Your idea for how to transform South End is due Aug. 31
Charlotte creatives, you’re on deadline. You have just over two weeks left to submit your application for the Fall 2016 round of the Placemaking Micro-Grant Program in South End. Due date: Wednesday, Aug. 31.
Placemaking is a reinvention of public spaces through projects that are meant to transform a neighborhood and the way people interact within it.
“Placemaking projects can bring life to underused spaces in the neighborhood through temporary physical improvements (such as Little Free Libraries, pocket parks and artistic utility boxes) and programming (such as outdoor yoga and drum circles),” Varian Shrum, Community Development Associate for Charlotte Center City Partners, wrote in an email.
Placemaking Micro-Grant fast facts
– The Placemaking Micro-Grant program was initiated in January 2016 to fund “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” placemaking projects in Historic South End. The “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” approach is rooted in the idea that simple, short-term inexpensive concepts can dramatically shape neighborhoods and cities.
– Applicants can apply for grants from $5-$1,000, to be reviewed by a committee and assessed based on creativity, feasibility and meeting grant guidelines. Funds will be provided by Historic South End.
– Winners will be notified mid-September and announced soon after. “The number of winners depends on the strength and number of the applications we receive, and what we can accommodate within the limitations of our budget,” Megan Gude, Director of Historic South End, said.
– Following a project-planning workshop, recipients will have 90 days to implement their projects, so you can expect to start seeing them pop up in the neighborhood between Oct. 1-Dec. 31.
Previous projects
Need inspiration? Six winning projects have already come to life this year, including “Make Your Mark,” an interactive coloring-book wall submitted by design professional Liana Charles to prompt passersby to contribute to her design. It’s on the wall of the The Charlotte Post on Camden Road adjacent to Phat Burrito. Behold:
Another winning project was “South End Community Make Day,” submitted by visual artist April Martin and Digi-Bridge founder David Jessup, Jr., in conjunction with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library‘s “Idea Box” and C3 Lab. This project culminated in #iMakeCLT, which prompted neighbors to connect and create meaningful projects.
You can read about the remaining winning projects here.
Advice to get you going
Shrum is no stranger to transforming underused spaces. She won a grant similar to this one in 2015 — a $5,000 grant from Knight Foundation and 8-80 Cities to make Charlotte livable, specifically by creating a multi-day Neighborhood Living Room in South End.
Her nuggets of advice for applicants:
– “Everyone is waiting for someone else to act, but you don’t have to be an expert to improve your neighborhood. If you have an idea, just go for it.”
– “Use ‘lighter, quicker, cheaper’ tactics to experiment and prove the concept. Take a zero off your budget to inspire more creativity.”
– “Put a date on the calendar and announce it so you’re held accountable to deliver. Nothing will light a fire under you quite like that pressure.”
– “Keep your vision front and center as you look for win-win partnerships in your planning process. Work with people who understand what you’re trying to accomplish and want to own it with you.”
Ready? Set. Go.
Photos: Katie Toussaint
This story was originally published August 16, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Your idea for how to transform South End is due Aug. 31."