|
Title:
|
BROADBAND USE AND CREATIVE COMMUNITIES IN THE UK |
|
Author(s):
|
Leanne Townsend, Claire Wallace |
|
ISBN:
|
978-989-8533-32-6 |
|
Editors:
|
Piet Kommers and Pedro Isaías |
|
Year:
|
2015 |
|
Edition:
|
Single |
|
Keywords:
|
Creative practice; rural; broadband; social media. |
|
Type:
|
Short Paper |
|
First Page:
|
285 |
|
Last Page:
|
288 |
|
Language:
|
English |
|
Cover:
|
|
|
Full Contents:
|
click to dowload 
|
|
Paper Abstract:
|
In the UK, the creative sector is becoming increasingly important for the economy of rural areas, despite the urban bias found in the literature on the creative industries. Digital technologies enabled by broadband access are becoming crucial for creative practice, yet many rural communities in the UK cannot access broadband Internet of at least 2 megabits per second. UK Government is working to resolve this urban-rural digital divide by rolling out improved broadband access across all of the UK. This short paper reports research in Cornwall a region of the UK which up until recently has suffered from poor or no Internet connectivity. Cornwall is currently undergoing a large-scale rollout of superfast broadband across the entire region. The paper reports on research that sought to understand the role of broadband technologies for rural creative practitioners across the region. We report on findings from in-depth interviews with creative practitioners that reveal a number of interesting insights into broadband use, particularly in relation to social media. The paper concludes with recommendations relating to improving digital support for small-scale creative enterprises in rural regions. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
