Community organisation Comics Youth has launched the UK’s first Young Comics Laureate role, building on the existing UK Comics Laureate role currently held by Bobby Joseph and supported by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF).

Who are Comics Youth?

Comics Youth are a creative community organisation led by young people, for young people. Their aim is to empower youth across the Liverpool City Region to flourish from the margins of society and speak truth to power by publishing comics and books.

Comics Youth adds: "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. This limits the representation of young creators, whose unique perspectives and lived experiences are often overlooked in national discourse."

What will The Young Comics Laureate Involve?

The Young Comics Laureate will serve a 12-month tenure, working in partnership with LICAF and Comics Youth. The official announcement of the role will take place in September at LICAF 2025.

The Young Comics Laureate will have £8,000 of unrestricted funding, that can be used to fulfil the role. This could include training opportunities, travel and accommodation for events, mentoring opportunities, sundries and access costs.

The organisation emphasises that the new role will amplify the voices of young creators and ensure their perspectives and concerns are represented in discussions around comics, literacy and youth culture, and foster leadership opportunities by providing a platform for a young creator to influence national conversations around comics, education and social change.

It also hopes to bridge the gap between young and professional creators, fostering mentorship, networking and access to industry opportunities, as well as addressing critical issues facing young people, including mental health, identity and social justice "through the powerful medium of comics".

Applicants must be aged 18-30, based in the UK, a comics creator with a passion for progressive issues, able to represent young people in the comics industry and someone who represents youth creativity, activism and storytelling.

Rhiannon Griffiths MBE, founder of Comics Youth, said: “At Comics Youth, we believe in the power of young people to change the world through storytelling. The Young 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.”

Julie Tait, LICAF festival director, added: “We’re absolutely thrilled to support the Young Comics Laureate initiative. 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 Joseph 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."

The Young Comics Laureate will be selected by Comics Youth’s community of young people and Youth Development Board. The selection process will be guided by Comics Youth and LICAF. More information can be found here.