Creative and collaborative approaches to working with gender and sexuality diverse children and young people: research, pedagogy, knowledge translation, and policy

This chapter examines creative, collaborative approaches to working with trans, gender diverse, and sexuality diverse children and young people in research, advocacy, and policy development. Challenging dominant Western discourses that position children as passive, the authors highlight their roles as thoughtful, agentic contributors to knowledge production. Drawing on several research projects, the chapter showcases innovative, arts-based methods such as photovoice, photo-elicitation, visual storytelling, and performed ethnography. These approaches enable participants to express lived experiences and engage critically with cultural narratives. The chapter emphasises the importance of meaningful inclusion, positioning children and young people as co-designers of pedagogical and community resources. Framed within feminist poststructuralist, queer, and post-developmental theories and a cultural safety lens, the discussion advocates for social justice approaches that challenge normative assumptions about childhood and gender. Ultimately, the chapter argues that creative collaboration leads to more relevant, high-quality outputs and amplifies the voices of diverse young people.