Educational Potential of Artistic Mediation with Children at Risk of Exclusion Through Teachers’ Narratives

Abstract

The research explores the educational potential of artistic mediation with children at risk of social exclusion, drawing on the narratives of twenty early years and primary school teachers. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, it examines perceptions of openness to the creative process, the use of art in teaching practice and its value as a socio-educational tool. The findings show that experiences of artistic mediation generate feelings of harmony, concentration and achievement, thus fostering a more collaborative and emotionally balanced classroom climate. The study also observes that art serves as a means for teachers’ reflective practice, encouraging critical thinking, the formulation of questions and an approach to assessment that focuses more on processes than products. In vulnerable contexts, artistic mediation proves particularly effective for expressing emotions, strengthening self-esteem and reinforcing group cohesion. Taken together, the findings suggest that artistic mediation should be understood beyond its instrumental value, recognising it as a transformative practice that promotes both educational inclusion and professional reflection on teaching, thereby helping to enhance the quality and humanistic purpose of pedagogical interventions.

1. Introduction

In recent decades, education has undergone profound transformations driven by the social, technological and cultural changes that characterise the twenty-first century. In this context, teaching practice faces the challenge of preparing citizens who are able to live with diversity, understand social complexity and contribute to the common good. Within this landscape, artistic mediation has emerged as a highly relevant pedagogical and socio-educational tool in teaching and learning processes, where aesthetic experience, creativity and symbolic expression form key pillars of pupils’ holistic development [1,2].

Although artistic mediation draws on principles from arts education and art therapy, it differs from both, as it is not focused on teaching the arts or on treating pathological conditions. Its purpose is to foster wellbeing, inclusion and personal and social development through creativity and artistic expression. In this sense, it can be defined as a socio-educational form of support that uses art as a mediating tool to strengthen socio-emotional skills, autonomy, self-knowledge, emotional self-regulation, and critical and creative thinking, as well as to promote social cohesion and community participation, particularly in contexts of vulnerability or exclusion [3].

The purpose of this study is to analyse artistic mediation as a tool for social transformation in teaching practice, highlighting its potential to promote inclusion, critical thinking and social awareness in different school contexts. In the educational field, various authors argue that artistic mediation is a highly valuable resource, as creativity, aesthetic experience and expressive action support pupils’ holistic development [4]. This approach is especially relevant at a time when educational communities must respond to the growing presence of pupils in situations of vulnerability arising from economic, migratory or cultural factors.

Through art, spaces for symbolic communication are created that help rebuild identities, foster empathy and encourage active participation in community and educational life. Various authors have highlighted that art not only fulfils an expressive or aesthetic function but also serves as a privileged medium for experiential learning, the construction of critical subjectivities and the development of socio-emotional skills geared towards social transformation [5,6]. From this perspective, artistic mediation can be understood as an educational strategy that links knowledge with action and sensitivity, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), by promoting inclusive, creative and democratic educational environments.

Within this reflective framework, the present study seeks to understand how early years and primary school teachers perceive and value artistic mediation as part of their everyday educational practice. To this end, three objectives are proposed:

• To examine teachers’ openness to the creative process, understood as a willingness to adopt sensitive and expressive methodologies in the classroom.
• To analyse the potential of artistic mediation in teaching practice, exploring how art can support participatory, dialogic and inclusive dynamics in different school contexts.
• To explore artistic mediation as a tool for socio-educational intervention with populations at risk, considering its capacity to generate spaces of recognition, dialogue and social transformation.

Based on these objectives, the study aligns with research that conceives arts education as a sphere of pedagogical innovation and social justice, in which art serves as a vehicle for building learning communities that are more empathetic, critical and democratic [7,8].

1.1. Artistic Mediation as a Transformative Educational Method in Contexts of Vulnerability

Artistic mediation can be defined as an educational and social process that uses art as a means to encourage dialogue, reflection and individual and collective transformation [7]. This concept has two complementary yet distinct dimensions. On the one hand, artistic mediation linked to the museum sector aims to bring art and culture closer to the public, facilitating the understanding of artworks and promoting inclusive access to cultural spaces. On the other hand, socio-educational artistic mediation focuses on the creative process as a lived experience, where exploration, symbolic expression and active participation hold greater significance than the final outcome. In this sense, art becomes an intervention tool that supports personal and community development through workshops and collaborative practices with diverse groups, particularly those in vulnerable situations.

