BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant Recipients Selected for 2022

ID: a blue background with BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant logo with a YouTube logo over it.

Deaf Spotlight is excited to announce the four 2022 recipients of the BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant! 

If you don’t know, BIPOC means Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The grant is for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and hard of hearing artists who are members of oppressed racial groups.  

Our mission is to inspire and showcase Deaf Culture and Sign Languages through the arts. We're thrilled to continue this grant to support the new cycle of BIPOC Deaf artists.   

The four recipients are: 

• Neha Balachandran

• Donald M. Falls 

• Leinani Lucas

• Sarah Young Bear-Brown

Congratulations! We can’t wait to see what they create with this grant. 

[ID: Poster for 2022 Grant Recipients with a dark blue background, and a row of cut-out portraits of the recipients across the bottom with their names printed above their heads in different colors: from left to right, Neha Balachandran, Donald M. Falls, Leinani Lucas and Sarah Young Bear-Brown. Pink text across top left: 2022; with white text underneath: Grant Recipients. A pattern of circle and half circles take up the space between the title and the row of names. Different colored lines match the person’s image to the name above. The BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant logo is on the top right corner, with the Deaf Spotlight logo on bottom center.]

PURPOSE

The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Deaf Arts Grant is a new annual program that provides financial support for emerging and established artists to further advance their careers.

Deaf Spotlight’s mission is to inspire and showcase Deaf Culture and Sign Languages through the arts. The Deaf Arts Grant will make a crucial difference for BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing artists to thrive in the challenging arts field.

To sign up for grant updates and opportunities, please email BIPOCDeafArtsGrant@deafspotlight.org.

National Professional Development Survey 2022

Deaf Spotlight would like to gather data annually on practicing artists all over North America. The results will be shared with the public, artists, peer organizations, and be available for grant writing purposes.

If you are a Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled or Hard of Hearing practicing artist, please help us by taking 2nd anonymous Professional Development Survey.

Deadline: Friday, June 17, 2022

ID: Ad. White text in middle against green background: “National Professional Development Survey 2022. Looking for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing Artists & Creatives to fill out the survey!” Underneath the text is Deaf Spotlight logo. A green plant in lower left corner, a green mug with coffee in upper left corner and three green pencils on top of three green notebooks in the upper right corner.

Deaf Spotlight to get its art space this summer!

ID: a banner ad with an architectural blue print with a white triangle at upper right corner. Inside the blue area with white text. Vertical word: "2022," with a blue vertical line between year and body text: "Tiny Cultural Space Community Partner:" and orange text: "DEAF SPOTLIGHT." Inside the white triangle, there are two logos: Sawhorse Revolution (orange), and Seattle Office of Arts and Culture (blue).

Deaf Spotlight to get its art space this summer!

April 3, 2022 is a historical milestone for Deaf Spotlight! Deaf Spotlight participated in a groundbreaking ceremony, marking the future location for its art space.

In a two-tiered process, Deaf Spotlight’s proposal was ultimately chosen as 2nd Tiny Cultural Space Community Partner by City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Sawhorse Revolution’s student group last November. With this land, and a designed+built project from Sawhorse Revolution, Deaf Spotlight plans to bridge the deficit of fully accessible physical spaces for the Deaf and disabled arts community.

Fully following the guidelines of Universal Design, Sawhorse Revolution team will help and work with Deaf Spotlight to envision a new multi-functional HQ- including space for community meetings, a studio, an art gallery, and future art residency program available to the DDBDDHH (Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Deaf Disabled, and Hard of Hearing) community. Deaf Spotlight will host a grand opening this summer for the community to celebrate together.

Please follow Deaf Spotlight via social media and Sawhorse Revolution for more updates!

Read more about Estelita’s Library, the first Tiny Cultural Space Community Partner.

SDFF TIXS ON SALE!

Tickets are available now! SDFF 2022 is a virtual festival. Buy a ticket and you can watch any time from April 8 to April 22.

Get your ticket today to watch comedy, drama, horror, and documentary films, plus much more. This year's festival has 34 films from 11 different countries around the world! Every film is subtitled.

