Arts-based participatory research approach: potential for exploring Asian-Canadian youth identities through an intersectionality lens

This project aims at applying arts-based methodologies to explore Asian-Canadian youth identities in Canada. The main research question is: if and how are art-based research methods relevant in exploring hyphenated youth cultural and migrant identities in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada’s largest and diverse metropolitan setting? Youth participants were introduced to visual arts (Self Portraits and Relational Maps), and to drama (Readers’ Theatre) - two arts-based methodologies considered effective methods for individual level of identity exploration. A key objective was to receive feedback from youth participants on the effectiveness and relevance of such tools in exploring their Asian-Canadian identities.