianekko and @flock50_movement on Instagram.
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