Centre for Digital Cultures

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

The Centre for Digital Cultures (CDC) unites a large range of research and development activities dedicated to the digital shift. It engages in knowledge creation and transfer, experimental and interventionist media practices, and research in disciplines such as media, social and cultural studies. The CDC aims to both understand the epochal digital shift through excellent research, and to become one of the major European forces that shape digital cultures to come.

The CDC has seen a remarkable uptake of successful funding bids. The major projects are funded by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE) and the State of Lower Saxony, by the German Research Council (DFG) and the VW Foundation respectively. Additional smaller projects are supported by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Transmediale, and the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). The CDC has by now more than 80 researchers and cultural producers from all over the world. They work on questions such as:

  • Transmedia: How can we understand and develop new formats for entertainment as well as culture and education, merging different forms of production, participation, distribution and aesthetics?
  • User and Audience Research: What kind of methods enable us to understand new usage and consumption patterns, addressing digital cultures’ both global and local audiences? 
  • Gamification: Computer games have a growing relevance in contemporary life, not only due to the games themselves, but also through their metaphors and methods. What new opportunities arise?
  • Common Media: Which new forms of citizenship and cultural/political engagement are developing in the digital age, and how can we understand, enact and strengthen them?
  • Net based Public Broadcast: How can publicly funded provision of information, education, culture and entertainment adapt to the internet? How can new versions of basic provision be realized?
  • Hybrid Publishing: Which avenues for the communication and dissemination of knowledge beyond classrooms and research articles can be constructed, adapting the cultural and economic logic of the digital age?
  • Computer Simulation: From climate change to mass panics: Knowledge production based on computer simulation is shaping our worldview. How can we analyse and understand its effects?

Research and development at the CDC traverse boundaries between the academic sector, culture and the arts, industry, governmental bodies and civil society. It is a conducive, productive and experimental research environment, in which researchers and entrepreneurs, activists and artists, producers and hackers, thinkers and doers broker dynamic connections. Visions, blueprints and experimental findings get exposed to real-world conditions. The development of innovative teaching formats is a further crucial part of the mix: Leuphana Digital School is bringing knowledge and education online, and a new English-speaking Bachelor in Digital Media started in autumn 2013, developed in cooperation with Leuphana’s Institute for the Culture and Aesthetics of Digital Media, Hamburg Media School and Hongkong City University. The result is a new, open and engaged form of research and development for Europe’s digital cultures.

Topics

  • Transmedia
  • User and Audience Research 
  • Gamification
  • Common Media
  • Net based Public Broadcast
  • Hybrid Publishing
  • Computer Simulation
  • Artistic Research
  • New Teaching Formats
  1. Published

    Von der Performance mit Musik zur Performanz rückgekoppelter Maschinengeräusche: Töne, Klänge und Geräusche in Installationen und Performances in den achtziger Jahren und um 2000

    Leeker, M., 2006, Reflexzonen, Migration. Brüstle, C. & Rebstock, M. (eds.). 1 ed. Saarbrücken: Pfau Verlag, p. 165-177 13 p. (Musik im Dialog; vol. 6)(Jahrbuch der Berliner Gesellschaft für Neue Musik; vol. 2003/2004).

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

  2. Published

    Von Knoten zu Knoten: Eine Einleitung

    Apprich, C. & Stalder, F., 02.2012, Vergessene Zukunft: Radikale Netzkulturen in Europa. Apprich, C. & Stalder, F. (eds.). Berlin: transcript Verlag, p. 9-16 8 p.

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

  3. Published

    Wahrnehmungsmaschinen: Über das Werk von Seiko Mikami

    Broeckmann, A., 2012, The Big Picture: Weltbilder für die Zukunft ; Ars Electronica 2012, Festival für Kunst, Technologie und Gesellschaft, 30. August - 3. September 2012. Leopoldseder, H. (ed.). Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz Verlag, p. 63-63 1 p.

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

  4. Published

    Was bleibt? Einige Überlegungen zum Medienereignis WikiLeaks

    Apprich, C., 2011, In: Kulturrisse : Zeitschrift für radikaldemokratische Kulturpolitik. 1, p. 44-47

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  5. Published

    Was ist Kunst? Antworten aus soziologischer Perspektive

    Wuggenig, U., 1994, Was ist Kunst?. Fein, M. & Freis, M. (eds.). Lüneburg: Universität Lüneburg, p. 5-13 9 p.

