On Wednesday 16 July 2014 I attended the launch meeting of the Sheffield Digital Media Exchange. Bizarrely it doesn’t seem to have a website. It is a partnership to promote access to digital media in the city, building on a network of Digital Media Centres in its disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
I shall summarise one of the speakers at the event. Professor Simeon Yates is Director of the Institute of Cultural Capital at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moore University. The title of his talk was “Building from the Bottom Up! Using hyperlocal digital media to deliver content and innovation.” I jotted down a few notes and so can convey the gist of what he was saying. I thought it resonates with my thinking on this blog.
He talked about Communities of Digital Practice or hyperlocal delivery. I’ve looked it up and it seems hyperlocal means: “online news or content services pertaining to a town, village, single postcode or other small, geographically defined community”. That sounds local to me but why use a simple word when a complicated one will do?
Anyway, whatever it is, it has three characteristics:
- mutual engagement, ie participation in community
- joint enterprise, ie shared understanding
- shared repertoire, ie communal resources
Together these can
- create value
- result in shared social and community action
- strengthen the democratic process
- support education and training
- support cost-effective communication
It addresses causes and not consequences. Government action tends to discuss consequences and so, for example, they address lack of motivation when the problem is really lack of resources. The focus can be on social and not economic approaches, eg poetry online or journalism in the BME community.
These are thin notes from a rich presentation. It is significant investment is to be made into neighbourhoods. My concern is perhaps this approach overlooks the contribution small businesses can make to re-building the local economy.
I have for some time hoped to research asset-based community development (ABCD) and at some time to write about it. It seems Yates’ approach is asset-based. Rather than starting with buildings, his focus is on the latent potential of people. Resources are introduced so that latent potential can become real.
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