You can buy a pass to access all SDFF films, or get individual tickets for feature films and short film programs. There's no schedule. Watch the films whenever you want!

Seattle Deaf Film Festival showcases the best work from Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing filmmakers. Join us for the sixth edition of Deaf Spotlight's biggest event!

ID: Orange text at top: “SDFF TIX ON SALE.” A yellow mustard Sasquatch waves back, stands front of a blue dusk background with mountains at the bottom, Seattle city and pine trees. 

ID: Orange text at top: “SDFF TIX ON SALE.” A yellow mustard Sasquatch waves back, stands front of a blue dusk background with mountains at the bottom, Seattle city and pine trees. 

Art Summit 2022: Early Bird Weekend Passes on sale!

Early Bird Weekend Passes are on sale for our upcoming Art Summit! Come learn and network with Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing artists and creatives in a virtual space. This virtual event will be 3 days long.  

Price: $80 

This event will be in American Sign Language with captions/voiceovers in English. If you need to submit access needs, please email info@deafspotlight.org.

This event is for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing artists and creatives at this time. Thank you for your understanding. 

ID: Banner against a black background. In middle, text in different colors - blue, white, and pink: “EARLY BIRD Weekend Passes are available NOW!” “EARLY BIRD” is blue and “NOW” is pink. A mosaic pattern of triangles starts out on left and runs along the bottom and up the right side. The triangles start out yellows and reds on the left side and gradients to pinks and blues in the center and right side, and extending up the right side as yellows, oranges and reds. In upper left corner is text: “ART SUMMIT” in rainbow hues starting with yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, and ending in blue. White text is underneath: "June 3-5, 2022.” Deaf Spotlight logo is in the lower right corner.

Who won the KissFist Film Challenge?

The 2022 KissFist Film Challenge is a wrap! Thank you to the 6 teams who contributed some amazing short films. We look forward to seeing more from all of you in the future.

All six films are still available to view. If you haven’t seen them yet, what are you waiting for? Go watch!

Want more Deaf films? Check out Seattle Deaf Film Festival 2022.

Vote for the best film of KissFist Film Challenge 2022!

Pick your favorite short film! Voting for the KissFist Film Challenge is now open. Voting closes this Sunday at 12pm PST, so don’t wait! Your vote should be based on:

• Originality

• Creativity

• Plot

• Pacing

• Structure

• Characters

• Cinematography

• Entertainment value

Thank you to all of the great teams who joined this year’s KissFist Film Challenge. The winner will be announced next week and receive a cash prize.KissFist Film Challenge is a part of Seattle Deaf Film Festival 2022, which premieres in April with more of the world's best movies by Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing filmmakers.

Seattle Deaf Film Festival is hosted by Deaf Spotlight, a nonprofit that inspires and showcases Deaf Culture and Sign Languages through the arts.

Seattle Deaf Film Festival 2022 Lineup

We’re excited to announce the final film selections for Seattle Deaf Film Festival 2022! SDFF will present 34 incredible films from 11 countries around the world. Congratulations to all the talented filmmakers in this year’s event.

This year has been especially difficult on the screening committee with many high quality submissions far exceeding our expectations on films by and for the Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing communities.

The BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant 2022 Cycle is open!

Please circulate with your peers. The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Deaf Arts Grant is an annual program established in 2021 which provides financial support for emerging and established artists to further advance their careers. Deaf Spotlight inspires and showcases Deaf Culture and Sign Languages through the arts. The Deaf Arts Grant will make a crucial difference for BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing artists to thrive in the challenging arts field. Deaf Spotlight will award $1,000 each to 4 artists across the United States or U.S. Territories.

Deadline: July 31, 2022 at 11:59 PM PST

ID: Video opens with the logo for BIPOC Deaf Arts Grants on a black background. The logo consists of a dark background with BIPOC across the top in stylized circles and blocks, with the B consisting of a purple circle overlapping with a green circle. the I is a long yellow block, next to a pink block making the side of the P with a light blue circle overlapping the pink. The 0 is a dark blue circle, and the C, an orange half-circle. Underneath is "Deaf Arts Grant" in thin white text.

