INTRODUCTION:
Survivors of acid attack violence in India face persistent stigma, social exclusion, and discrimination that are difficult to capture through conventional research. Arts-based, participatory methods such as body mapping offer alternative ways of documenting embodied experiences of trauma, stigma, and resilience. This abstract reflects on the lessons learned from using body mapping with eight women survivors of acid attack violence in Noida, India.

METHODS:
We collaborated with a local community-based NGO that works for the welfare of acid attack survivors. Data collection involved four body mapping sessions, combining artmaking, storytelling, and group reflection. Each session lasted 3-6 hours. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis.

RESULTS:
Two themes were identified. The first theme of factors contributing to stigma discusses the devaluation of bodies with disfigurement, unacceptance and abuse from family, and the resulting loss of opportunities. The second theme of factors mitigating stigma documents participants' journey toward self-acceptance and the role of the NGO in providing opportunities and engaging them in advocacy. Our lessons learned included: first, participatory methods blur conventional researcher-participant boundaries, requiring careful negotiation of reciprocity, emotional labour and ethical responsibility. Second, group-based sessions can have internal hierarchies and power dynamics among participants, necessitating adaptive facilitation to ensure emotional safety and equitable participation. Third, logistical and accessibility considerations such as venue choice, transport support, pacing, and physical comfort were central to sustaining engagement. Finally, questions of ownership and closure emerged as ethical dilemmas, highlighting that consent is an ongoing process rather than a one-off event.

CONCLUSIONS:
Researchers using arts-based participatory methods should prioritize ethics-in-practice, flexibility, and relational accountability alongside methodological rigor. Body mapping should be approached not as a neutral data collection tool but as an emotionally and politically situated process requiring sustained care, reflexivity, and respect for participant autonomy, particularly in contexts of trauma and marginalisation.