In an era of globalisation, positivist research methodologies and voices are privileged and funded over those of qualitative researchers. This has led to narrowing beliefs about what constitutes knowledge, and about the ways in which knowledge is constructed and evaluated, impacting upon the conduct, funding and reporting of arts research, and also upon curricular content and pedagogical practices in arts education in schools and universities. Focusing upon the practices of four contemporary arts practitioners in postcolonial contexts this paper seeks to decolonise and re-map concepts of place, history, power and authority. The authors disrupt singular narratives of place and history through their use of socially engaged, performative and democratising arts practice as research. Using "little stories" to re-map the hidden histories of place the authors contest notions of certainty of knowledge in the arts, research and in their work as educators.