Mushrooms, cranes, and the fear of planetary destruction: exploring children’s imaginaries of war and nuclear anxiety

Since the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the risk of nuclear war has remained a persistent source of fear and anxiety, particularly among children. While disarmament activists often invoke “saving children’s futures” to advocate for a global ban of nuclear weapons, this approach frequently overlooks children’s active agency in interpreting nuclear threats. This article addresses this gap by exploring children’s imaginaries of war grounded in nuclear anxiety. Through a qualitative visual and content analysis of 29 artworks created by youth (aged 9–18) for the UK-based charity Never Such Innocence competition (2020–2024), the research reveals how children use diverse representational strategies to articulate their views. These include symbols like mushroom clouds and cranes, and stark color contrasts between light and dark. Thematically, children demonstrate sophisticated engagement with the topic, referencing historical events like the bombings of Japan during the World War II (1945) and accidents at Chornobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011). Their work highlights the risks of future nuclear war—including planetary destruction and humanitarian impacts—while expressing aspirations for disarmament as a long-term solution.