Our History
DACP was founded by Kathy Coleman, Erik Ferguson, and Jody Ramey in January of 2005 as a way to support and expand upon a number of inclusive and mixed-abilities dance events that have been occurring in Portland since 2002.
Our Mission
The mission of the Disability Art and Culture Project (DACP) is to further the artistic expression of people with both hidden and visible disabilities.
We view disability as a natural and valuable variation of the human form. We believe affirmative disability identity is intertwined with racial, gender, social, and economic justice.
DACP accomplishes this mission by supporting the creative expression of people with disabilities. DACP utilizes the performing arts as a method of examining disability in relation to society. DACP also supports established and emerging artists, as well as the community at large, in developing knowledge and expression of disability culture and pride.
Our Staff
Kathy Coleman, Artistic Director, is a DanceAbility instructor and has prior dance experience with the New Dance Company of Stockton, California, which included studying modern dance and expressive movement arts. She conceived of the Disability Art and Culture Project not only as a way to support movement arts, but also to foster affirmative disability identity in individuals and the community. Kathy has a Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Disability Studies. The core of her artistic work is centered on themes of disability from a social relations perspective. She uses text and movement to portray lived experiences of cross disability realities and dreams. She does not shy away from difficult or dark truths which, in her view, hold their own beauty. She incorporates bodies and ways of moving to stretch the audience’s view of dance and the possibilities of an inclusive society.
