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Petits papiers, paroles de réfugiés

par Mistiaen, Valériane Marie
Référence IMISCOE (International Migration Research Network) (23: 29-06-2026 au 02-07-2026: Girona)
Publication Non publié, 2026-07-01

Communication à un colloque

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Résumé :

This communication presents Petits papiers, paroles de réfugiés, a participatory arts-based project designed with unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in Brussels. The project invited young participants to write their hopes, dreams, and words to local residents on cards, which they decorated during facilitated writing and art workshops. These creative outputs were then translated into French, Dutch, and English, and dispersed across public spaces such as benches, parks, and libraries, transforming the neighbourhood of Auderghem (Brussels) into a space of encounter. By integrating the public space, the project sought to foster dialogue, visibility, and empathy between local populations and displaced youth. Methodologically, the initiative builds on traditions of creative writing as a tool for empowerment and narrative agency, as well as participatory art practices that emphasize collective meaning-making and social inclusion. Writing workshops enabled participants to articulate personal experiences and aspirations beyond dominant media framings of migration, while the artistic dimension provided an emotional, multimodal means of expression accessible across linguistic barriers. We argue that such hybrid creative methods expand the scope of community engagement by valuing young asylum seekers’ voices as contributors to the shared urban landscape. The project demonstrates how participatory writing and art practices can intervene in public discourse, shifting focus from vulnerability to agency, and generating new forms of civic interaction.