Mapping the Margins is a NIHR-funded project led by the Race Equality Foundation in partnership with City, University of London, and St George’s, University of London. The project centres the lives of young Black men with care experience and young South Asian Disabled women – two groups whose experiences are often overlooked. Its findings, including art created through a series of co-production workshops with creative agency RESOLVE, were shared at a showcase event on 12 March 2026 at the Greenwood Centre in London.
Read on for a summary of key moments, takeaways and links to digital versions of the findings.
Why intersectionality cannot be optional
In their opening remarks, Dr. Anita Mehay and Race Equality Foundation Chief Executive Jabeer Butt OBE highlighted a persistent issue within traditional research: young people are often asked to fragment their identities. Too frequently, systems position individuals as either care-experienced or Black, either Disabled or South Asian – as though these identities exist in isolation. Mapping the Margins was designed to challenge these false binaries.
Although the research focused specifically on young Black men with care experience and South Asian Disabled women, its aim was not limitation but depth. By applying a rigorous intersectional lens, the project offers insights that speak more broadly to the experiences of all young ethnically minoritised people. It moves beyond surface-level statistics to explore how racism and systemic discrimination compound barriers across health and social care.
Ultimately, the project sought not only to gather evidence but to shift the narrative and demonstrate that the lives of minoritised young people are never one-dimensional.
Insights from the Creative Co-Production Sessions
The research was led by peer researchers Jonathan Bekantoy and Srishti Pandey, with creative workshops co-facilitated by the creative agency RESOLVE. These sessions went beyond traditional qualitative approaches, using creative and participatory methods to explore the complexities of lived experience.
Five immersive workshops and a concluding reflective session created a space for participants to openly share experiences. Small group conversations were supported by creative activities like model-making and baking to foster a sense of safety, expression and connection.
Four key intersecting themes emerged:
1. Wellbeing is relational and spatial
Young people emphasised that wellbeing is shaped by the relationships and environments that offer recognition, understanding and care. When these are present, they feel safer; when they are absent, the impact can be significant.
2. Intersectional barriers within services
Participants described unique and additional barriers as a result of their identities. Despite the differences between the groups, both highlighted overlapping challenges such as a lack of cultural understanding within services.
3. Masking, misrecognition and infantilisation
Stereotypes and assumptions shaped young people’s interactions with others and themselves. This included feeling misunderstood, underestimated or expected to hide parts of their identities.
4. Cultural and emotional anchors
Culture plays an important role in shaping identity, belonging and daily life. Participants described both the positive grounding it provides and the negative pressures it can bring.
Panel Discussion
The showcase concluded in a panel discussion. Rather than speaking about them, the event invited the young people who had been involved in the project to lead the conversation – defining exactly what this project means to them.
The young panellists emphasised:
- the importance of co-produced research
- their experience of being equal partners in the project
- the societal and structural changes they want to see in the UK
It was powerful to hear young people articulate their experiences, insights and hopes for the future.
The Zine and Exhibition Space
The project insights won’t just sit in a report, but rather, inform the creation of the Mapping the Margins Zine and a series of exhibition posters displayed at the event.
The exhibition space – designed and curated by RESOLVE – showcased the process of developing and delivering the workshops alongside artwork produced by the participants. The zine captured key conversations and real stories shared throughout the sessions. A digital copy of the zine is accessible to view on the Race Equality Foundation website.
Together, these creative outputs demonstrate that when we centre the voices typically pushed to the margins, the “map” of our social and health systems begins to look radically different.
Looking Ahead: Reflection and Responsibility
The insights gathered from Mapping the Margins invite us to move beyond observation and towards collective action. To truly support the wellbeing of young minoritised people, Disabled or in care, three priorities stand out:
- Creating Sanctuaries of Solidarity
- There is a vital need to cultivate safe, social spaces that allow young ethnically minoritised people to connect, share experiences and build collective resilience – particularly when navigating new environments or systems.
- Centring the Voices of the Impacted
- Research must shift from “studying” communities to collaborating with them. Co-designing services with young people ensures support is relevant, responsive and grounded in lived reality.
- Valuing Lived Experience as Expertise
- Personal histories are profound forms of knowledge. By recognising lived experience as expertise, we uncover the deep, human insights and “spatial truths” that traditional research often overlooks.