From a pedagogical perspective, art constitutes a space for experimentation, knowledge and action in which pupils take an active role in constructing meaning. This approach breaks with traditional educational models and promotes a horizontal, cooperative relationship between teachers and pupils, based on shared creation and learning through experience [9].

In the current educational context, the potential of art as an agent of social innovation is increasingly recognised, as it can generate creative proposals that stimulate imagination and sensitivity while responding to the needs of individuals and communities at risk of exclusion. In this regard, artistic mediation is established as a tool for social transformation aimed at fostering empathy, critical awareness and the recognition of diversity. This emancipatory dimension connects with the view of education as a practice of freedom, in which knowledge is built through dialogue and collective experience [10].

In societies characterised by cultural, linguistic and socio-economic heterogeneity, art offers alternative languages of communication and expression capable of overcoming linguistic and academic barriers [11]. In educational settings with vulnerable pupils, artistic practices support inclusion, strengthen self-esteem and reinforce a sense of belonging to the group [12].

Shared creative experiences thus contribute to building learning communities that are more open, participatory and sensitive to diversity, where art becomes an essential educational resource for promoting both emotional wellbeing and social cohesion.

1.2. Educational Experiences Based on Artistic Methodologies for Transformation and Social Awareness

Despite theoretical advances regarding the role of art’s social intervention in education, there is still limited research and few systematic school-based experiences that use artistic practices as a means to reflect on inequality and social justice. In most cases, these initiatives arise from isolated projects or one-off collaborations between artists, teachers and cultural institutions, rather than from established educational strategies. However, both in Spain and internationally, experiences are beginning to emerge that demonstrate the value of art as a pedagogical resource and a driver of social transformation.

In Spain, various initiatives have highlighted the educational and social potential of collaborative artistic interventions. Programmes such as Art for Change, run by the “la Caixa” Foundation, promote projects involving artists, teachers and pupils in situations of vulnerability, fostering inclusion and participation through community-based creative processes (Fundación “la Caixa”, 2023) [13]. The Todos Somos Arte initiative, run with young people with autism spectrum disorder, similarly demonstrates how creative activities support communication, empathy and social cohesion within the school [14]. Meanwhile, the La creación de comunidades sostenibles project, led by the Museo Escolar de Puçol, brings together schools and migrant communities, strengthening coexistence and intercultural learning through shared artistic practices [15].

At the European level, the ArtsEqual project (2015–2021) [16], developed by the University of the Arts Helsinki and the University of Jyväskylä, showed the impact of integrating art into the construction of more equitable educational environments. Its methodology, based on cooperation between teachers and artist-mediators, demonstrated improvements in equity and attention to diversity [17] (Burnard et al., 2018). Complementing this, Ireland’s Creative Schools Programme [18], promoted by the Arts Council and the Ministry of Education (2018–present), has incorporated the role of the collaborating artist into schools, achieving improvements in pupil motivation, family engagement and teachers’ work with heterogeneous groups [19] (Murphy & Eivers, 2023).

In Latin America, experiences also reflect the potential of participatory artistic methodologies to promote inclusion and social cohesion. In Chile, the Puerto Migrante project has created spaces for creativity and intercultural dialogue in neighbourhoods with a high presence of migrant communities, fostering collaboration between schools, community organisations, and local artists (Fundación NUAC, 2022) [20]. Recent studies also highlight how teaching practices with an artistic approach function as sensitive pedagogical mediations, integrating art and social justice within educational processes [11].

In Mexico, the organisation ConArte (Consorcio Internacional Arte y Escuela) has been running programmes for more than two decades in public schools within communities at social risk. Through collaborative workshops involving teachers, artists and pupils, it promotes creativity, expression and participation as core elements of inclusion and educational development [21].

These national and international experiences confirm the transformative potential of artistic methodologies in education, as they foster critical learning, strengthen empathy and encourage civic participation. Their impact extends beyond formal teaching spaces, positioning art as a vehicle for social awareness and collective change.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Design of Investigation

To explore in depth the educational potential of artistic mediation with children at risk of exclusion, we used an exploratory mixed-methods design (or methodological triangulation), combining surveys and semi-structured interviews. This approach makes it possible to draw on the strengths of both methods: obtaining quantitative data and broad patterns through the survey, followed by detailed, in-depth qualitative information through semi-structured interviews to examine those patterns, with the aim of providing knowledge and understanding of the issues being studied. This methodology was considered appropriate because the rise of quantitative approaches in educational research supports the generalisation and extrapolation of results, but at the interpretative level it presents limitations, losing the nuances of diversity and the uniqueness found in more personalised qualitative processes [22]. The focus of the research lay fundamentally in the educational encounter generated through narrative dialogue by giving voice to the teachers [23,24]. To achieve this, direct, genuine and personal contact was sought through the interviews, which required a demanding and laborious access strategy [25].