Professional Development Survey Infographics

Deaf Spotlight wants to collect data to support the future generations of underrepresented artists. This will be an annual effort to understand, to support and to create more equitable opportunities for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing artists and creatives to succeed in their respective careers and industries across the US.

Here’s our 2021 findings below.

ID: 2021 Professional Development Survey Infographics, square ad with a black background, showing several squares in different colors – blue, green, gray, red, white, purple and yellow in center. The red square has white text - “2021.” The white square has black text – “Professional Development Survey Infographics.” Deaf Spotlight logo is in the purple square. Below the image is white text: “Mission: To inspire and showcase Deaf Culture and Sign Languages through the arts.” An orange line divides the top from the bottom section. Below the line is a white box with black text: “76 Responses”. On the bottom, in small print is the website: “deafspotlight.org”. Below that is a row of social media icons for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Under that is a letter icon for email, with text next to it: info@deafspotlight.org.

Make a short film in 72 hours. Win money.

Feb 18 - 21, 2022

KissFist Film Challenge is back! The second ever KissFist Film Challenge will premiere on President’s Day Weekend, February 18-21. How does it work? 

• Register by February 17. 

• Wait for an email from Deaf Spotlight on February 18 with the final instructions. 

• Write, film, and edit a 3-5 minute short film in 72 hours. 

• Deaf Spotlight fans will vote on the winner. 

• If you win, you get cash! 

Visit the KissFist Film Challenge page for more details. 

ID: the KissFist Film Challenge logo. In the center of the white background is a blue representation of the ASL sign for KissFist: a fist projecting outward from a chin. Together, text at the top and bottom of the image say KissFist Film Challenge. Text on the left and right of the image say 72-hour.

Learn how to write a 10 min play with Kalen Feeney!

ID: a square poster of two bisecting images of typing devices: yellow typewriter on yellow background and silver laptop on teal background. Headline text: “Virtual Beginner Playwriting Workshop.” Learn from Kalen Feeney, a Deaf writer! Workshop fee: $50. Tuesdays at 7-9 PM PST: March 8, 15, 22 & 29. RSVP by Feb 28, 2022. Questions? info@deafspotlight.org. deafspotlight.org” White block at bottom with four logos: Deaf Spotlight, 4 Culture, ArtsWA, and City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture.

10-MINUTE PLAYWRITING WORKSHOP

Want to have your work shown on stage?!

Join this playwriting workshop and write a 10-minute play in just ONE MONTH! 10-minute plays are the thing with countless festivals in the United States and world-wide. This is your opportunity to write and submit yours.

Kalen Feeney will teach Beginner Playwriting for novice writers. Learn how to write a short play, develop compelling characters and conflict while adhering to the 10-minute format.

You will:

• Explore the dramatic question

• Establish conflict

• Develop compelling characters

• Outline the plot

• Practice dialogue writing

• Begin writing pages!

Workshop fee: $50

Level: Beginner

Tuesdays: March 8, 15, 22, 29 at 7-9 PM PST

–total of 4 sessions (2 hours/session)

Registration deadline: Monday, February 28, 2022

Your full participation is encouraged for all four sessions.

Note: space is limited to the first 8 sign-ups, so sign up early to secure your spot.

Art Summit 2022

SAVE THE DATE: June 3-5, 2022  

Deaf Spotlight will host its first Art Summit, a virtual Professional Development space where Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing artists can network and learn more about the business side to become successful and practicing creatives.  This is a great opportunity to build skills and to be confident in running your own art business.

Please sign up for our e-news, follow our social media and check our website for more updates.

ID: A square post flyer. A mosaic pattern of triangles starts out on bottom left and runs along the bottom and up the right side. The triangles start out yellows and reds on the left side and gradients to pinks and blues in the center and right side, and extending up the right side as yellows and oranges. A title sharing the same color spectrum as the triangles takes up the center space, "Art Summit". Smaller white text above title, “Deaf Spotlight". Similar text below title: "June 3-5, 2022" with the 2022 bolded.

