Visual youthful politics

This perspectives piece explores visual youthful politics through climate activism, demonstrating how young people communicate demands for climate action through protest placards. Inspired by the Fridays for Future and the School Strike for Climate movement, this collection recognises students as producers of sophisticated visual political discourse rather than merely communication targets. This piece exhibits four student placards alongside their written rationales. Each placard design demonstrates clear engagement with politics and policy through carefully crafted messages and complex political emotions. Their work conveys a compelling vision of the future they want and deserve. By publishing these visuals in the Special Issue – Youth Studies in Australia and the Climate Crisis: Time for Action, the collection legitimises youth visual outputs as meaningful forms of research while amplifying their voices to new audiences.