About
ID: Logo for Deaf Arts Leadership. Three white paper planes with yellow to purple lines, flying left to right from under black text "Deaf" to above colored purple to yellow text "Arts." Underneath is black text: "Leadership."
Deaf Arts Leadership (DAL) is a new pilot program by Urban Jazz Dance Company and Deaf Spotlight. DAL aims to increase the pool of Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing leaders in the arts and culture sector across the United States. Many thanks to the Borealis Philanthropy Disability Inclusion Fund for supporting this project.
ID: The logo for Urban Jazz Dance Company- a silhouette of a black dancer stands to the left of the name in black, “Urban Jazz Dance Company” with a purple and yellow swoop behind the dancer silhouette. The Deaf Spotlight logo consists of three black spotlight outlines stacked upon one another with the name inside the spotlights in white.
Artistic Director: Antoine Hunter
Assistant Director: Zahna Simon
UJDC's mission is to provide opportunities for Deaf and Disabled artists to contribute to the arts and larger society, increasing awareness around Deaf issues via the performing arts. Featuring the syncopation of urban jazz rhythms, the company values the importance of play and performance to connect cultures of all races, ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
Founded in 2007 by pioneering Deaf dancer/choreographer Antoine Hunter, Urban Jazz Dance Company consists of a mix of professional Deaf and Hearing dancers. UJDC performs all over the Bay Area and beyond, including at festivals, such as at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Black Choreographers Festival, CubaCaribe Festival, Art and Soul Festival, DeafNation, DisneyLand Disney's Signin' in the Street, Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Green Show, and the Ethnic Dance Festival. Its programs thrill Deaf and Hearing audiences alike. UJDC is also the producer of the annual Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival and views Deafness as a human experience with its own values, principles, and cultural norms – not a disability. Mr Hunter has received the 2019 national Dance/USA fellowship award and the 2018 Isadora Duncan Award (Izzies) for BAIDDF in bridging the hearing and the Deaf communities.
ID: The logo consists of the following capitalized words, 'Deaf," "Spot," and "Light," stacked on each other in slanted shapes. The words are white with black backgrounds.
Executive Director: Patty Liang
Deaf Spotlight is a Seattle-based organization that champions Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing (DDBDDHH) artists by showcasing their work, promoting Deaf Culture, and creating accessible arts opportunities in film, theater, visual arts, and literature. They remove barriers by providing a platform for authentic storytelling, hosting events like the Seattle Deaf Film Festival, offering grants, and fostering a supportive environment where DDBDDHH individuals can express themselves creatively and thrive in the arts.