PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING
What is participatory budgeting? Participatory budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of an organizational or public budget. It gives people real power over real money.
Why is coLAB Arts implementing PB? In the wake of the unjust killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and others, and the subsequent protests against police brutality and systemic racism, coLAB Arts has been compelled to examine the ways in which we are actively working to dismantle white supremacy, as well as the ways in which we have been complicit in upholding systems that harm and marginalize people of color. PB is a way for us to put our money where our mouth is, taking our racial and economic justice work a step further by not just including the community in our work, but granting them real power and ownership over this artistic process, from start to finish.
What does PB look like at coLAB Arts? We’ve developed an exciting process for participatory budgeting that involves a lot of creative thinking, teamwork, and conversation. We invite you to check out the infographic below to learn more about how this will work!
Why should you support PB? We at coLAB Arts believe in the power of the arts to effect positive change, and we’re guessing you do, too. So, it’s our responsibility to support movements that seek to restore justice to communities that have long been marginalized and silenced. We know that art can be a powerful tool in achieving this goal, and participatory budgeting is a way to make that art truly by and for the people—all the people—in our community.
2022 Participatory Budgeting Meeting - Project Submission Form
Submitted ideas will be considered at the Advisory Board Meeting on Tuesday, June 21. The only given parameters for any suggestion are (1) impact geography is Middlesex County, (2) it's related to coLAB Arts' mission statement, and (3) it's implemented by coLAB Arts. Thank you for your participation and support!
You can make a Restricted Donation to coLAB Arts right now and grow our Participatory Budgeting fund. Details for this public and democratic process will be made available soon.
