Ballot Box Projects: In Review

The Ballot Box Project is a creative placemaking effort led by Northeast Shores Development Corporation that inspires civic engagement through participatory budgeting for community art projects. The Ballot Box Project engages residents by asking them the most pressing concerns for the community as well as underlying issues and solutions. Artists submit proposals about how to best address those concerns through arts programming.

 

The community then votes on their favorite proposals. A kickoff parade weaves through the neighborhood to let residents know voting is about to commence. Musicians and artists of all disciplines join the parade. After voting concludes, artists begin their projects- all of which the community participates.

 

Over 15 months, The Ballot Box Project has begun to transform civic engagement in North Collinwood by the numbers:

 

 

  • 36 artist proposals

 

 

  • 9 artists funded

 

 

  • $120,000 artist project support

 

 

  • 520 individual ballots cast

 

 

  • 124 people attended planning meetings

 

 

  • 3400 project participants

 

 

The Ballot Box Project is a new and exciting way to engage residents. This has been noticed by the press and has received a lot of love in print, broadcast and online media.

 

 

  • 6 articles in Cleveland.com

 

 

  • 3 articles in Scene Magazine

 

 

  • 1 article in Cool Cleveland

 

 

  • 1 interview on WCPN (Sound of Applause)

 

 

  • 1 newscast on WOIO

 

 

  • 1 interview on WRUW (Roundtable)

 

 

  • 1 article in Tallmadge Express

 

 

  • 1 article in Aurora Advocate

 

 

  • 1 article in Creative Exchange

 

 

  • 1 interview on 102.1 FM Radio

 

 

  • 1 article in Fresh Water Cleveland

 

 

  • Cleveland Magazine

 

 

  • 2 Best of Cleveland winners (Ballot Box Project, Spice-Cream Truck)

 

 

  • 1 article in Next City

 

 

  • 1 article in Nonprofit Quarterly

 

 

  • 1 podcast on Two Girls With Glasses

 

 

The Ballot Box Project was all over social media.

Facebook likes (non-Northeast Shores affiliated) = 2,251

Facebook reach (Northeast Shores generated) = 3,300

 

The Ballot Box Project was made possible in thanks to funding from ArtPlace, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, and MetroHealth. A special thanks to everyone who participated and the artists that made The Ballot Box Project a huge success. 

Resident of neighborhood since 1956. Worked on East 185th street since 1970.

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Volume 9, Issue 1, Posted 12:11 PM, 01.13.2017