Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC) respectfully seeks $46,450 in funding to support the Spotlight Short Film program’s production, filming, editing and director costs, as well as costs for the Spotlight Rock Band program.

HPUMC launched its Jesters musical theater program for teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in 2009, which is now called Spotlight, and it has been a cornerstone of the Belong Disability Ministry for the last 13 years. With an average of 27 cast members and 631 audience members per performance (2 performances per season), over the last fourteen years, the Spotlight Musical Theater program has directly impacted almost 17,000 individuals both locally and overseas (some viewers watch the production via live stream).

Spotlight has remained a quality, one of a kind program in the DFW area. The 2021-2022 Spotlight Musical Theater season and its actors are the subject of a feature length documentary about the program and its impact on the community. "Into the Spotlight" shared the heartfelt stories of our Belong Disability Ministry participants as they wrote, rehearsed, and performed the 2022 Spotlight musical. “Into the Spotlight” has been winning awards and hearts at film festivals around the world in 2023. HPUMC recently held a special viewing of this heartfelt documentary on Sunday, November 12. This opportunity was the first chance for our congregation to see the award-winning documentary at HPUMC and share in the growing excitement for this story and the documentary is increasing positive exposure for the ministry as a whole.

The Spotlight Short Film program began in 2016 in response to an increasing demand for performing arts opportunities among the Spotlight community. The Short Film program showcases talents in front of and behind the camera and serves an additional 15 teens and adults with disabilities per season. The Spotlight Rock Band program started in June 2023, providing performing arts opportunities to a larger group of individuals with disabilities aged 16 and up.