Working the boundaries of spaces for agency in adult education: How European social inclusion policy challenges adult educators' creativity

Over the past 30 years, European governance has increasingly influenced how adult education is provided, thanks to more intensive strategies of governance. The paper will elaborate on the tension between power and creativity by examining the relationship between supranational – that is, European – governance, and regional or local educational practice. At first sight, educational policy appears as a mechanism of power, being heavily focused on control, as evidenced through tightening funding regulations. A closer look, however, reveals how regional actors employ creative strategies to carry out the complex business of European project work.