Confronting the Ambiguities of Safe Space in Creative and Participatory Work

Abstract

This chapter is based on qualitative data collected in the course of a research project characterized by the use of a range of participatory methods with the purpose of providing a creative space for migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women discussing familial practices. The ambiguities of the term ‘safe space’ are explored in light of the fact space cannot be entirely safe as is imbued with power relations including racialized and gendered hierarchies, among others. The fieldwork for the project discussed here revealed potential uncertainties and pitfalls in the creation of a space which is safe enough to share personal experiences in the context of a research project.