Upper ID: red background with white text: "Our legacy started here," and an image of campers with vintage cameras to the camera front of a chalkboard wall. 

Timeline

2023

Deaf Spotlight came back in person with Short Play Festival with a theme: Floral Shop, featuring 6 new, original plays by Deaf playwrights. The audiences had opportunities to see these plays in person and virtually.

Deaf Spotlight recently developed its organizational core values. The purpose of core values is to be a guiding star for our organization and activities to continue supporting the arts in different ways. Core values are what drives us, and what motivates us.

2022

The Deaf Spotlight board selected what our future vision for this organization to be- a year-round arts residency program. Through this endeavor, we hope to provide a space for all artists to come and collaborate to grow their skills as an artist ensuring equitable access to communication and build networks within our community. This program is still in the planning phase, but we are already taking steps to figure out what our roadmap to this will look like.

2021

Deaf Spotlight continues its virtual programming this year. Deaf Spotlight hosted its first virtual Short Play Festival (SPF) featuring local and out of state Deaf diverse artists. Deaf Spotlight celebrated its 10th anniversary in April 2021 with several milestones: hiring its first full-time Executive Director, an updated mission statement, an updated logo and a retrospective video series on its 10 years supporting the arts for all. Deaf Spotlight established a new annual program, BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant, for BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing Artists.

2020

Deaf Spotlight hosted its first virtual Seattle Deaf Film Festival (SDFF) in partnership with Northwest Film Forum due to COVID-19. All programming were available virtually for the community to participate in creative activities and dialogues.

2019

Deaf Spotlight produced its first Short Play Festival in ACT LAB partnership with ACT Theatre featuring 6 new original plays by Deaf writers, and featuring local and out of state Deaf talent.

2018

Deaf Spotlight hosted its first Awards Ceremony and Benefit to celebrate the Deaf arts. Deaf Spotlight partnered with deaffriendly.com to create an Accessibility Index featuring local deaffriendly businesses and organizations. Drama Camp became Creative Arts Camp for youth that year. Seattle Deaf Film Festival (SDFF) occurred for 4th time at the Northwest Film Forum.

2017

Deaf Spotlight commissioned a local Deaf writer, Crystal L.M. Roberts, to write a full length play, SKIN. The production took place at the 12th Ave Arts Mainstage under Alexandria Wailes’ artistic direction and featured local and out of state Deaf talent: Rhonda Cochran, Kalen Feeney, Amelia Hensley, and Michelle Mary Schaefer along with backstage crew.

2016

Community gathered again at the 3rd Seattle Deaf Film Festival (SDFF). Deaf Spotlight hosted the first drama camp for youth.

2015

Deaf Spotlight produced God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton under Ryan Schlecht’s artistic direction. The ensemble consisted of Deaf local talent: Aimee Chou, Anna Bracilano, Reggie Scott and Billy Seago.

2014

Deaf Spotlight qualified for the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture’s Arts Mean Business. With that grant, Deaf Spotlight hired Patty Liang as a part-time staff as the Executive Director.

Deaf Spotlight hosted 2nd Seattle Deaf Film Festival (SDFF) at Northwest Film Forum.

2013

Deaf Spotlight produced the first full length production, Broken Spokes, by Willy Conley. Ryan Schlecht directed the play with the ensemble: Katie Roberts, Howie Seago, and Jeremy Quiroga.

2012

Deaf Spotlight became a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) organization. Special thanks go to Richard Ladner and Ann Sauer for their financial support to successfully obtain a non-profit status. Rob Roth was the first Board Chair and Patty Liang was the first voluntary Executive Director. Seattle Deaf Film Festival (SDFF) was shown at University of Washington, Kane Hall.

2011

Seattle Deaf Film Festival (SDFF) was created in February 2011 with donated seed fund by the following charter members: Ian Aranha, Dan Brubaker, Buddy Elledge, Jena Floyd, Brendan Gramer, Joshua Jones, Rod Jex, Patty Liang, Jason Plourde, Rob Roth, Howie Seago, Marilyn J. Smith, Jason Tang, and Nat Wilson.