Centre for Digital Cultures

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

Contemporary culture is characterized by the ubiquity of digital media technologies and infrastructures, which are constantly configuring our techniques for processing, storing, and transmitting data. As a result, our everyday practices of connecting, relating, reading, writing, perceiving, sharing, competing, and communicating are undergoing significant changes. At the same time, these technologies are closely tied to major societal challenges such as climate change, global conflicts, digital divides and social unjustness. In this dynamic context, the Centre for Digital Cultures (CDC) directly addresses the emergence of new and complex qualities of vernacular socio-technical life. This involves the development of advanced theory and innovative study programmes. We are concerned with the question of how we can understand and shape digital cultures today​​​​​​​.

Main research areas

The digital shift re-shapes the cultural sectors, and, indeed, everyday life, politics, law, and economics. the Centre for Digital Cultures (CDC), affiliated to Leuphana University of Lüneburg, examines this shift through a range of interdisciplinary methodologies, including media, cultural and social studies, through knowledge creation and transfer, as well as by developing experimental and interventionist media practices. Established in 2012, as one of the first research centres in Europe to research the emergence of digital cultures, the CDC continues to produce cutting-edge research on socio-technical regimes of inclusion and exclusion. Since its inception, the CDC has built an innovative network and research environment, where academic institutions, practitioners, and civil society stakeholders engage with new concepts, formats, and applications within digital cultures.

Current Research Areas

  • Climate Futures
  • (B)Orders, Identities and Belonging in the Digital Age
  • Cities, Infrastructures, Logistics, Platforms 
  1. Published

    Medien des Immediaten: Elektrizität, Telegraphie, McLuhan

    Sprenger, F., 2012, Berlin: Kulturverlag Kadmos . 514 p. (Kaleidogramme; vol. 87)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Mediengenealogie: Zurück in die Gegenwart digitaler Kulturen

    Apprich, C. & Bachmann, G., 2017, Digitalisierung: Theorien und Konzepte für die empirische Kulturforschung. Koch, G. (ed.). Konstanz, München: UVK Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, p. 405-426 22 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  3. Published

    Medienpraxislehre in der Medienwissenschaft. Empirie und Exploration

    Heinicker, P., Beverungen, A., Hoffstiepel, P., Ojala, M. & Wulff, A., 01.09.2023, In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. 15, 29-2, p. 149-158 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesEducationpeer-review

  4. Published

    Medientheater/Theatermedien

    Leeker, M., 2001, Maschinen, Medien, Performances: Theater an der Schnittstelle zu digitalen Welten : Dokumentation und Ergebnisse der Sommerakademie "Theater und Neue Medien, Interaktion und Wirklichkeit" zur Weiterbildung von Theaterkünstlern in Praxis und Theorie des Umgangs mit Digitalen Techniken im Theater, Hellerau 1999. Leeker, M. (ed.). Berlin: Alexander Verlag, p. 374 - 404 31 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Medien und Performances: Konzeptionelle Aspekte einer angewandten Medienwissenschaft in der Theaterpädagogik

    Leeker, M., 2003, Entwicklungen und Perspektiven der Spiel- und Theaterpädagogik: Festschrift für Hans-Wolfgang Nickel. Hentschel, U. & Nickel, H.-W. (eds.). Berlin: Schibri-Verlag, p. 263 - 281 19 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Medienwandel kompakt 2011 - 2013: Netzveröffentlichungen zu Medienökonomie, Medienpolitik & Journalismus

    Kappes, C. (Editor), Jan, K. (Editor) & Novy, L. (Editor), 2014, Wiesbaden: Springer VS. 422 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    Meme, Virals, Vlogs and Mimikry. Zum Scheitern von Theatralität und Performativität im Web 2.0

    Leeker, M. & Wassermann, A., 2010, Theatralität online!: Positionen für eine theatrale Online-Interktionspädagogik. Bonczek, F. (ed.). Berlin: Schibri-Verlag, p. 89-122 33 p. (Lingener Reihe für Theaterpädagogik; vol. 8).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  8. Published

    Mime, Mimesis und Technologie

    Leeker, M., 1995, München: Wilhelm Fink Verlag. 348 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  9. Published

    Mischverhältnisse: Zur Beziehung von Medien- und Organisationstheorie

    Conrad, L. & Beyes, T., 04.2018, In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. 10, 18-1, p. 50-58 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Mit Pixel und Korn: DV-Ästhetik und DOGMA-Film

    Kirchner, A., 2011, Film im Zeitalter "Neuer Medien": Fernsehen und Video. Segeberg, H. (ed.). 1 ed. München: Wilhelm Fink Verlag, Vol. 1. p. 339-366 28 p. (Mediengeschichte des Films; vol. 7).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review