Open Call for 10-Minute Play Scripts for Short Play Festival 2023

Deaf Spotlight is seeking original, never-been-produced,10-minute plays themed around a floral shop. Those chosen will be fully produced as part of our biennial one-act theatrical festival in Spring 2023 in person (and virtually) in a Seattle venue.  

Submissions of original ten-minute plays will be accepted starting November 10, 2021. The submission deadline is June 30, 2022.   

Playwright can submit up to 3 short plays.  

The six short plays to be produced will be at Deaf Spotlight's discretion and will depend on the field of qualified submissions. Original plays accepted for the festival will be announced during August 2022. The selected plays will be given a full production within the capabilities and budget of Deaf Spotlight.  

Selected plays will receive a stipend.  

ID: a flyer in light green with dark text on top right half. Across the bottom are flowers and plants in two shades, pink and purple. Text across the top: “Short Play Festival”. Underneath that, in smaller text: “One floral shop. Six short stories”. Below that is text: “Spring 2023, Seattle, WA”. On bottom in small text: “deafspotlight.org/spf2023”.

Tiny Cultural Space Community Partner 2022

Deaf Spotlight will partner with @sawhorse.revolution, @seaofficeofarts, students and collaborators to build its creative space! In a two-tiered process, ultimately chosen by our student group, Deaf Spotlight’s work and dreams for the unused city property inspired us all.

With this land, and a designed+built project from Sawhorse, they plan to bridge the deficit of fully accessible physical spaces for our Deaf and disabled arts community. Fully following the guidelines of Universal Design, our team will envision a new multi-functional HQ- including space for community meetings, a craft studio, an art gallery, and artists in residency available to the DDBDDHH (Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Deaf Disabled, and Hard of Hearing) community.

ID: a square ad with an architectural blue print with a white triangle at upper right corner. Inside the blue area with white text. Vertical word: "2022," with a blue vertical line between year and body text: "Tiny Cultural Space Community Partner:" and orange text: "DEAF SPOTLIGHT." Inside the white triangle, there are two logos: Sawhorse Revolution (orange), and Seattle Office of Arts and Culture (blue).

RSVP: Benefit 2021

[ID: Background is blue-green. In the center is a colorful spray-paint cloud ranging from purple to pink to orange bursting out of a white outline box. White text in middle of the cloud: "CELEBRATE DEAF ARTS." On the bottom is white text: “Virtual Benefit: Saturday, September 18, 2021: 5 PM PST.”]

Deaf Spotlight is 10 years old this year and we are celebrating BIG! We have exciting announcements to share with you all.  

The registration for our virtual 2021 Benefit is now open! Join us on Saturday, September 18, 2021 to support new and authentic work by Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing artists across the United States.  

Deaf Spotlight has commissioned a special, limited-edition work of art: “Self-Expression,” by Tirzah Farley (tizarts). Limit-edition prints of this gorgeous artwork will be sent out to the first 100 people to register for the benefit. 

[Image description: a picture of artwork by Tirzah Farley. A smiling person, with multiple shades of purple, standing in the middle with white short wavy hair and white glasses against the blue night sky with stars and clouds in multiple shades of blue. The person has four hands/arms: lower left hand pointing downward, lower right hand reaching out to you, upper right hand in “A” handshape, which is above upper spread-out left hand. A small logo consisting of a white frame and white text “TIZ ARTS” is between the lower left arm and left leg. Deaf Spotlight watermarks across the image.]

Embrace the Sun with Selennnart

When: Saturday, September 25, 2021 @ 1 PM PST

ABOUT WORKSHOP 
Join Selena Alvarez of Selennnart for two hours embracing the sun! Kick back with us and paint a beautiful vibrant artwork to keep in your home forever. If you're looking to find the light from within and what makes your soul radiate rays of self-love, you don't want to miss out! 

