Little Feet BIG SHOES

Words & Photography by George Gaucas Pullan

Throughout generations, young people have been at the forefront of social movements and culture. From the emergence of punks in the 70s to the illegal parties of the 80s and 90s, to generation Z overthrowing the government in Nepal; it is the youth who created and defined culture as we know it today.

Britain is known for its music, art and fashion. It all started as underground movements resonating with youth up and down the country. Whether it was pirate radios making space for emerging artists and inventing genres, a sewing studio in a bedroom, or creating art with just a wall and a can of spray paint; they all began with an idea and an individual. All this creative energy defines the nation, yet it is 2026 and their voices are disregarded in the highest of political spaces.

Most 16 to 30 year olds have spent a large portion of their youth under a 14 year Tory rule with a constant slashing of public services. Youth clubs are gone, library services and schools are underfunded, and they face rising student loans, an oversaturated job market and a property ladder that is impossible to climb. Now, more than ever, young people cannot see a future for themselves. While the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The working class have taken this blow for decades and now the youth of today are feeling it.

This generation is not taking it any more. More young people are on the streets, in politics and creating organisations. They are demanding that their voices be heard, creating the future they want to be in. The John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow published a UK Youth Poll in 2025 that questions young people aged 16 to 29. Their findings show that a third of young people would be interested in getting involved with organised politics, while 75% of young people have taken part in some form of political activity in the last 12 months. When delving further into their political opinions, 57% backed democracy over dictatorship, but 63% believe UK democracy is in trouble. As well as their political views, the young people were asked about their main causes of anxiety in today’s society. Answers revealed that financial worries are the top cause with 37%, followed by work pressures at 23% and job insecurity at 20%. The weight of the cost of living rests heavily on young people, not only from the UK but around the world. We are seeing a global movement and a collective voice of the youth. They are challenging the suits in charge, demanding people over profit with a voice that cannot be silenced.

Manchester is a city that has a rich social history and has always been a pioneer of revolutionary change. Sam Bamford was a weaver and radical writer from Middleton who helped lead the march to St Peter’s Field in 1819 to demand political reform. The 1840s saw the birth of the Co operative movement in Rochdale when 28 working class artisans, who were facing poverty, opened a shop on Toad Lane with the aim of combatting high prices and poor food quality while sharing profits. During the American Civil War in the 1860s, Manchester textile workers and some mill owners supported the anti slavery Union blockade of Confederate ports. They did this despite the block causing the infamous cotton famine, which led to over 400,000 workers being affected and one third of families relying on charity. Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, wrote Manchester a letter of acknowledgement and thanks for their solidarity.

Community has always, and will always, be at the forefront of Manchester as a city. The power is with its people. Still, to this day, we see the never ending spirit of solidarity from the people of Manchester, especially the youth. With multiple organisations such as Youth Struggle Manchester, Social Students Manchester and Youth Demand Manchester, the voices of their ancestors echo louder than ever. From raising awareness through social media to running community evenings and organising protests, they are taking action into their own hands. Although governments fail them, this generation will not allow those failures to become their future.

Little Feet Big Shoes is not only a project inspired by my own desire for social change; it is a plea. It is a plea from a big sister. I have seven siblings, all with a future in front of them that hangs in the balance based on the decisions of the few. This is a cohort of old white men who are too busy in an ego war to see the futures in front of them. I am the big sister who cannot be a protector. But my siblings are not the exception. There are over 1.8 billion young people all over the world, and all their futures are at stake. There are 4.5 million children in the UK living in poverty and 138 million children still trapped in child labour. One Palestinian child is killed every hour whilst there are children mining in Congo so you can have the latest device. All have futures brighter than ours, with dreams bigger than we could ever dream of, yet they are snatched away because of ego. Those egos will drive this planet to the ground. It has broken communities apart, torn us away from nature and chained us to a broken system. It has taught us that "me" and "I" are more important than anything or anyone on this planet. It has created a disassociation to the atrocities around the world, an "it is not happening to me, so I will look away" kind of attitude. Well, that attitude does not hold up any more, not with this generation of young people. They will not allow you to turn away, close your eyes or claim your ignorance; it is about time we listened.

As part of Little Feet Big Shoes, I spoke to two groups of young people from the borough of Rochdale: students from Pinc College and the young people of Darnhill Youth Group. I spoke to the young people about their future and their opinions on where it is going, their dreams and their fears. In answer to the question "what do you want for your future?", the young people created written or creative responses. Those responses included fear of AI, criticism of the school system, awareness of disabilities, and an overall desire for a more inclusive society. These are the voices of today’s youth. Their worries are not on an individual basis; they are a universal feeling.

The Seven Generation Principle is a Haudenosaunee philosophy which explains that decisions made in your lifetime should consider the impact they will have on the seven generations after you. Stewardship is the main message of this principle and the duty we have to both this planet and to the people whose future depends on it. If we took this principle forward in our daily lives, we would create a more compassionate, loving community rather than a mass of self serving individuals. If we embrace this concept and take action to listen to and uplift youth voices by championing the working class, LGBTQIA+ and all under-represented youth groups, we will create a more open and accepting community which will lead to a healthier wellbeing for our young people. If you were 16 again, would you not want someone fighting for you?