Teach Inspire Create Conference 2025: Eunice Olumide MBE

Eunice Olumide MBE was only 15 years old when she was scouted whilst shopping on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow. In the years that followed, she was transported from the streets of Scotland and stationed onto the glossy covers of Vogue, the runways of Paris fashion week, the airwaves of BBC’s radio shows and even our TV screens. Self-described as an alchemist multihyphenate – Eunice has perfected each element of her creative persona. Born to Nigerian parents in Edinburgh, Eunice’s titles stretch beyond her MBE – she is Scotland’s first Black supermodel; but she is also an academic, an activist, an actress, an art curator and even a DJ who toured with the likes of Grace Jones and Skepta.

Across all these fields, Eunice has built a career defined by social justice and a commitment to moving culture forward. It’s this depth and variation of experience that makes her an especially exciting voice for our community – and why we are thrilled to welcome her as a keynote speaker at UAL Awarding Body’s Teach Inspire Create Conference this November!

We reached out to Eunice to find out more about her creative journey:

Our annual conference is titled ‘Teach, Inspire, Create’. What do these words mean to you personally?

For me, personally, the words Teach, Inspire and Create represent an opportunity to take all of the unique insights, experience, knowledge - the losses, wins and the lessons that I have collected over the years and share them in a way that truly enriches and elevates others around me. So that we may all move as one to higher levels of understanding. as well as grow and contribute to our existing foundations. With this we can then tap into our creativity from a place that is deeply informed, since I believe, what we create always starts in the mind through inspiration. What you can dream, I feel you can create in real life.

How has education, both formal and informal, shaped your journey across the multiple creative disciplines you’ve taken part in?

For me, education, both formal and informal, has significantly shaped all of the creative disciplines. I first started out in the arts professionally around the age of 15, I then started attending University at 16. What I studied brought me not only absolute and clear focus, but a further understanding of my art and indeed what I choose to do with my life, at both a micro and macro level. It made me aware of things like geo-politics, neo-colonialism and capitalism as well as how the past has shaped our future. It gave me an obtuse understanding of the world around me, of commerce and business. It actually showed me that I do live in a world which is a global one. Subsequently, it fundamentally shaped and influenced the way that I engage with my art. Therefore, at an early age I decided and accepted that I may not be the most wealthy or the most famous because I wanted to prioritize integrity and my own beliefs around social justice into my art. For me, that was more important than commercial or monetary success. Education helped me to focus on what I felt was important; how can I move the culture forward? How can I affect my community positively and how can I influence the world in a way that I felt aligned with my own personal beliefs and integrity?

What changes or trends in the creative industries are you most excited about right now? And what do you think young creatives will need to succeed in the years ahead?

I think that we're living in a time where we're moving towards a technocracy. In many ways that is deeply concerning, particularly when we look at the impact of how AI is affecting our workspace, but at the same time exciting because it offers a rare opportunity for human beings to do what they do best, which is to use their unique intellect and imagination. I really think the only answer is becoming multifaceted. I believe it is essential, particularly as a creative person, in order to succeed in the years ahead.

How do you approach blending activism with creativity?

For me, I see no disassociation or dislocation between my activism and my creativity. Everything I do is one. As humans I feel we seek comfort in compartmentalisation. We can look at life and break down the days of the year into singular units, into months, into weeks. However, that's not really reality. It's not the way that nature works. Nature is one continuous flow and for me I look at my life in the same way.

What’s next on the horizon for you, and how do you continue to find inspiration?

Next for me on the horizon is producing and directing more TV, documentary and films, as well as continuing to run my art gallery. I also have a musical album coming out next year in 2026, which I'm extremely excited about. I continue to find inspiration in so many ways by constantly challenging myself through learning new cultures and languages, by travelling and by seeing the world. Spending time with my family is another big one for me, I think that becoming a new mum has completely transformed and enriched me. It has totally changed my entire perception of life in ways that I can't put into words. I also realised through it that I am probably operating about 10% of my full potential, so I cannot wait to see what lies ahead. For more information about this year’s Teach Inspire Create Conference, visit the page below!