Comics Youth CIC and its charitable arm, Comics Youth SCIO, has announced the launch of a search for the UK’s first Youth Comics Laureate, a ground-breaking, youth-led role designed to empower, pay, and amplify comics creators aged 18–30.
The inaugural Laureate will be unveiled at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF) during its Festival weekend (26th – 28th September 2025) in Bowness-on-Windermere.
Building on the existing UK Comics Laureate position currently held by Bobby Joseph, the Youth Comics Laureate will be a paid, 12-month role dedicated to supporting an early-career creator from a traditionally underrepresented background.
Comics Youth is now accepting nominations for the Young Comics Laureate role, but if you're interested in applying, you'll need to get your nomination in soon - the deadline for submissions is 5.00pm on Wednesday 13th August 2025.
The youth-led shortlisting process to choose the person for the role will begin soon after the deadline.
Why a Youth Comics Laureate Is Needed
While the current UK Comics Laureate plays a crucial role in advocating for comics literacy and creative expression, the position is currently held by established industry professionals. Comics Youth CIC, Comics Youth SCIO and partners feel this limits the representation of young creators, whose unique perspectives and lived experiences are often overlooked in national discourse.
Across the UK and internationally, Youth Poet Laureate programmes have transformed cultural engagement by spotlighting young voices, elevating lived experiences, and ensuring younger generations help shape public conversations. These models prove that giving young people paid, respected cultural roles isn’t just recognition, it’s a powerful investment in the future.
Comics deserve the same commitment, say Comics Youth CIC and Comics Youth SCIO.
"Comics are one of the most accessible, democratic art forms, combining words and images to cross barriers of literacy, language, and culture. They let young people tell nuanced, personal stories about identity, mental health, social justice, and community in ways that resonate widely.
"Yet despite this power, there’s currently no national platform or paid role dedicated to championing emerging comics creators in the UK. Many face barriers to industry access, mentorship, and fair pay, while their stories too often go unheard."
A Young Comics Laureate will provide the same kind of recognition and platform that Youth Poet Laureates enjoy; celebrate comics as a vital, culturally relevant, and educational medium; ensure fair pay, training, and professional development so no young creator is excluded because of background or finances; and create a clear, supported pathway for diverse new voices to influence the future of the industry and national conversations.
Why Comics? Why Now?
"Comics have always been a radical medium for truth-telling and social change," note Comics Youth CIC. "They let creators tackle big themes in accessible, compelling ways. For young people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, comics offer a way to process experience, share perspective, and imagine new futures.
"But the industry needs to evolve. Young creators have urgent, authentic stories to tell. Supporting them fairly and visibly isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential to ensuring the medium remains dynamic, inclusive, and relevant."
Rhiannon Griffiths MBE, Founder of Comics Youth, says: “At Comics Youth, we believe in the power of young people to change the world through storytelling. The Youth Comics Laureate isn’t just about recognising talent – it’s about creating real opportunities, challenging inequity, and ensuring that the voices of young people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, are heard, valued, and celebrated in the comics industry.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled to support the Young Comics Laureate initiative," commented Julie Tait, LICAF Festival Director. "Comics reach all ages, and all communities, but the young will carry the medium forward.
"Over the last few years, we’ve seen the positive impact made in terms of promoting comics by various Comics Laureates, a project we launched in 2015, and Bobby Jospeh has been continuing the fantastic work. We’re sure the new Young Comics Laureate will complement this, and we look forward to seeing how it develops."
Role Responsibilities and Impact
The Young Comics Laureate will serve a 12-month tenure as a national advocate for young people in comics, working to:
• Spotlight issues that matter most to their generation.
• Lead workshops, talks, and community events to inspire creative self-expression.
• Provide mentorship and representation for other young and emerging creators.
• Collaborate with industry partners to ensure youth perspectives shape national conversations about comics and literacy.
Authentically Youth-Led, Community-Powered Selection
This initiative is co-produced with CIC Youth's Youth Development Board to ensure it is designed by and for young people. Shortlisted candidates will be chosen through Comics Youth’s youth-led process, with the final Laureate selected by a public vote of the wider comics community.
LICAF will act as the national launch platform, showcasing the Laureate’s work and providing valuable exposure, while the appointment itself remains fully youth-led and community-chosen.
Funded by the Charlie Adlard Foundation
This pioneering initiative is made possible through generous support from the Charlie Adlard Foundation. As a leading advocate for the comics arts, the Foundation’s investment reflects a shared commitment to empowering the next generation of comics creators and ensuring the medium continues to thrive through diverse, authentic voices.
Founded in 2015, Comics Youth CIC is a creative social enterprise supporting marginalised children and young people aged 8 - 25 to improve mental health, amplify their voices, and drive social change through comics. Comics Youth SCIO, established in 2021, is the Dundee-based charitable arm focused on expanding access to comics-based education and well-being initiatives. Together, they have supported over 5000 young people across the UK, and launched the Marginal Publishing House, the first youth-led publishing house.
• For more information and background visit this page on the CIC Youth web site
• To find out more about Comics Youth visit comicsyouth.co.uk | Facebook | | Instagram | YouTube | X
