Dr Austin is a research and development fellow at Abertay University, specializing in transnational creative industries. She is also a published comics creator, writer, and editor.
Host HEI: Stockholm University, Department of Computer and Systems Science
SFC Saltire Emerging Researcher project: Star Stable and Stockholm’s Female-Forward Creative Industries
Stockholm’s creative industries are unique in that the videogame and comics cultures are female-led and female-centred. One example of this is Star Stable, a horse game with a sisterhood-driven message in their game marketed for young girls, also has a female CEO and several women and non-binary people in high up positions within the company. Similarly, Stockholm’s comics scene has increasingly centred women and feminist ideologies and these comics are part of everyday life.
I visited Stockholm for 1 month, interviewing 22 people about what makes Stockholm’s creative industries unique and why there are more women in the creative industries there as opposed to in the UK. As a result of this research, I have written a dual language report on Stockholm’s creative industries (including comics, videogames and boardgames) and created a travelogue zine titled “Nej Men Hej” detailing the behind-the-scenes of my report, revealing the more human elements of research. You can read it below.
CONNECT WITH DR AUSTIN
Email: h.austin@abertay.ac.uk
Twitter: @DrHaileyJAustin