ID: a banner with white wall with black brushstroke and Deaf Spotlight logo in the middle.
Mission: Deaf Spotlight inspires and showcases Deaf Culture and Sign Languages through the arts.
Vision: Deaf Spotlight illuminates the artist within every Deaf person.
ID: Flyer for “Giving Day” on December 6, 2025. Purple tinted flyer with light blue confetti and arrows as well as purple hearts. Text below the title: “A day where we chip in and support” with the Deaf Spotlight logo in center. Additional text on right: “Mark your calendar!” On the bottom is DeafSpotlight.org.
Giving Day December 6, 2025
Goal: $40,000 for Deaf arts
What if the arts were fully accessible to everyone—where Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing community members could step into theatre, experience cinema, and appreciate the arts without barriers?
That “what if” is exactly why Deaf Spotlight exists.
With your support, we create opportunities by and for people with lived experience. Your gift today fuels the essential, behind-the-scenes work that makes it all possible—renting theatre space, compensating the Seattle Deaf Film Festival team, keeping our office open, and ensuring our programs have what they need to thrive. It may not sound glamorous, but it’s the foundation that makes every performance, exhibit, and film happen.
When you give, you open doors to more possibilities. You help Deaf Spotlight continue bringing stories to life—onstage, on gallery walls, and on screen—while uplifting Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing artists at every step.
Our goal is to raise $40,000 by year’s end to sustain and grow this work.
Will you help us get there?
ID: a light blue banner with 2025 BIPOC Deaf Arts recipients, with photographs of the four recipients in a row on top of colorful half-circles, with a name attached to each photo. From left to right: Daniel Katz-Herandez, Felicia B. Kohls, Kami Padden, and Rydrea Walker.
Handwaves to the BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant Recipients 2025
Deaf Spotlight is excited to announce the 2025 recipients of the BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant! From 29 applicants, we narrowed it to 4 best candidates based on the strength and diversity of their portfolios, clarity of their plans/goals and potential momentum to push their work forward with our funding.
The recipients are:
Daniel Katz-Hernandez | Visual Arts
Felicia B. Kohls | Literary Arts
Kami Padden | Visual Arts
Rydrea Walker | Media Arts
We’re thrilled to continue this grant to support the next group of emerging and experienced BIPOC Deaf artists. Handwaves! We can’t wait to see what they create with this grant.
PURPOSE
The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Deaf Arts Grant is an 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.
ID: Seattle Deaf Film poster of a headshot of a purple astronaut helmet with text: “Seattle Deaf Film Festival” and text: “April 2026” above the helmet. Orange pink octopus’ tentacles spreading from the bottom of the helmet with some popcorn floating in the starry space.
Open Call for Film Submissions is now closed.
Thank you to all filmmakers who submitted their films to our festival! We have received many films this year!
We are thrilled that more filmmakers are creating Deaf cinema to share with the world! We will announce the final lineup in early 2026.
See you at the Northwest Film Forum or virtually in April 2026!
Questions, email sdff@deafspotlight.org.
ID: Flyer for Deaf Youth: Drama Experiences Workshop Series with a purple, teal and yellow striped background and an orange triangle on the bottom. Text under title: “Saturday dates: April 12, June 14, Aug 9, Oct 11, Dec 13. Capital Hill, Seattle, WA.” QR code inside the orange triangle, with “Register” above it. Text across a yellow stripe on bottom: “Questions? Contact Camp@DeafSpotlight.org. www.DeafSpotlight.org . ” The Deaf Spotlight logo is on top center.
Deaf Youth Drama Experiences
Join our exciting Deaf Youth Drama Experiences in 2025, a dynamic and inclusive creative series of workshops for young Deaf individuals interested in theater and performing arts. Over the course of the year, students will explore the world of drama while developing a variety of skills, including acting techniques, stagecraft, and collaborative storytelling.
Last Session: Dec 12
Time: 10 AM -12 PM
Location: Seattle, WA 98102
FREE EVENT at the courtesy of 4Culture’s Free Public Access Program
What to bring: comfortable clothes that are easy to move in and water bottle.
This event will be in ASL only.
SPACE LIMITED TO 15 attendees
All novice and experienced are welcome!
This space is for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing youth participants. Thank you for your understanding.
Questions: camp@deafspotlight.org
For access requests, please email access@deafspotlight.org with your specific needs.
INSTRUCTORS
Kai Winchester is a PNW native who has been involved in theater for 30 years, on and off the stage: actor, assistant stage manager, writer, sign coach, DASL - and now director. He is currently using his Master's degree in Deaf Education to rebuild the Deaf Youth Drama program with Seattle Children's Theater.
Anna Bracilano is a Washington State native, born in Seattle and raised outside of the city. Growing up, she was involved with Deaf Youth Drama Program, as an actress and stage crew with NTID Performing Arts and Gallaudet University Theatre. Supporting Deaf Spotlight Presents as an actress/crew since 2012.
ID: Flyer for “Free Community Passes”, stylized as yellow ticket stubs with an orange background with text inside the stub. Further text below: “To Seattle Art Museum or Seattle Asian Art Museum for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing members! Tinyurl.com/SAM-DS2025”. Logos for the Seattle Art Museum and Deaf Spotlight on the bottom.
Free Seattle Art Museum / Seattle Asian Art Museum tickets to Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing community members!
Back for 3rd year, Deaf Spotlight will distribute FREE museum passes to Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing community members through the Seattle Art Museum Community Pass Program.
Please fill out the form below with your name, your mailing address, and how many passes you would like to get. Each person can get up to 2 community passes. Each community pass will give you 6 tickets each. Your passes must be redeemed by the end of year 2025.
The passes can be redeemed at both locations: Seattle Art Museum (Downtown) and Seattle Asian Art Museum (Volunteer Park) during regular hours.
Many handwaves to Seattle Art Museum’s Community Pass Program for making this accessible for all!
ID: Deaf Spotlight Annual report: 13 pages with a mixture of text and graphic illustrations in multiple colors in vertical view. The title page has a white background with two rectangular columns on a slant in three colors: orange, blue and dark blue. Top one extends from middle-right to top left corner. The second one starts in the lower right corner to middle of the bottom half. Deaf Spotlight logo in against a blue square in upper right corner. On same column, orange rectangle with black text “Annual Report” Underneath orange is dark blue square with white text “20.” On second column, orange square with white text: “24.
Read our Annual Report 2024!