2.2. Sampling and Recruitment

For this study, the selected population consisted of qualified early years and primary school teachers. A non-probability convenience or purposive sampling strategy was adopted, taking into account the teachers’ availability and proximity, as well as their knowledge of and practical experience in training activities related to artistic mediation with vulnerable children. The final sample comprised 20 teachers, of whom 15 were women and 5 were men. Throughout the process, the ethical parameters set out in sections 8.2 and 4.2 of the APA, as well as the Declaration of Helsinki, were observed, with particular emphasis on the following aspects: informed consent, participant anonymisation and data encryption.

2.3. Data Collection

To gather information, an interview-based approach was used with the following instruments: a Likert-scale questionnaire adapted from the ABI (Art-based Intervention) Questionnaire [26], designed to measure participants’ opinions, attitudes, and satisfaction through statements rated from “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree”, and an open semi-structured interview that incorporated topics from item 33 on teaching and learning processes from the OECD’s TALIS 2018 Teacher Questionnaire [27]. The questionnaire file is available at: https://webfs.oecd.org/talis/ESP_Spain_TALIS_2018_questionnaires.zip (accessed on 23 October 2025) and should be added to the list of references [27].This interview included a total of eight questions, organised for the purposes of this research around themes related to artistic mediation as a means of supporting wellbeing, social cohesion and a sense of belonging among children at risk of exclusion; fostering a critical view of assessment focused on process; and art as a resource for motivation and personal expression, among other aspects. For its development, a panel of experts was convened, involving four university lecturers specialising in art therapy, artistic mediation and professionalisation, which ensured the validity of the content. Based on the information gathered, a preliminary version of the instrument was produced and subsequently validated by members of the research groups “Socio-educational Intervention”, “Social Inclusion, Education and Territory” and “Active Artistic Practices and Citizenship” at the University of Murcia.

2.4. Data Analysis

An analysis was carried out of the data obtained from the surveys, and the twenty interviews were digitally transcribed to optimise the process. Regarding the quantitative analysis, the data were processed using the statistical software SPSS, version 28. The questionnaire items were measured using a Likert-type scale, which was treated as an ordinal scale. Consequently, the analysis was limited to descriptive statistics, specifically the calculation of frequencies and percentages for each survey item. No inferential statistical tests were applied, as the objective was to describe the distribution of responses rather than to establish causal relationships or statistical significance.

For the qualitative analysis, a content analysis matrix was designed. This matrix was organised into categories that were established following an initial general reading of the interview transcripts. The interview responses were then categorised and analysed. In this procedure, three researchers triangulated the data to determine the categories and their frequency, thereby reducing subjective bias. After defining the categories and specifying the frequency of each, all comments associated with a given category were recorded on a log sheet, indicating the participant who made each comment (e.g., C19, referring to participant number 19).

3. Results

Objective 1: Teachers’ openness to the creative process.

The way in which the creative process is approached will shape expectations, the development of artistic mediation activities themselves, and the value and meaning attributed to the final product or creation. In this regard, 40% of participants showed a neutral attitude towards anxiety about beginning the artistic task. However, 57% reported feeling curious about what would happen, in addition to approaching the creative task with a positive attitude (66.6%) and having a clear idea of the activity they were going to carry out (45%).

During the artistic process, most respondents (45%) reported obtaining a sense of harmony, while 66% stated that they achieved high levels of concentration. Half (50%) felt that their self-knowledge increased, and 66.6% reported finding the creative act rewarding.

With regard to attitudes towards the artistic product, 52.3% wished to keep what they had created individually, and 64.2% reported feeling excited by the result obtained.

Objective 2: Artistic mediation and its potential in teaching practice.

Regarding the potential of artistic mediation in teaching practice, we take several aspects into account: teachers’ confidence and sense of security in classroom functioning; their assessment of pupils’ learning; teaching skills such as asking varied questions; issues related to classroom behaviour management; motivating pupils who typically show little interest; fostering critical thinking; ensuring compliance with rules and supporting pupils’ behaviour regulation; and using a range of assessment procedures.

