The Role of Arts-Based Research in Creating Safe Spaces for Newcomer Refugees

Abstract

This article discusses the role of arts-based research in generating a supportive cross-cultural way for newcomer refugees to express themselves within an emerging aesthetic intersubjective paradigm of arts-based research and art therapy (Chilton, Geber, & Scotti, 2015). It begins by reviewing literature on the global and contemporary experiences of refugees and displaced persons and the need to support newcomer refugees, particularly women. Furthermore, this article briefly discusses the connection between art-making and health with recent relevant systematic reviews, experiential designs, and biomarker evidence. It concludes that arts-based research can be a way to support diverse forms of knowledge and communication, with a particular focus on cultural humility (Bal & Kaur, 2017; McNiff, 1984; Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998).

Keywords: newcomers; refugees; arts-based research; art therapy; cross-cultural.