New pictorial book reflects the art, ideas & passion of the Australian youth climate movement

A new pictorial book exploring the Australian youth climate movement will launch at the Australian Museum in Sydney next week.

The book is one of several initiatives spearheaded by Professor Philippa Collin and Associate Professor Michelle Catanzaro as a part of the New Possibilities research project, at the Young and Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University. The project explores the significance of young people’s participation in climate change movements and the impact this is having on Australian democracy.

The book, entitled Future Right Now: Young people, climate action and a vibrant democracy, incorporates a creative blend of photographs, design graphics, illustrations (by kids as young as 5), case studies and interviews showcasing the journey that thousands of young Australians have been on in the last decade to advocate for greater action on climate change. The book assigns authorship to the New Possibilities Collective, a nod to the co-design approach embedded throughout the project, and acknowledging the multiple creators involved in the making of the book. This includes researchers working on the New Possibilities project in collaboration with a diverse group of young people, students and youth climate activists from the Western Sydney region and beyond.

The New Possibilities project started in 2019, when the School Strike 4 Climate movement mobilised an estimated 300,000 people in climate action protests around the country. The School Strike 4 Climate movement was unique in that it was led, and predominantly attended, by school-age students.

Professor Collin has studied young people’s civic and political participation for over two decades. In this Conversation article she writes that “young people are one of the most under-estimated and disempowered groups in society. Their views are rarely sought, taken seriously or acted on by those with influence and power”.

This was evidenced in 2019 when they took their frustration at a lack of representation and meaningful action on climate change onto the streets.

Following this, Professor Collin’s research including this recent analysis of over 20,000 pieces of young people’s writing tells us that far from being anti-politics or disengaged, many young people want to be actively involved in democratic processes. As she writes, they are “informed, engaged and ready to hold leaders accountable. They want action on climate, mental health, economic justice and democratic accountability. They’re tired of being ignored and sidelined”.

However, as a group who are unable to vote (if they are under 18 years of age), and undervalued by politicians, other forms of expression and advocacy are critical.

This is where the role of creativity and visual expression comes to the fore. As Associate Professor Michelle Catanzaro explains; “What’s always been central to my research is the role that creativity plays in helping us think through complex issues - so that could be social, political, environmental or cultural issues. I’ve seen that using visual communication or visual methods to amplify the concerns of young people is powerful. It can be used as a kind of intermediary between young people and the public-facing world. It creates a means for the ideas of young people to be expressed in a really palatable way, to people in power and public audiences, and it can be used not just to agitate, but also to educate”.

Associate Professor Michelle Catanzaro conceived of the book concept and worked with young people in workshops to refine the themes that would be present in the text. Following this, she invited nine young people to interview the New Possibilities team (and their collaborator Dr. Madison Shakespeare from Western Sydney University). The result is an intergenerational conversation between a researcher and a young person. Each interview is followed by the young author’s reflections, discussing how the conversation connects with their own lives and what the research has meant for them and their understanding of democracy. Working with Western Sydney academic and First Nations designer Alicia Ball, the book design is Indigenous-led, adopting a critical, community-led approach that resists dominant design conventions and centres the voices and visual language of the communities involved. Beyond the interviews, the book includes case studies by Duty of Care Campaigner, Hannah Vardy and a prologue written by climate activist and Young and Resilient Research Centre research associate Varsha Yajman who states: “The power of this book lies in its collaborative research methodology with young people, amplifying their voices and highlighting the different methods they use to take action, from protesting in the streets to working behind the scenes”.

As Associate Professor Catanzaro says; “What the book aims to do is harness the energy [of the New Possibilities project] but move beyond academic research for an academic audience. We're working with young people and we're trying to create something that not only speaks to them, it is written by them. But our intention is to do more than make an engaging and beautiful book, it is a direct call to action. To this end, the book concludes with a manifesto, written by the New Possibilities Collective, which calls on the Australian Government, educational institutions and people in power to ensure that young people have a livable future, RIGHT NOW. It offers concrete directives and demands... but you will have to buy the book to get the full gist!”

The Future Right Now: Young people, climate action and a vibrant democracy**,** book will be available in independent bookstores and will be launched next Tuesday, 14 July at the Australian Museum on the first, of a two day event that will bring together young people, advocates, journalists, policymakers, members of parliament, researchers and the general public to imagine new ways to expand our democratic system - one that is inclusive of, and responsive to, young people tackling the climate crisis together.

Find out more details about the event here.