The data show that the use of this type of educational intervention helps teachers gain confidence and feel more secure in how their classes function. A total of 54.7% considered that it helped them “to a great extent” and 45.2% “quite a lot”. In addition, this kind of teaching activity supports pupils’ assessment of their learning a lot (50%), and for 45.2% it supports it quite a lot. At the same time, the development of these practices enhances teachers’ skills in asking varied questions, with 90.4% of respondents selecting either “a lot” or “quite a lot”.

Creative activities helped to manage misbehaviour in the classroom “quite a lot” for 45.2% of participants and “to some extent” for 33.3%. A further 23.8% gave these activities the highest rating for behaviour management.

Motivating pupils who usually show little interest in class is another area acknowledged by teachers, with 47.6% selecting “a lot” and 40.4% “quite a lot”.

A total of 52.3% considered that this type of activity helps pupils think critically, followed by 28.5% who felt that it helps them a lot. At the same time, this kind of teaching practice supports pupils in following classroom rules for 57.14% (“quite a lot”) and 33.3% (“a lot”). In addition, regulating the behaviour of pupils who disrupt the class dynamic is achieved to a great extent for 40.4% (“a lot”) and quite a lot for 33.3%.

With regard to teaching activity from an assessment perspective, these practices support the use of a variety of procedures to meet pupils’ different needs in 40.4% (“a lot”) and 35.7% (“quite a lot”). Finally, as a teaching tool, artistic mediation provides an alternative form of explanation that enriches the teaching and learning process for 50% (“quite a lot”) and 42.8% (“a lot”) of the sample.

Objective 3: Artistic mediation as a tool for socio-educational intervention with populations at risk.

Focusing specifically on the use of artistic mediation with children at risk, the interviews conducted with teachers made it possible to identify twelve topics or themes that define the educational potential of artistic mediation as an intervention tool with this population. More specifically, artistic mediation with children at risk includes, among its strengths, its value as a resource for motivation and personal expression; an opportunity for children to express emotions; and a tool that promotes wellbeing, social cohesion and a sense of belonging among vulnerable children. It is also positively valued by the children themselves and generates safe spaces. From the perspective of teachers’ professional practice, it is also perceived as suitable for working with vulnerable groups. Likewise, teachers identify a link between artistic mediation and inclusion and note that it enables coordination among professionals and encourages a critical, nuanced understanding of the purpose of assessment, favouring the evaluation of processes rather than products.

• ARTISTIC MEDIATION AS A SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL TOOL THAT PROMOTES WELLBEING

• Topic 1: Art as a resource for motivation and personal expression. This is the case for 95%. “It promotes self-knowledge and introspection, because by bringing different points of view, it allows one to reflect on oneself, one’s perceptions, emotions and personal experiences” (Case 16).
• Topic 2: Art as an opportunity for children to express emotions. Yes for 85%. “It can be applied on a daily basis to work on emotions, learn to manage them and, above all, in moments of stress or overwhelm, use them as a way of releasing built-up tension and emotions” (Case 20); “it is a very liberating methodology for expressing feelings” (Case 6).
• Topic 3: Promoting wellbeing. Ninety-five per cent of the interviewees stated that mediation is a key tool for improving the wellbeing of children at risk. As Case 3 indicates: “These tools are essential because they make it easier to express emotions and experiences without needing to use words, creating a safe space in which they can feel comfortable and free from judgement.”
• Topic 4: Promoting social cohesion. A total of 70% of the sample said yes and 30% said no. Cases 1 and 4: “Cohesion increased as artistic mediation experiences progressed.”
• Topic 5: Promoting children’s sense of belonging. Thirty per cent believe this is the case, as children at risk of exclusion interact, socialise and take on a leading role, which enables them to see themselves as belonging to a group, as stated by the teacher in Case 9. Likewise, as the experiences unfold, greater openness and collaboration among adolescents can be observed (Case 7).
• Topic 6: Positive evaluation from the children. Sixty-five per cent believe this is the case. A climate of respect and mutual support is created among the children (Case 18).
• Topic 7: Creating safe spaces. Yes for 50%. “These tools are essential because they make it easier to express emotions and experiences without needing to use words, creating a safe space in which they can feel comfortable and free from judgement” (Case 3).

• ARTISTIC MEDIATION IN TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

8.

Topic 8: Use with populations in situations of vulnerability. Sixty per cent consider it appropriate. “Artistic mediation is very enriching to carry out in early years or primary school classrooms, but certain limitations must be taken into account, such as lack of time or resources” (Case 11).

