Brad Barrass is an emerging practitioner working at the intersection of climate justice, community storytelling, and youth participation. Based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, he contributes to Transition Network International, Wildwise, and the Firefly Project. Brad’s work focuses on enabling communities and young people to lead meaningful action in response to climate and social crises, combining creativity, care, and collective engagement.
His practice is grounded in participatory, inclusive systems. As a key member of the Transition Network International Youth Circle, he applies sociocratic decision-making, ensuring diverse voices are heard and consent guides collective action. Brad has led the youth-focused film project In the Making, documenting grassroots transition groups across the UK, capturing the lived experiences, aspirations, and struggles of young climate changemakers. This work emphasises intergenerational collaboration, amplifying youth voices and fostering shared understanding across age groups.
Brad also facilitates nature-connection and grief workshops, supporting young people and communities to engage emotionally and creatively with environmental issues, linking personal experience to climate activism. His approach prioritises care—acknowledging emotional, social, and physical needs while sustaining community-led action.
Key challenges Brad navigates include bridging institutional net-zero frameworks with lived community realities, fostering inclusive participation, and addressing the resource constraints of community-led work.
Through the Practice-Builders’ Network, Brad aims to share insights from storytelling and participatory methods, advocate for youth-led climate action, and explore alternative decision-making structures. He seeks to learn from diverse practitioners experimenting with just, sustainable, and joined-up approaches, and to contribute to building a movement of empowered communities and youth driving equitable net-zero futures.