The untold challenges of European interaction through collaborative projects

Co-authored contribution to the book European Academy of Participation: Benchmarks, reflections and challenging practice on the interface between academia and the creative sector. Taking inspiration from Brit(ish), the title of Afua Hirsch's book on race, identity and belonging (2018), we are framing our reflections on projects, such as the Erasmus+ European Academy of Participation, from the perspective of a UK-based partner, whose project leads, whilst working in the British higher education sector, are not natives to the UK. Considering the colonial past of Britain, its position within Europe and its reception by others, an unpicking of the complexity in relation to inter- and multi-cultural interactions through collaborative projects seemed a worthwhile undertaking.