Creating space for multiple belongings: Expressive arts approaches to multicultural identity in post-referendum Ireland

More than 20 years after Ireland's 2004 citizenship referendum, young people with non-Irish heritage continue navigating complex questions of identity and belonging in contemporary Ireland. Drawing from expressive arts psychotherapy practice with unaccompanied minors, this paper explores how creative approaches can support adolescents experiencing belonging uncertainty in post-referendum Ireland. Through a composite case study of Maryse, a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor from the Democratic Republic of Congo participating in an expressive arts youth group, the paper demonstrates how therapeutically informed creative activities supported identity exploration using a three-stage trauma-informed framework. Key practice principles emerge including prioritising choice and agency, practising cultural humility and accessing multiple coping channels through embodied approaches that honour diverse cultural traditions.