Information Practices, Creativity, and Sustainable Cultural Development in Local Cultural Ecosystems: A Case Study of Corfu, Greece

This paper explores the relationship between information practices, creativity, and sustainable cultural development within localized cultural ecosystems. Drawing on perspectives from cultural studies, information behavior research, and heritage studies, the study examines how culturally embedded forms of information seeking, sharing, interpretation, and reuse contribute to creative expression and the continuity of local cultural identity. Using the island of Corfu as an indicative case study, the paper investigates how informal knowledge networks, community-based cultural interactions, and heritage-centered meaning-making shape creative cultural practices. Particular attention is given to the role of everyday information interactions in sustaining local cultural memory and enabling cultural adaptation in the context of globalization and digital transformation. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative and interpretive approach based on contextual analysis and theoretically informed synthesis of existing literature on cultural ecosystems, creativity, and information practices. Rather than focusing on quantitative measurement, the paper seeks to illuminate the socially situated and culturally embedded dimensions of creativity within local communities. The analysis suggests that creativity in cultural ecosystems emerges not merely through access to information, but through participatory processes of interpretation, collaboration, and cultural reinterpretation. These practices support both the preservation and the renewal of cultural heritage, contributing to forms of sustainable cultural development that reinforce community identity and cultural resilience. By connecting information practices with cultural sustainability and local heritage dynamics, the paper contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on cultural ecosystems and offers insights for culturally responsive cultural policy, heritage management, and community-centered cultural development strategies.