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Creativity and cultural globalisation in suburbia: Mediating the Perth-Singapore 'network'
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Creativity and cultural globalisation in suburbia: Mediating the Perth-Singapore 'network'

T. Lee
Australian Journal of Communication, Vol.33(2-3), pp.21-42
2006
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Abstract

According to Singapore-based academics Randolph Kluver and Wayne Fu, there is a need to seek out cultural proxy signifiers 'which indicate the extent to which beliefs and values are moving across national boundaries' (Kluver & Fu, 2004, n.p.) This paper examines how Singaporeans who have settled in the Western Australian city of Perth-which houses the largest single concentration of Singaporeans outside Singapore, to the extent that it has been dubbed "Singaperth' by The Strait Times (Long, 2003a, 2003b)-reconnect with Singapore culturally in and through their creative pursuits. The motivations and thoughts of three Perth-based Singaporeans who belong to the 'creative class' (Florida, 2002), and who continue to relate to Singapore in their work and cultural activities, are presented and analysed. Using these three respondents as 'proxies', this paper considers the extent to which Perth might be seen as a creative suburb of Singapore, where cultural globalisation entails the embrace of the new creative and cultural 'network', one which enables these 'Singaperthians' to enjoy their 'new' suburban home, yet gives them autonomy to selectively, albeit, consciously, mediate their diasporic 'homeland' and cultural 'centre' identities.

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