Amplifying Voices, Empowering Change: Exploring Identity Formation Experiences of Adolescent Mothers in a Marginalised South African Community Through Transformative Arts-Based Research

Abstract This qualitative study employed a community-based participatory action research approach to explore adolescent mothers' lived experiences and meaning-making processes in a marginalised South African community. Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted our study's methodology by leveraging my skills as an intern educational psychologist and art teacher. With my supervisor's guidance, I created a safe and empowering virtual environment for our co-researchers to share their experiences and emotions, which allowed us to navigate the pandemic's unique constraints while maintaining our research's integrity. Using innovative arts-based methods, including river of life, clay modelling, photo collage, and photovoice activities, provided a powerful means for the co-researchers to express their stories, identities, and aspirations in diverse and nuanced ways. These creative interventions served as catalysts for self-reflection, collective meaning-making, and facing the challenge of societal stigma—fostering a sense of solidarity and empowerment among the co-researchers. The transformative potential of arts-based methods was amplified by the research's participatory ethos, which prioritised the voices and experiences of the co-researchers and sought to generate insights that could inform community-driven solutions. The virtual space became a platform for authentic dialogue, relationship building, and the co-creation of knowledge, underscoring the adaptability and resilience of participatory research in the face of global challenges. This study highlights the power of arts-based data generation methods and participatory approaches in generating rich, meaningful data and fostering transformative experiences for marginalised communities. It calls for further research and interventions that prioritise the voices and needs of adolescent mothers, ultimately promoting their well-being, resilience, and social change.