Scripted in Black relaunches as multidisciplinary arts collective
May 4, 2021
By Aliyah McLain
Born and raised Daytonian Dana Graham is a community and social curator, and founder of Scripted in Black, which recently relaunched as a multidisciplinary arts collective for Black and Brown creatives.
Dana is a graduate of the spring 202o cohort of Early Risers Academy, a free, 10-week business-building bootcamp powered by Launch Dayton partner Parallax Advanced Research. She is also the community builder of Genuine Work, a coworking community in downtown Dayton.
We recently caught up with Dana to see how her company is growing amidst her rebrand. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Launch Dayton: So how did Scripted in Black get started?
Dana Graham: I noticed artistic pillars weren’t inviting of black culture. I had a goal of combining the arts and a social approach to create a safe space for individuals of color to showcase their artistic talent. Scripted in Black became my response to wanting to find a solution to the lack of Black and Blown artistic representation.
Tell us about your rebrand.
Originally, I just had one installment, a Women of Color Reading Series for Black and Brown women playwrights to share their work. Under the new Scripted in Black, we will have additional installments. We unveiled the rebrand on our social media pages via a digital exhibition that featured original artwork, music and conversation through our posts. We also shared the EP we’ve been producing. It was a nice sensory experience. Another aspect of the relaunch was creating different membership tiers for those who want to support Scripted in Black.
What most excites you with your relaunch?
I’m just excited to be back out in the community, especially the arts and creative culture community. And I’m excited to expand. Outside of the Women of Color Reading Series, all our installments will be accessible for all Black and Brown identities. Opening up our audience excites me because it allows us to touch more people, to connect more people and collaborate in more mediums.
How did Early Risers Academy fit into your growth journey?
Early Risers Academy was challenging, and hard work, but it really paid off. Everything I learned helped me to look at a more expansive version of Scripted in Black. It allowed me to widen my vision, see how it would be sustainable, how I could continue to grow my company.
Have you always wanted to become an entrepreneur?
I did not have the initial vision of an entrepreneur, but I did have a goal to own each space that I stepped into. My old theatre director, Ms. Angela Blout, motivated me to want to “be a boss in spaces of power.”
Why do you love what you do?
The main reason I love what I do is because I have been blessed with this journey from God which allows me the opportunity to experience growth, openness, and understanding while I continue to build this unique vision that aims to help others.
Follow Scripted in Black on Instagram and Facebook, and connect with them online here.
