Not a toolkit! Fair collaboration in cultural relations - new EUNIC publication

Take a look at this new free download publication from the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) on Fair collaboration in cultural relations.

What does fair collaboration in cultural relations mean, and what could it look like for national institutes of culture working with local partner organisations worldwide? By commissioning a team of experts to explore these pertinent questions the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) sought to expand and elaborate on the topic of fair collaboration, to raise awareness of related issues, but also to provide concrete tools and frameworks to support practitioners working in the field of cultural relations.

Not a toolkit! Fair collaboration in cultural relations: a reflAction is the result of a commission from EUNIC to a team of six experts with diverse profiles and backgrounds to develop a set of user-centred tools for EUNIC members and colleagues working in the field of cultural relations. 

Not a toolkit! aims to raise awareness about fair practices in cultural relations, and asks pertinent questions we should be asking of ourselves – as individuals, as professionals and as organisations operating within a system – to challenge and improve our practices, policies and procedures when engaging in cultural relations activities.

Not a toolkit! has multiple components, bound together as a series of PDFs in the form of a non-linear multi-part visual reflective journal. These PDFs are versatile in their usage: with their journal-like feeling, they encourage the user to not just read but to interact with them. ReflAction can happen on the individual or the organisational level; the dialogues could be internal or could be done externally with a group, using the various tools and frameworks offered in the journal, with an external facilitator.

Take a look here to find recommendations how to use Not a toolkit! and precise instructions for both printing and digital use, including examples of using components in a participatory way online.

Not a toolkit! was compiled by Cristina Farinha, Avril Joffe, Matina Magkou, Anna Steinkamp, Katelijn Verstraete, and Sudebi Thakurata along with D.epicentre as the design partner. It is the result of extensive consultation with practitioners in the field of cultural relations – both EUNIC and non-EUNIC members, including a survey, a series of roundtables and interviews. The methodology adopted was a user-centred design-led process.