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

  6. Published
  7. Published

    We build this city on rocks and (feminist) code: hacking corporate computational designs of cities to come

    Voigt, M-L., 24.07.2023, In: Digital Creativity. 34, 2, p. 162-177 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Weibliche Medien um 1900: Über okkulte Herkünfte der Medienwissenschaft

    Leeker, M., 2008, Gendermedia: Zum Denken einer neuen Disziplin. Wagner, H. (ed.). Weimar: Verlag und Datenbank für Geisteswissenschaften - VDG Weimar, p. 117 - 140 24 p.

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

  9. Published

    Welche Öffentlichkeiten? Einleitung

    Beyes, T., 2014, Soziale Medien – neue Massen: Medienwissenschaftliches Symposion der DFG. Baxmann, I., Beyes, T. & Pias, C. (eds.). Zürich: Diaphanes Verlag, p. 231-235 5 p.

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

  10. Published

    „Wer Bücher hört, kann auch Klänge sehen“: Bemerkungen zur Synästhesie des Hörbuchs.

    Hagen, W., 2014, Das Hörbuch: Audioliteralität und akustische Literatur. Binczek, N. & Epping-Jäger, C. (eds.). 1 ed. Wilhelm Fink Verlag, p. 179-192 15 p.

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

  11. Published

    WhatsApp und das prozessuale Interface: Zur Neugestaltung von Smartphone-Kollektiven.

    Denecke, M. & Otto, I., 2013, In: Sprache und Literatur. 44, 1, p. 14-29 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    Where do the data live? Anonymity and Neighborhood Networks

    Heinrichs, R., 2021, Book of Anonymity. Collective, A. (ed.).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  13. Published

    Whose Change is it, Anyway? Towards a future of digital technologies and citizen action in emerging information societies

    Shah, N., 2013, The Hague: Hivos, 40 p. (Hivos Knowledge Programm).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  14. Published

    Who's Hacking Whom?

    Ridgway, R., 02.2017, Hacks, Leaks, and Breaches. Coleman, E. G. & Kelty, C. M. (eds.). United States: CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Vol. 8. p. 120-126 7 p. (Limn; vol. 8).

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

  15. Published

    Wir sind drin. Zur Gegenwart digitaler Kulturen

    Beyes, T., Metelmann, J. & Pias, C., 2017, Nach der Revolution: Ein Brevier digitaler Kulturen. Beyes, T., Metelmann, J. & Pias, C. (eds.). Berlin: Tempus Corporate GmbH, p. 5-11 7 p. (Edition Speersort)(Duisburger Dialoge).

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

  16. Published

    Wissenschaftliche Kommunikation im Netz 2013: Von Open Access zu Open Science

    Heise, C., 12.04.2014, Jahrbuch Netzpolitik 2013. Beckedahl, M. (ed.). 1 ed. Berlin: newthinking communications, Berlin, p. 142-152 11 p.

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

  17. Published

    Witless slaves or lively artifacts? A debate of the 1960s

    Müggenburg, J. K. & Pias, C., 08.11.2017, In: arq: Architectural Research Quarterly. 21, 1, p. 33–44 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Published

    Workshop: Accessible interaction for visually impaired people

    Joisten, M., Zeng, L., Woletz, J., Brock, A. & Avila, M., 28.08.2015, Mensch und Computer 2015 - Workshop: 21st International Workshop on Intelligent and Personalized Human-Computer Interaction,. Weisbecker, A., Schmidt, A. & Burmester, M. (eds.). Oldenburg: Walter de Gruyter GmbH, p. 379-381 3 p. (Mensch und Computer 2015 - Workshop).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  19. Published

    "Wozu braucht es noch Bibliotheken? Analyse des IFLA-Trend-Reports"

    Novy, L., 01.2015, In: BuB. 67, 1, p. 30-33 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsCritical reviewsResearch

  20. Published

    Wozu Senden? Sendevisionen im Ersten und Dritten Fernsehzeitalter

    Wentz, D., 2015, In: Zeitschrift für Medien- und Kulturforschung. 6, 2, p. 109-122

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review