The Festival of Confidence will take place at Lyric in Hammersmith London and will provide a safe space for all women over 18, including Trans, non-binary and intersex to focus on building and celebrating their confidence.

Yolanda Copes-Stepney founder & director of  all-female digital agency Speak&Do, created the event to highlight the importance of confidence, self-esteem, wellbeing and mental health for women. The festival invites women to celebrate and support each other at a day filled with masterclasses, workshops, talks and panel discussions all themed around building confidence and empowering women.

The London-based event aims to bring together a diverse group of women representing a variety of communities and activities include:

• Panel talks: Body image, wellbeing, mental health, mindfulness and more…
• Career advice
• Financial advice
• Self-care for anxiety
• Bra fittings and body confidence workshops
• Flirting and dating workshop
• Meditation and mindfulness
• Makeup masterclass

Speakers and guests include:

• Cate Mackenzie – Love Coach, Psychosexual Therapist and Couples Counsellor
• Cherry Shakewell – Burlesque Performer
• Cici Coleman – TV Personality
• Em Deacon – Motivational Speaker & Former NHS Doctor with Stage 4 Cancer
• Jayde Pierce – MUA & Beauty Influencer
• Jini Reddy – Journalist & Author
• Katie Weir – Curvy Kate’s Bra Whisperer & Body Image Activist
• Lais Martins Waring – DJ
• Lucy Jackson – Activist & Actress
• Natasha Bjoerndal – The Careerist – Career & Life Coach
• Rafeeka Love – Model & Skincare Writer
• Sangeeta Pillai – Writer and Owner of Soul Sutras
• Sarah Vogel – Leadership Coach
• Sarupa Shah – Entrepreneur
• Shakira Akabusi – Athlete
• Tamar Jeynes – Lived Experience Practitioner
• Zoe Manyonda – Your Space Yoga Club
• And more…

Founder, Yolanda Copes-Stepney said, “I created the event due to my own confidence being affected by drastic life changes. I had a difficult few years, where in the space of 21 months, I lost nine members of family and my long-term relationship ended, but I had a new business to run and responsibilities, so couldn’t take a break.

I have always been incredibly confident, but grief from bereavement and heartbreak really took a toll on my self-esteem and mental health. I had to learn to motivate myself through a trying time and was lucky enough to be surrounded by women who made it their mission to build my confidence until I was back to normal myself.

I want to bring women together in an environment that can build and give the gift of confidence. We are starting off small, but I hope this is the first of many Festivals of Confidence. Women don’t need to be taught to band together, it’s something we do naturally and this is a real way to celebrate that.”