In conversation with Faith Yiminyi: Beyond the learning: a Churchill Fellowship’s lifelong influence

This is certainly true of Faith Yiminyi, who was awarded her Fellowship in 2009. Although her career trajectory has now taken a different course, and she has family commitments with two young daughters, the learning she took from her Fellowship remains with her and informs her day-to-day life.

At 21, Faith was one of our younger Fellows, when she undertook her travels to the United States.

“Now when I think back, I can’t believe how young I was heading to the States, eager to explore best practice and bring back insights that could truly inspire young people in London,” says Faith. “I find it hard to believe my Fellowship was over 15 years ago now – so much has happened since.”

Faith’s Fellowship was focused on dance. Motivated by her deep passion for dance, and at the time running her own dance company, Faith’s purpose was to learn how successful dance companies could thrive, not just in terms of longevity, but in creating meaningful impact. She wanted to discover how dance companies could provide access and opportunities for young people with few chances; to see how dance could open doors for children, build confidence, and enrich communities.

Through the Fellowship, Faith also wanted to improve her own dancing by learning new styles and working with professional choreographers. Ultimately, she hoped to find new ideas for her company in London and learn lasting ways to inspire young people in her community.

Faith credits the support she had from a mentor – a dance teacher, Chris Hibbert – who saw her passion for dance and encouraged her. She started volunteering with a dance company when she was 16, eventually taking it over. It was Chris who encouraged Faith to apply for her Fellowship.

“I don’t know what he saw in me,” Faith says, “but he believed in me and pushed me to take that leap. Dance had opened up so much for me, and I wanted to pass that on to others.”

Faith’s time in the United States reinforced her belief that dance should be for everyone.

“It was so open and welcoming. You didn’t have to sign up for the whole term or buy expensive uniform! You could just drop in, pay a few dollars and be part of something beautiful! Classes were full of every age group, from children and adults, and the styles were varied as well, with hip hop and house given the same respect as ballet and contemporary. They brought dance into the community with no limits on who could join or how you expressed yourself. That inclusivity showed me how powerful dance could be when the doors were thrown open wide.”

Life after a Churchill Fellowship

Since her Fellowship, Faith’s career has taken a different direction.

“I was very young running my dance school, but it was difficult financially, and so when the opportunity came up to train as a social worker, I decided to take it.”

While dance then took a backseat, many of the skills Faith had honed through her Fellowship, along with her innate drive and determination, came to the fore.

“As a social worker, I felt like I was still following my passion, which was to help people. The timing was also good, as a lot of my young dancers had matured and some had even gone on to opportunities like the BBC and The Brits, so I was happy to make the change.”

Faith spent ten years in forensic and mental health social work. Recently, she has made another change, this time becoming a consultant in cyber security – still safeguarding and protecting people, but in a digital space.

And dance is now back in her life, as she is a board member of a community dance studio, and once again sharing her dance experience, on a voluntary basis.

Married with two daughters, Faith is also bringing her love of dance to family life.

“My eldest, recently diagnosed with autism, has flourished through music and movement, which has been transformative for her focus and confidence. My youngest is also eager to start classes.”

Faith believes there is a common thread running through all her choices, which she attributes to her Fellowship.

“It’s about helping people, supporting people and bringing what I have learnt to others. I still want to dance but I am looking at ways of doing this around my schedule. I’m not dancing myself, but it’s never been about me, it’s about bringing dance to people. And now I see how dance has helped my daughter, I would like one day to look at how the arts can help people with disabilities, by giving open access in a way that is inclusive and easy.”

One day, Faith hopes to set up another dance school and will once again use her Fellowship learning as the foundation.

“The Fellowship was so pivotal in my life, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity.”