Community Cultural Centers and the Digital Divide: Between Local Engagement and Systematic Constraints
Kamelia Petkova
pp. 164 - 176
 
Title: Community Cultural Centers and the Digital Divide: Between Local Engagement and Systematic Constraints
Authors: Kamelia Petkova

Abstract: The report examines the opportunities and challenges of the digital transformation of community cultural centers in Bulgaria. Based on the results of in-depth interviews with secretaries and cultural activists from community cultural centers in the cities of Plovdiv, Smolyan, and Yambol, as well as in the villages of Kurtovo Konare and Novi Han, alongside data from a sample-based quantitative survey, the analysis focuses on the degree of digitalization, its benefits, advantages, and barriers to implementation, as well as the role of community cultural centers as mediators in the digital inclusion of vulnerable groups. The qualitative data reveal good practices but also highlight limitations related to lack of capacity, restricted accessibility, and insufficient digital culture. The results indicate that these issues are not isolated but reflect systemic deficits in the cultural infrastructure. Special emphasis is placed on the absence of sustainable mechanisms for institutional support and the uneven distribution of digital resources. The study underscores the need for a strategic approach to the digitalization of community cultural centers through investments in training, technology, and accessible online environments.

Keywords: Community Cultural Centers; Digitalization; Digital Inclusion; Social Inequalities; Vulnerable Groups.

Received: 14-10-2025     Accepted: 29-12-2025     Published: 31-12-2025

Citation: Petkova, K. (2025). Community Cultural Centers and the Digital Divide: Between Local Engagement and Systematic Constraints. Cultural and Historical Heritage: Preservation, Presentation, Digitalization (KIN Journal), 11(2), ISSN 2367-8038, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 164–176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55630/KINJ.2025.110213