Young Australians and New Zealanders Tell Us About Their Vision for the Future

This article is part of our VICE Weekends summer series, presented by Weis

2016, what a time to be alive. This was truly the year of realising stuff, but what's on the cards for next year? What's standing beside us in this pantomime of life? Photographers Imogen Wilson, Chloe Nour and Wave Lachish hit the streets of Auckland, Sydney and Byron Bay respectively to hear the hopes and dreams of the young Australians and New Zealanders with the future in their hands.

Johanna Dias, Sydney

What do you do?
I don't do, I am.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
I'm. Still. Fabulous.

What is something you're passionate about?
Reconfiguring our concept of national identity in order to grant sovereignty to our Aboriginal brothers and sisters. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

What empowers you?
All the divinely colourful, quirky, grounding humans I am fortunate to call my friends.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Respond, over react.

What's the greatest thing about being young in 2016 in Australia?
To see the creative resurgence that is taking place amidst the divisiveness that has infected our greater collective. That instead of being derailed into a sense of listlessness, we have the freedom to live and speak the change we wish to see, and to do so unapologetically.

Where do you look to find inspiration?
As clipped as it is, I'm lucky enough to not consciously have to look for it, in that I'm surrounded by it endlessly. From the street that I live on, to the amazing creative capacities of my friends, or all the friends turned family cutting shapes on the dance floor at 77.

What are your hopes for the world in 2017?
Something Mama Badu said that will always resonate, "That people will one day feel free enough to be themselves without giving a damn about what nobody else has to say."

Finish this sentence: Young people have the power to create change because…
Realising stuff. Need I say more?

Ebonny Munro, 23, Sydney.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Freaky, weirdo, loner.

Something you're passionate about?
Anything that is a distraction from reality, like playing music and making jewellery and hanging with animals. I really like to live in a magical place in my head much more then the dull society that I inhabit.

What empowers you?
Dancing and also meeting weird people who live their life in a different way. I find it really empowering to be inspired.

What's the greatest thing about being young in 2016 in Australia?
You can get away with not taking things too seriously, you have all the freedom in the world and the choice to live your life however you wish.

Where do you look to find inspiration?
I am really into Psychic TV at the moment and all of the ultra creative music and films that they make. I look for inspiration in sculpture, in the classical genre and in contemporary art.

Finish this sentence: Young people have the power to create change because…
There has never been a time on earth to aspire to do great things.

Carla Uriarte, 26, Sydney

What do you do?
I'm an artist.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Intelligent, beautiful, humble.

What empowers you?
Sex.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Blow with the wind.

What's the greatest thing about being young in 2016 in Australia?
Freedom.

Where do you look to find inspiration?
The bedroom, the head, the sea.

What are your hopes for the world in 2017?
Less phones, more eye contact.

Finish this sentence: Young people have the power to create change because…
Duh!

Ailee Teiniker, Auckland

What do you do?
I do lots of things from psychic readings to studying astrology.

What is something you're passionate about?
Animal rights.

What empowers you?
The people around me.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Those who mind don't matter, those who matter don't mind.

What's the greatest thing about being young in 2016 in New Zealand?
I love how the youth in New Zealand is so open minded.

Where do you look to find inspiration?
Either from nature or those who are close to me.

What are your hopes for the world in 2017?
I really want to go backpacking.

Finish this sentence: Young people have the power to create change because…
We can unite and that's the most powerful thing.

Lucy Katt aka María, 17 and a half, Auckland

What do you do?
Play bass in a three piece all girl sludge punk band called Slumbug. I study music, but I'm chilling and touring for the summer 2016/2017.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Emotional disaster, woodlands fairy, Sailor Neptune.

What is something you're passionate about?
Local music, not just local to me in New Zealand, but also local music overseas. I'm yet to do most of my travelling. Saving up right now.

What empowers you?
My bandmates and touring. It's really all I've wanted to do for so long, this summer is definitely going to be one of the biggest highlights of the year.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Archangel Michael "Remember Who You Are" Archangel oracle by Doreen Virtue.

Where do you look to find inspiration?
Sailor Moon, True Widow, Babes In Toyland, Japanese artists, stories of my ancestors, the land I'm from.

What are your hopes for the world in 2017?
For the horrendous attacks in the Middle East to come to an end. I have a lot of aroha for the innocent civilians who have been caught in a crossfire of extremism and corruption.

Finish this sentence : Young people have the power to create change because…
We simply can. It's hard for young people to recognise it, but as soon as you realise that the door might have been closed, but never locked, all you need to do is open it and run, realising that materialism can't hold you back from making your art in what you do.

Madison Von Über Rothschild, 19, Auckland

What do you do?
I study movie special effects and mask making, play in a sewer punk band called Mucus Kids, make art of all kinds and I love taking photos of decaying things, old things and trash.

What is something you're passionate about?
My art is my life, my life is my art.

What empowers you?
Listening to Pantera on full blast. Doesn't get much better than that.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Perfection is in the imperfections.

What's the greatest thing about being young in 2016 in New Zealand?
Memes! Holy damn, old people don't know how to meme to save their life!

Where do you look to find inspiration?
I mostly look at the ground, there's a lot down there if you look in the right places.

What are your hopes for the world in 2017?
Death to the system. Time to create a new one, made by the people for the people.

Finish this sentence: Young people have the power to create change because…
We are the adults of tomorrow, we have the power if we stand together as one people.

Claudia, 20, Byron Bay

What do you do?
Take photos, study and drive a lot.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
This is hard.

What is something you're passionate about?
Capturing rather than constructing.

What empowers you?
Women.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Take time to think.

What's the greatest thing about being young in 2016 in Australia?
The internet, greatest but also the worst.

Where do you look to find inspiration?
People, books, real life.

What are your hopes for the world in 2017?
More love.

Finish this sentence: Young people have the power to create change because…
We are the future.

Kit Alida Bettison, 28, Byron Bay

What do you do?
Interior stylist and co-owner of Alida and Miller, part time fashion stylist and I own an online vintage store called Alida Buffalo.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Clumsy, sarcastic, affectionate.

What is something you're passionate about?
My family, my husband and my two sons.

What empowers you?
The strong, caring women I am lucky enough to be surrounded and inspired by.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
Don't be greedy.

Where do you look to find inspiration?
Far away countries. Also the youth of our town, the younger girls here are ruling at the moment, just doing their own thing. It's refreshing.

What are your hopes for the world in 2017?
To not suck as much as 2016.

Finish this sentence: Young people have the power to create change because…
They literally have the world at their fingertips due to technology and they can instantly have a platform on a global level.

This article is presented by Weis