Art isn’t just about expression, it’s a lifeline, a platform, a weapon against invisibility. And right now, young creators in the UK are stepping up to reclaim that power. Comics Youth CIC (a community interest group championing creativity, well-being, and social change through comics) has just unveiled a groundbreaking initiative: the Young Comics Laureate, an official, paid, youth-led position designed to elevate the voices of young comic creators aged 18–30 across the UK.
This role isn’t just symbolic, a statement: Young people belong at the table and their stories matter.
What Exactly Is the Young Comics Laureate?
Think of it like a Youth Poet Laureate, but for comics. Selected by young people themselves (with a public vote) and supported by national creators and institutions, the Young Comics Laureate will spend a year:
- Hosting workshops and events.
- Mentoring emerging creators.
- Leading national conversations on mental health, identity, social justice, and more.
- Partnering with the established UK Comics Laureate to merge youthful energy with industry experience.
Additionally, this position comes with £8,000 in funding, professional training, event support, travel budget, mentorship, and industry exposure (paid, not volunteer-only). That’s real investment in real young talent.
Why Young Comics Laureate? Why Youth?
Comics are powerful. They’re accessible, visual, and deeply expressive, especially for young people navigating life’s highs and lows. Comics speak breaks, identity crises, social pressures, quiet joys. Furthermore, they resonate where words alone don’t.
And right now, comics are booming. Children’s graphic novel sales in the UK hit nearly £20 million, thus proving that stories with pictures are portals to reading, and gateways to empathetic worlds.
