Decolonial Arts‑Based Social Work and Education with Migrants in Spain: A Rights‑Based Approach

Abstract

This article examines how arts-based, rights-oriented social work can foster voice, dignity, and inclusion with migrants in Spain. Drawing on decolonial theory and an a/r/tographic approach, we designed a collaborative program in reception settings with 57 adult migrants. Visual and performative artifacts—self-portraits, cultural “subway-map” cartographies, photonarratives, a red-threads performance, and a floor installation—were treated as primary data. A constructivist grounded theory strategy guided analysis using a formal–symbolic–contextual matrix (composition/color/materiality; metaphors and chronotopes; production/audience). Findings show measurable learning in visual literacy and creative–expressive and social competences, alongside increased agency in public spaces. Participants co-curated what to share, reframing dominant narratives of mobility through collective meaning-making and community pedagogy. The study details a practical rights-based toolkit for social work: layered, accessible consent; anonymity and takedown options for images/QR content; safety briefings for public actions; member checking across stages; and co-curation to prevent aesthetic paternalism. We argue that arts-based practice, read through a decolonial lens, moves beyond using art as a mere method and functions as education within the arts that advances human rights in research, practice, and social work education. Implications are offered for curriculum, frontline practice, and community advocacy.