Between Arrival and Belonging: The Production of Safe Space through Lived Experiences, Everyday Practices and Art-Based Inquiry

Abstract

This thesis explores how safe space is experienced, understood and produced by international students based in Rovaniemi, Finland; focusing on spatial, emotional and creative dimensions. Drawing on Lefebvre’s theory of production of space and Massey’s relational understanding of space, the study reconceptualises safe space as a dynamic and ongoing process rather than a fixed or bounded location. The research adopts a qualitative methodology combining semi-structured interviews with arts-based approaches, including photography, journaling, drawing and other creative practices. These methods enable participants to express sensory, affective and abstract experiences that may not be fully articulated through verbal data alone. The findings demonstrate that safe space is not singular or stable but continuously produced through everyday practices, routines, and material arrangements. It is also shaped by affective atmospheres, embodied experiences, and sensory interactions with environments. Furthermore, safe space extends beyond physical settings and into imagined and remembered dimensions and may be both actively created and unexpectedly encountered. This study contributes to spatial theory, migration studies, and arts-based research by positioning safe space as relational, processual and co-constructed, thus highlighting the role of everyday practices in shaping experiences of belonging.