About This Project
What is the Madisonville Community Studio?
Madisonville is a racially diverse neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. In recent years, the area has experienced increased investment, and with it, an influx of new neighbors. The Madisonville Community Studio is an ongoing project co-created by Madisonville residents and Design Impact (DI) with support from the Kresge Foundation. The Community Studio is a place for Madisonville residents, business owners, and community workers to explore key questions about the inclusiveness of neighborhood changes. Learn more about how the Madisonville Studio started.
The studio is currently exploring two questions:
- How might we improve connections among Madisonville residents across race?
- How might we ensure Madisonville’s Black residents have power, influence, and representation regarding decisions affecting the community?
Started in 2019, the Madisonville Community Studio meets on a regular basis to answer these questions using a community-engaged design process through a racial equity lens.
Participants will use the studio to test ideas or approaches to respond to our driving questions. The group identifies outcomes they hope to see among the group — specifically, changes in mindsets and behaviors they believe will result in a more inclusive neighborhood.
How we're measuring success:
- Value relationships as key to creating all change
- Recognize trauma caused by systemic oppression
- Value lived experience as a form of expertise
- Sacrifice conveniences, comfort, and power to advance equity
- Create equitable and inclusive structures/programs/processes
Project Support
This project is facilitated by Design Impact:
Design Impact (DI) is a nonprofit social innovation firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio. DI collaborates with individuals, organizations, and funders to apply creative and inclusive approaches to complex social challenges. Our approach combines creativity, equity, and leadership practices to create sustainable social change. We do this in part by amplifying and empowering unheard voices — especially those directly affected by poverty — in the design of their own solutions. To learn more, visit d-impact.org.
This project is funded by the Kresge Foundation:
The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America’s cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org.