9.

Topic 9: Link between artistic mediation and inclusion. Yes for 55%. “These kinds of creative activities not only provide a means of expression, but also serve as powerful tools for social inclusion and personal transformation, especially for vulnerable groups such as children at risk of social exclusion” (Case 15).

10.

Topic 10: Promoting coordination among professionals. Only 25% of the sample consider this to be the case, stating that “we have all worked well together and established a very good working environment for this purpose”, Case 7.

11.

Topic 11: Supporting a critical view of assessment. Thirty-five per cent consider this to be the case. “It is not only about looking for techniques or an aesthetic outcome, but about creating spaces where children feel listened to, valued and free to express themselves” (Case 5).

12.

Topic 12: Favouring process-centred rather than results-centred assessment. Forty per cent consider this to be the case. “Assessment in artistic contexts should focus on observing the process and on pupils’ exploration and wellbeing with the proposed technique, rather than on the aesthetic and visual perfection of the final result”, Case 1.

4. Discussions

The analysis of the results confirms the relevance of artistic mediation as a tool for pedagogical innovation and social transformation in the educational field. The findings obtained, both in the surveys and in the interviews, show that artistic mediation supports the development of learning processes that are more participatory, sensitive and inclusive while also strengthening pupils’ emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging, particularly in contexts of vulnerability. These conclusions reaffirm the theoretical premises of Eisner [1], Clover and Sanford [28] and Acanda Ramos, Jiménez Morejón and Silva López [2], who argue that art, in its educational dimension, serves as an excellent means for the construction of critical subjectivities and for pupils’ holistic development.

Regarding the first objective, the results highlight teachers’ positive attitude towards creative processes and their willingness to incorporate art into their teaching practice. More than half of the participants expressed curiosity, enthusiasm and satisfaction with the artistic mediation experience, achieving high levels of concentration, self-knowledge and gratification during the creative process. These data reinforce the idea that creativity is not only a desirable skill for pupils but also a professional quality that directly influences pedagogical quality. In line with Gibson and Ewing [4], teachers’ openness to artistic methodologies broadens the possibilities for innovation and the construction of meaningful learning, creating environments in which sensitivity, experimentation and symbolic expression become fundamental educational resources.

Teachers’ openness to creation can be interpreted as a component of pedagogical sensitivity, understood as the ability to recognise and respond to pupils’ emotions, interests and contexts. This finding is consistent with Gearte’s idea [9] that teaching practice requires not only technical knowledge but also a reflective and empathetic attitude that enables teachers to act as cultural and emotional mediators. In this sense, artistic mediation is not limited to a set of techniques or resources; it involves a transformation of the pedagogical perspective. The teacher shifts from being a transmitter of content to becoming a facilitator of aesthetic experiences that promote self-knowledge, cooperation and openness to diversity.

With regard to the second objective, focused on analysing the potential of artistic mediation in teaching practice, the results show a high level of recognition of its positive impact on classroom management, pupil motivation and the development of critical thinking. Practically all the teachers consider that artistic mediation improves classroom dynamics, stimulates reflection and promotes self-regulation of behaviour. These findings suggest that methodologies based on creativity and aesthetic experience help to build collaborative and democratic classroom environments in which pupils actively participate in their own learning.

Likewise, teachers value artistic mediation as a tool that expands assessment strategies, orienting them towards processes rather than products. This approach is in line with the proposals of Barbosa [5,6], who advocates an art pedagogy centred on experience, process and the shared meaning of creation. By prioritising the journey over the final outcome, artistic mediation transforms assessment into a reflective act that recognises the diversity of pupils’ rhythms, interests and forms of expression, fostering educational equity and inclusion.

From a broader perspective, art becomes established as a space for dialogic learning, where symbolic communication replaces hierarchy with horizontal interaction between teachers and pupils. This aspect is essential for promoting participatory and inclusive dynamics in diverse school contexts, as art functions as a universal language capable of integrating cultural, linguistic or cognitive differences [11]. Thus, artistic experiences in the classroom contribute not only to cognitive and emotional development but also to the construction of learning communities that are more cohesive, sensitive and democratic.

The third objective, aimed at exploring artistic mediation as a tool for socio-educational intervention with populations at risk, shows that art is an effective means for emotional expression, wellbeing and social inclusion. All participating teachers recognise the capacity of artistic mediation to create safe spaces for expression and dialogue, where children can communicate emotions, share experiences and strengthen their self-esteem. These experiences validate the educational and restorative nature of art, reaffirming its value as a tool for socio-emotional development and community cohesion.

