Arts + Participatory Budgeting Participatory budgeting is a Participatory budgeting (PB) is a democratic process

where community members directly decide how to

leap of imagination—art helps spend part of a public budget. It involves gathering
Adding arts throughout your people make that leap! ideas for community improvements, researching and
selecting projects for a ballot, and inviting the full
participatory budgeting process community back to vote. Projects with the most votes
can make it more fun, meaningful, “Participatory Budgeting, at its core,
answers the question, ‘How can we get funded and implemented.
and powerful. This brochure shares improve our home?’ In order to do
examples for incorporating arts as this you must simply engage a lot of This brochure shares experiences from across the
people. Art has a language that can United States where Arts + PB has sparked leaps of
you brainstorm ideas, develop be universally understood. Through imagination and created welcoming opportunities for
proposals, get out the vote, and incredibly inclusive collaborations, all to participate. Arts + PB embraces the creativity and
artistic expression bridges the gap
fund winning projects. between people to identify what the
culture that is a powerful part of all of our communities.
We hope to show that by involving the arts at all stages
Arts + Participatory Budgeting community needs in different ways.”
—Aaron Jones, community organizer of the process we can further realize PB’s vision of
democracy and equity from the community up.
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Include multiple
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Collaborate with
arts partners Youth organizers at Red Hook Initiative NYC District 3 PB Festival with Friends of the High Line

Bu ss
ild e p roce “Through Participatory Budgeting, people
co y th
mmu Enjo pour their hearts and selves into thinking
about how to make everyday places better,
nit
y and arts and design are an essential part Collaborate with arts partners
of making projects come alive. Using art
and design, we can show projects in fun, Community cultural organizations make great
creative, and soulful ways to reach and partners. Local arts councils, theater companies,
es engage more people and make PB more
voic settlement houses, museums, public housing cultural
ant inclusive and dynamic. Art is a special
particip part of PB, and I encourage its increased centers, artist collectives, and arts schools all bring
Lift incorporation throughout the process.” creative resources to the table. They can provide
—Brad Lander, NYC Council Member spaces for meetings, workshops, and festivals, and
Make PB more opportunities to collaborate with ongoing programs.
fun and engaging These organizations also can connect you with artists.
Arts councils often keep registries of neighborhood
artists—and artists may be looking for a chance to
nin gful work in their local communities. Consider teaching
a r k mea s artists, designers, media makers, and craftspeople
Sp ractio n
inte who can help with everything from model making to
video making and sign painting.
Imagin
create e and Young people bring great creativity, energy, and
change questioning minds to the process. You can engage
them through school curricula, youth councils,
employment programs, media programs, and
by establishing youth-led PB committees. When
integrated into sustained leadership programs, the
Improve deliberative PB process allows young people to connect their
decision-making Boston VoteFest poster vision and imagination with civic engagement.
Make PB more fun and engaging Improve deliberative decison-making
Graphics and logos Organize a silkscreen party Make fliers with spirit Hold a project expo
A consistent visual style and logo A highlight of the annual NYC celebration of PB Students from local art and design high PB project expos are community celebrations where
helps people identify, recognize, and volunteers is creating tote bags with local print schools and colleges can sometimes neighbors meet each other and learn about the
understand all kinds of PB materials. shop Works in Progress. Volunteers and their receive academic credit for designing PB projects on the ballot. Expos often look like science
In New York City, this Go Vote design families screen their own bags and use them to materials like this flier by Seneca College fairs, featuring posters illustrating the projects with
by Eric Comstock was used on flyers, get out the vote. Bag designs are created each students in Toronto. drawings, written explanations, and photographs of
shirts, and tote bags. year by commissioned artists. The 2018 bag existing conditions. People can chat with neighbors who
encouraged voting in English, Spanish, Chinese, identified and researched the projects, and decide which
Korean, and Bengali. Celebrate voting they want to support with a vote. When expos are held
during voting, participants can learn about projects,
Use participatory theater to Celebrations and community visualize them, and vote right away.
collect project ideas events are fun, lift up local culture,
and provide spaces for creative Prepare for the expo with a fun poster-making
To make idea collection more participation. Youth Lead the workshop. After the intense process of project
fun and inclusive, Theatre of Change in Boston held VoteFest, development, multi-generational workshops build
the Oppressed NYC uses where young people participated in community through food, music, and creativity.
techniques like “forum theater” spoken word, dance performances, Volunteers and other community members can
to free people’s imaginations DJing, and more. In NYC, the collaborate with local artists, architects, design
about changes they want to District 3 Festival with Friends of students, and cultural organizations to create project
see in their communities. the High Line joined voting with posters. After brainstorming images that best
Double Dutch, chalk drawing, and represent the project, people create storyboards and
salsa lessons. In Cleveland, the write headlines to attract voters’ attention. Providing
Ballot Box Project’s “Democracy on materials and artist support helps everyone express
Parade” created a joyful procession their creativity. You can also make posters to get out
Create media about PB to the polls including performances the vote, create “I voted” frames for social media, and
and community projects Document your PB process by local artists. decorate ballot boxes.

To share experiences and expand conversations,

create a poster, booklet, video, or animated GIF to tell Bring voting to
your community’s PB story from brainstorming to
implementation. Show how the process worked, how the people with
ideas were selected, and how projects were developed. In a mobile cart
NYC, students from International Community High School
collaborated with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) NYC architect and volunteer
and teaching artist Dillon de Give on “Common Cents,” a Jason Boutin used a grocery
project examining the participatory budgeting process. cart to make a mobile voting
booth. The district’s PB
Creative media helps people understand PB, Youth Committee put it to
amplifies volunteer voices, engages youth, and good use canvassing the
gets out the vote. To get PB started where you live, neighborhood for votes.
a short video like Meerkat Media Collective’s “Real
Money, Real Power,” commissioned by Participatory
Budgeting Project, can explain the process in
exciting ways and recruit supporters. In Denver,
Warm Cookies of the Revolution created videos and
Commemorate and honor
art installations titled “This Machine Has a Soul!” PB accomplishments “At the beginning of the workshop, participants
about PB and how to get involved. In NYC, Arts & often say, ‘I’m not very artistic’ or ‘I haven’t
Democracy produced delegate videos conveying the Once the voting is over, make PB’s done this since I was a kid.’ They’re nervous
passion and commitment of volunteers to promote tangible impacts visible, both for about making a poster that looks good and can
their projects. PB hip hop videos use music to spread community accountability and to effectively communicate their idea. I encourage
the word. Producing media offers opportunities to keep people engaged in the process. them to just try things without worrying about
Websites and newsletters can help getting it perfect, because as soon as they
build skills. Hands-on DIY media workshops can “The arts really allow youth to shine, express get into the material—the paper, letters, and
teach participants how to interview, shoot effective themselves, and to push the boundaries of track progress of funded projects.
shapes—you can see their creativity start to
phone videos, and develop social media strategies. what is possible by articulating the city or Walking tours, illustrated maps, chug along. By the end of the workshop, people
Youth and community media groups can offer neighborhood they wish for in new ways.” and public markers can tell stories are saying, ‘I never knew I could do this! I love it!’”
resources for training and production. —Celina Su, urban studies professor behind completed projects. —Elizabeth Hamby, artist