The East London Scholarship - Yewande's story

The UCL East London Scholarship supports the ambitions of east Londoners by funding the fees and living costs for masters programmes offered here at East, as well as certain school of management courses.  

A recent recipient of the scholarship is the multitalented Yewande Adeniran who is also known by their artist name Ifeoluwa. They are a multidisciplinary artist, writer, mentor and academic.  

As a DJ, their focus is on fusing together global drum-heavy sonics, the darker side of UK club music, and abstract left-field techno to take club sets by storm. They have supported the likes of Objekt, Batu, mumdance, SHYBOI, LSDXOXO, I.JORDAN, Umfang, Helena Hauff and Giant Swan amongst many others, as well as international gigs and numerous sold-out headline shows across the UK.  

Yewande is also well known for heading up INTERVENTION, the DJ and production workshop that travels the country offering a welcoming space for women and all marginalised people to come together and celebrate all things dance. You can learn more about INTERVENTION with their recent Resident Advisor Exchange Podcast and contributions to the ongoing DJ Mag Selections series. 

Yewande recently was admitted to ESRC MRes and Phd with full funding in the area of Public Anthropology. The funding has allowed them to take on board study they had previously thought impossible. We recently sat down with Yewande to talk about the impact of the scholarship.  

Interview with Yewande

Tell us about the scholarship and what It’s facilitated. 

This September I’m starting my PhD journey in Anthropology. In 2023, I began the MA in Ethnographic and Documentary film within the Public Anthropology department. It’s a programme I’ve been wanting to pursue for the last 5 years but unfortunately was unable to for financial reasons. I was fortunate to be awarded one of the inaugural East London Scholarships which allowed me both the creative and financial ability to be able to combine my artistic practice with my academic pursuits.  

“I was fortunate to be awarded one of the inaugural East London Scholarships which allowed me both the creative and financial ability to be able to combine my artistic practice with my academic pursuits. 

What sort of things did you get up to in the Masters? 

During the MA, I directed and edited 3 films, all of which have now been shown at festivals here in the U.K., in Estonia and have screened at the Turner Gallery. Experimental film is often at the margins but with the support of the brilliant studio leads, edit tutors and personal support from the scholarship convener, I accomplished more than I ever thought I would.  

Can you tell us more about your creative practice?  

Outside of university, my creative practice centres around my work as a DJ, activist for true inclusion for marginalised people in the music industry, audio-visual installations and as a cultural critic writer discussing everything from politics to club culture to climate change.  

Any final thoughts? 

Beginning the MRes & PhD in Anthropology as one of the new ESRC studentship recipients has facilitated my career within academia to begin, with my research topic furthering my love for electronic music with my interests in labour dynamics within nightlife.  

Inspired by Yewande’s story? Find out more about the East London Scholarship and whether it can help you in achieving your academic goals.