Collective creation enables children to see themselves as part of a group, experience a sense of belonging and participate in dynamics of cooperation and mutual support. In this way, artistic mediation becomes a space for recognition and symbolic transformation, where creative processes act as vehicles for rebuilding both individual and collective identity. This result is linked to Freire’s notion of education as a practice of freedom [10] as it promotes a form of learning that combines expression, dialogue and critical awareness.

From the teachers’ perspective, for the specific context examined in the present study, the results indicate that artistic mediation strengthens their ability to work with vulnerable groups, encourages interdisciplinary coordination and supports a critical review of traditional teaching and assessment systems. Although some participants point to structural limitations—such as lack of time, resources or institutional support—most agree that artistic mediation constitutes an enriching resource that promotes inclusion, empathy and personal transformation, both in pupils and in teachers themselves.

These findings are consistent with international experiences such as ArtsEqual [16], Creative Schools [19] and Art for Change [13], which demonstrate the impact of art on educational equity and social cohesion. Likewise, Latin American projects such as ConArte and Puerto Migrante show that collaboration between teachers, artists and communities strengthens creativity as a driver of participation and social justice.

In a broader context, artistic mediation emerges as an effective way to bring together cognitive, emotional and ethical dimensions, contributing to the development of a more humane and sustainable education. Its capacity to integrate learning, sensitivity and social commitment reinforces its role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals 4 (quality education), 10 (reduced inequalities) and 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).

One potential line of future research concerns the role of artistic mediation in supporting teachers’ reflection on their own practice, particularly in areas such as critical thinking, emotional management and formative assessment. Although previous studies have examined how artistic mediation can foster reflective teaching, further investigation is needed within the specific context addressed in this study to deepen understanding of how art may function as a mediator in teacher training and self-evaluation and to explore its potential influence on professional teaching culture.

The main limitations of this study relate to the size and composition of the sample, as well as the difficulties in accessing teachers who are trained and have direct experience in artistic mediation with children in situations of vulnerability. These conditions limit the generalisability of the results, although they do not diminish the value of the evidence obtained, which encourages further research in different contexts and with longitudinal methodologies that make it possible to observe the sustainability of pedagogical changes.

Overall, the results reinforce the idea that artistic mediation should not be understood as an additional resource, but as an essential dimension of contemporary education. Through it, school becomes a space for encounter and collective creation, where sensitivity and imagination are integrated with critical thinking to promote a more just, inclusive and transformative education.

5. Conclusions

The study made it possible to understand that artistic mediation, rather than a one-off pedagogical strategy, constitutes a transformative practice that links learning, sensitivity and social justice. Through the analysis of teachers’ attitudes, the educational potential of art, and its use in vulnerable contexts, it became clear that art-based education creates opportunities to build learning communities that are more humane, critical, and inclusive.

The results show that although creativity and artistic expression are recognised as valuable components of the educational process, their effective integration into teaching practice requires a profound cultural shift. This shift involves reviewing school structures, making curricula more flexible and strengthening both initial and ongoing teacher training from an aesthetic and experiential perspective. Artistic mediation thus emerges as a teaching skill that demands sensitivity, reflection and ethical commitment, capable of renewing education through emotion and critical thinking.

In the sphere of educational practice, the research showed that art promotes participatory and dialogic dynamics that support inclusion and a sense of belonging. Aesthetic experience becomes a space for dialogue and the collective construction of knowledge, where diversity is understood as a source of learning rather than an obstacle. This relational dimension of art helps to create school environments in which pupils feel recognised and valued, strengthening the social fabric within the classroom.

In contexts of risk or vulnerability, artistic mediation showed an especially significant impact. By offering symbolic languages for expression and recognition, art enables individuals to reconstruct personal and collective narratives, fostering resilience and community cohesion. These experiences show that art can operate as a socio-educational tool that not only mitigates inequalities but also drives processes of social transformation through participation and shared creativity.

In this way, artistic mediation becomes established as a bridge between education and social justice. Its strength lies in enabling learning experiences that integrate cognitive, emotional and ethical dimensions, helping to develop critical and empathetic individuals capable of imagining and building more equitable realities. Incorporating art into education does not mean adding an aesthetic activity to the curriculum but reconfiguring the pedagogical perspective towards a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.