Looking To The Future Of The DAC
What does the future look like? How will the imminent future shape our more distant future? These are questions many of us have been asking ourselves over the last 12 months. What will sustain and stand the test of time, and what will change, improve or dissolve? And in the midst of this chaos, how will opportunities present themselves?
As 2021 begins and we bring the unprecedented and overwhelming 2020 to a close, the Dwarf Artist Coalition has reflected upon what this year has meant to us: as a coalition, and as artists. Back in 2016, Sofiya Cheyenne, DAC’s Chair, set out with trailblazing intentions to establish a safe space for LP artists to connect, create, and shine a light on the talent within the community. It was the coalition's hope to one day elevate the DAC to be a similarly recognized establishment within Little People of America as the DAAA (Dwarf Athletic Association of America), aspiring to make the arts as formally recognized as athletics. Through initiatives such as the Telephone Project, Open Mic Nights, a Theatre Fellowship program, Visual Art Displays, and various other artistry workshops for all ages, the DAC has created a community where artists can share not only their talents and crafts, but discuss them and build deeper connections through them. The DAC is a place where members celebrate each other's work and ideas, a place to openly question or explore, a place to gain self confidence, and a place to build strength within our collective vulnerabilities. The DAC reflects exactly what a coalition stands for: “An alliance for combined action,” and making art the center of everything. As minority persons, it is generally through the liberal arts where new ideas are formalized in ways that are understandable, emotional, and invoke change. Art is a medium in which boundaries are pushed and new ideas emerge. We have never been so forcefully pressured to adapt than we were in 2020, due to the pandemic. We led with optimism and the need to connect with each other, and through our recent virtual experiences, we discovered new faces and new talents - many of which were willing to lead and participate from around the world. A yearning for connectivity and creativity this past year incited new programming and developments that will forever shape the DAC.