[Image description: A flyer for an art workshop. Lower right is a picture of a femme Latinx wearing bold yellow glasses and a black sweater that states “I am determined to fall in love with everything that I am” they are smiling under the shining sun and standing in front of a towering purple flower shrub. Blue text on the top: “Embrace the Sun with Selennnart: Art Workshop with Selena Alvarez.” Black text underneath “Saturday, September 25, 2021” ending with blue text “at 1 pm PST/ 2 pm MST/ 3 pm CST/ 4 pm EST.” On the left, black text on a purple notepad: “Please RSVP by Monday, September 20, 2021 to art-design@deafspotlight.org. Up to 9 spots. Workshop fee $15.” The background is yellow-orange with some doodling lines and three tan spots in random locations. The word “Sun” has an image of the sun behind. Lower right corner shows a plant as sketch art. Deaf Spotlight logo, on the bottom center.]

SAVE THE DATE: Sept 18, 2021

Mark your calendars! We want you to join us to celebrate Deaf Arts. 

We will be hosting a virtual benefit on Saturday, Sept 18, 2021 at 5 PM PST. We hope to see you there! All proceeds from the event will go to Deaf Spotlight. 

More details to come soon!  

#deafspotlight 

Image description: Background is blue-green. On left, there is a colorful spray-paint cloud ranging from purple to pink to orange bursting out of a white outline box. White text in middle of the cloud: "CELEBRATE DEAF ARTS." On right, white text: "-Save the date- Deaf Spotlight invites you: VIRTUAL BENEFIT: Saturday, September 18, 2021: 5 PM PST.” 

Open Submission

ID: Blue dusk background with mountains on the bottom and pine trees on both sides of the banner. Yellow mustard Sasquatch peers out of a tree and waves on the left. Deaf Spotlight logo below it. Text on top centered: “FILM SUBMISSION: July - Nov 2021”. Neon sign for “SEATTLE DEAF FILM FESTIVAL, deafspotlight.org/sdff” on left.

To enter your film in the festival, you must use the Film Freeway website. Visit Film Freeway to see instructions for submitting your film.

Your film is eligible if it meets at least 2 of the following criteria:

-The film is made by a Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled or Hard of Hearing filmmaker

-The film features at least one authentic Deaf character

-The film is about the Deaf experience All submissions will be viewed by a screening committee, and the top films will be chosen for SDFF 2022.

Deaf Spotlight believes in cultivating a vibrant community of Deaf filmmakers, actors, writers, and producers. We hope to see more Deaf BIPOC filmmakers/actors, and we encourage BIPOC of all experience levels to submit their film for SDFF.

YouTube Screenshot. Click to see the video.

Patty Liang, an Asian-American woman wearing a blue long-sleeved hooded sweater, with her hands in the front pockets of her jeans. She has her dark hair pulled back in a bun. Patty stands on the sandy beach with the water behind her with low-lying mountains on the opposite shores. It is a cloudy, overcast day. Several pieces of driftwood dot the sand behind her as well. Transcript available here.

SDFF coming to you April 2022!

ID: Blue dusk background with mountains on the bottom and pine trees on both sides of the banner. Yellow mustard Sasquatch peers out of a tree and waves on the left. Deaf Spotlight logo at the right. Text on top centered: “FILM SUBMISSION: July - Nov 2021”. Neon sign for “SEATTLE DEAF FILM FESTIVAL, deafspotlight.org/sdff” on left.

Deaf Spotlight is excited to host the 6th Seattle Deaf Film Festival (SDFF) from April 8-10, 2022. SDFF is one of the world’s premiere Deaf film festivals. We show movies from around the globe that are created by or starring Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing people. 

We have not decided if SDFF 2022 will be in-person, virtual, or both. Deaf Spotlight is committed to the safety of our guests and community. Check our website and social media frequently for updates. 

YouTube Screenshot. Click to see the video.

Patty Liang, an Asian-American woman, wearing a dark blue denim jacket. The upper half of her shoulder-length dark hair is pulled back. Patty is standing in front of a weathered grayish wood fence. Transcript available here.