Dater and Baez are the founders of the Curvy Artists Collective, a movement with a goal of creating a better world for plus-size artists. The movement currently includes a growing Facebook group and monthly meetups.
“We met at an audition for a commercial, and surprise … it had the word ‘curvy’ in the description for this character,” Dater tells Curvicality. “I remember seeing Lauren in the waiting room, and she was a curvy queen.”
Interestingly, Dater and Baez were the only women in the room with the same body type. “It was only us two! Everyone else was very thin, and (I thought) we must be the token curvy girls going for this role,” she tells us. “They even told us ‘we’ve narrowed it down to you two.’”
A Natural Bond
Normally, an audition like this would be a high-stakes competition, but the women didn’t feel at odds with one another. Rather, they felt an instant, unspoken bond. “I just remember feeling this camaraderie, and just like ‘hey curvy girl. I see you,’” says Dater.
Though they didn’t exchange numbers that day, they definitely remembered each other, and would speak of the meeting.
Later, Baez went to Curvy Con and realized that there is a great need for bonding amongst curvy artists. “It opened my eyes to this need for curvy artists to connect,” she tells Curvicality. “I started following girls I met that day on IG.”
One woman that Baez followed from Curvy Con happened to be a friend of Dater’s. Upon seeing her name, Dater sent her a message. They started talking about everything from the industry, to being curvy actresses, to the audition they had had together. The result was a mutual decision that curvy artists need a safe space to connect.
Dater brought up the idea of creating the group, and Baez agreed, coining the name “Curvy Artists Collective,” and starting the private Facebook group soon after. Dater then coined the hashtag #castcurvy, which the group uses often on Instagram.
The Curvy Artists Collective #castcurvy
The overall concept was that the Facebook group would be for used for support, connection and having meetups. In turn, the Instagram would be used to feature curvy artists and create awareness and exposure.
“Maybe we have a hashtag about a curvy artist who’s also a yoga instructor with the caption of ‘cast me as the next yoga instructor,’ or maybe a picture of me kissing a significant other and being like ‘cast me as your next romantic lead,’” says Dater.
Stepping Outside the Stereotypes
The ladies agree that awareness is key because plus-size women are not being seen as romantic leads. In fact, they say that most roles are stereotypical “funny girls,” “best friends” and “moms” with the exception of well-known productions like Hairspray. This frustrates them because, even in Hairspray, Tracy Turnblad’s role is based on her weight. The same is true, they say, about Shrill, though they love the show.
Descriptions used in the industry are also disheartening to them. For example, casting directors will call for a slim, beautiful actress who must also be a size 2. And, while they acknowledge that more roles are being created for plus-size women (such as a curvy secretary or a curvy barista), it’s still rare.
In forming the group, they made a decision not to use the term ‘plus-size’ in their public efforts. “‘Curvy’ just felt more positive and more encompassing,” says Dater. That said, anyone who feels like they belong is welcome to join the group’s efforts.
While the initial idea of the CAC involved actresses, the group has now expanded to include artists of all types. “Writers, directors, musicians … all these different types of artists where we can kind of collaborate together and maybe make art together,” says Baez. “We realized that there are so many types of artists, and we all face discrimination in one way or another.”
The response has been extremely favorable. “Right away there was just this huge response of ‘this is so neat and thank you so much for doing this,’” says Dater.
The women hope that in the future they will have members from more countries around the world (they currently have some European members). In addition, they want to have events in multiple cities and use the group as a way to connect artists to create projects together. They also hope to get big-name artists to join.
About the Author: Mary Beth Cooper is the founder and CEO of Curvicality. After getting an MBA, she dedicated her life to creating media that celebrates bodies of all sizes. In her spare time, she can be found hanging out with her fur kids (Gabbana and Taber), taking a Peloton ride or run (her favorite hobby), catching up with friends and spending time with family. She’s a lover of all things sparkle and lace. She can be reached at: Marybeth@curvicality.com
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