Geographies of the invisible: marginalised adolescents, education, informal learning spaces

Abstract

A WHO study (2024) indicates that many adolescents face the future with concern, which affects their life trajectories. However, certain educational approaches can improve their well-being. In urban peripheries, vulnerabilities are exacerbated by symbolic poverty, territorial stigmatisation and inequalities in access to development. Even so, adolescents draw on resources and practices of resistance in the face of marginalisation. Adolescence, a key stage in identity formation, is influenced by the relationship with the city, which opens up possibilities for recognition. Artistic practices encourage the expression and reworking of experiences, strengthening a sense of belonging and resilience. This study presents an international dialogue between artistic experiences in the peripheries of Italy and Spain, using a comparative qualitative approach. It concludes that such practices act as educational tools that promote resilience, recognition and citizenship, inviting us to rethink the peripheries as spaces where vulnerability and opportunity coexist.