On Friday, September 6, the Central New York Community Foundation premiered a short film produced by Black Cub Productions that documents the organization’s first participatory budgeting project, held in support of the LeadSafeCNY initiative. Nearly 300 attendees met on the outdoor plaza of the Everson Museum of Art on the warm summery evening to enjoy food trucks, music and informational tables before viewing Voices Rising: Syracuse’s Fight Against Lead Poisoning. The documentary will debut online Monday, September 9 at 7:00pm.
In 2022, the Community Foundation held its first participatory budgeting project, which is a community engagement tool that gives residents the power to decide how to allocate funding through a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making. Filming took place during the project’s nine months of convening, during which Syracuse residents, community leaders and nonprofit organizations designed solutions to increase childhood lead testing. A total of 165 resident delegates participated in the planning sessions. This culminated in a citywide one-day vote in May 2023 to determine which project would receive $150,000 in grant dollars from the Community Foundation.
“As the documentary crew, we wanted to showcase the process and power of participatory budgeting, while also allowing people who view this documentary to feel how impactful it was to be in that space, hear about the education and the history around lead poisoning, and understand the personal stories, said Eric Jackson, chief executive officer of Black Cub Productions. “Our goal was to respect that process and the space that cultivated such experiences for everyone involved.”
The documentary is set to premiere online through the Community Foundation’s YouTube channel on Monday, September 9 at 7:00pm. After the online premiere, the movie will be available to view anytime here.
“It is our responsibility as community members to protect and nurture our children, who will carry forth the legacy of Central New York for the benefit of future generations,” said Melanie Littlejohn, Community Foundation president & CEO. “That is why we are committed to eradicating lead poisoning in Central New York and why this documentary is so important – it captures the resilience and determination of Syracuse residents as they took collective action to stop this injustice.”
Those interested in more information about the documentary or LeadSafeCNY can visit cnycf.org/voicesrising.
