Testimonials

Working with Funmi on the script and structural elements of the production has been wonderful. She has an in-depth knowledge of new writing, classical writing structures but also has a grounding in dance having trained and worked as a performer across both disciplines. She has questioned and challenged us to think about why we made certain creative decisions defining the climaxs in the work and making sure that the characters voice and intention is constantly articulated whether through movement or text. I have learnt new skills and tools in directing and structuring a piece of dance theatre.

… your ability to come into a strong team with relationships already formed and be a part of it, and not a ‘energy’ coming in to take over/dictate, is a valuable skill. You paid attention to the schedule and worked within the time allocated, and knew when to move on from one area to another. Whilst signing off each scene with a review and a potential to-do list for later sessions. I was empowered by you to make the production I wanted to make and felt a genuine respect for my role as Creative Director and Choreographer. 

This is to thank you formally for taking the time to design and facilitate dance and movement workshops in support of our project; ‘Who Can Tell?’, a collaborative total theatre piece. We appreciate very much, the insight you brought to bear on the work and your contributions to how we created some of the stage pictures and movement that later came to characterise the finished work. The piece was performed in Northampton and Wellingborough and was well received by the public. We hope to request your contribution in the future when we return to the second phase of the project.

'Funmi played an extremely important role in our being able to do a readaption of our piece with very limited time, and I'm positive that the result would have been much different, definitely less effective, without her. As well as being a much-needed outside eye for us, she offered us alternative points of view, got us out of our heads, and pushed us along when we were stuck. I think 'Funmi is extremely talented at supporting, without wanting to overimpose, and with her keen eye and spot-on intuition, can absolutely help you to more clearly realise your creative vision. We were really grateful for her!

‘Funmi served as a coach and advisor in my project that was about a dance cultural encounter between my ballet based practise and Dancehall. She was very helpful in setting up a framework in which we could engage playfully with the different movement languages and dance cultures, prioritizing curiosity and the individual experience, while still holding space for discord and tension. With a great variety of proposals for physical exercises often accompanied with inspiring personal anecdotes, ‘Funmi generously shared from her repertoire of experience and sparked my process with her charismatic presence.

In the landscape of my artistic journey, Funmi stands as both lighthouse and fertile ground, illuminating paths forward while nurturing the deepest roots of my creative expression. 

As a dramaturge for my first solo performance Ceci n’est pas Noire, she possessed that rare ability to see both what my work was and what it could become, guiding me through the delicate process of finding authentic voice at the intersection of my African and European heritage.

What sets Funmi apart is her unique constellation of knowledge as performer, academic, historian, and facilitator, all of which she applies with exceptional generosity and clear insight.

Her profound understanding of Black dance traditions opened entirely new dimensions to my practice, challenging me to reconsider movements I had taken for granted and to explore untapped cultural resonances within my body.

Throughout my career, Funmi has been an invaluable advisor, continuously helping me shift perspectives and deepen my artistic inquiry. Her academic rigour, combined with her lived experience as a creator, makes her guidance exceptionally balanced, intellectually stimulating yet practically grounded.

Perhaps most importantly, Funmi creates space for artists to discover their most authentic expressions. In our work together, I never felt pushed toward predetermined outcomes, but rather supported in uncovering my own truths.

This testimonial merely scratches the surface of her impact on my development as an artist and the invaluable contribution she continues to make to dance across cultural contexts.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Working with Funmi has been truly eye-opening and nurturing. What always amazed me was her clear understanding of what my challenges were. Giving both food for thought and clear tools to move forward…

'Funmi’s dramaturgical advice was exactly what I needed to redraft my script 2:1. As a theatre playwright working within Physical Theatre and Dance, I found Funmi’s understanding of both mediums was invaluable. I would recommend Funmi to practitioners writing for performance working across different genres of the performance. Funmi’s clear understanding of play structure and dramatic technique I have found to be very encouraging and I hope to work with her again in the near future.

‘Funmi Adewole allowed me to stretch my creative ideas and feed my curiosity. She supported me in challenging my work, pushing my research practice and experimentation further, whilst respecting my ideas, in order for my work to be authentic. She is a reliable collaborator with a great eye, an open mind, superb articulation and a clear focus on the work. A pleasure to work with!

'Funmi recently worked as our dramaturge on CLAY, a collaboration with Asha Thomas, Guillermo Guillén, and myself. This experience proved to be a real privilege for me. 'Funmi's vivid and brilliant imaginatio,n as well as her power for story telling guided and helped define our work in every way. She was also able to give us real confidence in our work whilst at the same time probing us to question and understand our choices. 'Funmi is also very efficient, direct and practical when needed, which meant that we felt in very safe hands to keep us on track with our work and development! I wish I could always have her as part of my creative processes.

I'd have never heard of a dramaturg before, so I truly didn't know what to expect with I was getting to meet with Dr. 'Funmi. I was open to the process and I am so grateful I was. She saw greatness in my project and in me. She questioned , suggested and supported me to dive deeper and to see the depth of my Short Film from all angles. I am now able to move forward with a clear eye towards my project and be prepared for what's to come. Dr. 'Funmi allowed me to see past the right now, and has prepared me for the completion of my Short Film with success.

Her (‘Funmi’s) knowledge of dramaturgy also broadened my perspective on performance

curation. I am now able to approach curating with a deeper awareness of the narrative

frameworks that shape audience engagement—insights that are not commonly explored in

my home context of Trinidad and Tobago. This has been essential in refining the way I design

performances to reflect my own cultural lens, bridging the gap between technical mastery

and storytelling rooted in lived experience. Dr. Adewole-Elliott’s teaching is profoundly

immersive, participatory and relational, cultivating an environment where I felt confident to

explore and experiment. She also provided me with a practical toolkit for facilitating diverse

groups, which has not only enhanced my facilitation skills but also increased my capacity to

foster inclusive and meaningful engagement in my own workshops and performances.