Arts‐Based Laboratories for Compassionate Futures With Adolescents in Colombian Public Education

Abstract

Many adolescents in Colombia grow up in contexts of socioeconomic vulnerability, in a society marked by profound and painful experiences resulting from political violence, and with a fast‐paced daily life that places them in the paradoxical situation of being forgotten and neglected. In other words, the pace of contemporary life and the expectations of their social environment regarding how they should behave and what they should be like, leaves adolescents with no opportunity, or few opportunities, to get to know themselves, recognise what is happening in their lives, and, in turn, take action to care for themselves and ensure their well‐being. Within this context, the Conversations in the Garden programme was integrated into a public school as a laboratory for creative artistic expression, allowing adolescents to talk about and create from their emotions, bodies, identities, future projects, and opinions as citizens. This article presents the methodologies, results, and conclusions from four years of collaborative work, conducted in accordance with the principles of arts‐based, narrative, and collaborative research. Among the results, this programme has promoted adolescents’ socio‐emotional well‐being through art and dialogue, grounded in emotional recognition and management, and by addressing relational and interpersonal issues to cultivate empathy, interdependence, and mutual responsibility. Likewise, art‐mediated conversations have promoted greater self‐awareness, resilience, and life skills in adolescents. In short, the process, grounded in dialogue among stakeholders within the educational institution, has been slow; however, progress has been made in recognising the need to create spaces for shared care and to pursue compassionate futures.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Social Inclusion, 2026 · DOI ↗