Fifteen-year-old, Imani Miller, is on a mission to nurture her talents and develop the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to lead as a changemaker. With this passion, Miller is working to represent Trinidad and Tobago at two leading international fora, the All Dance America (ADA) Championship in September 2024 in Panamá and the Change the World Model United Nations (CWMUN) New York Conference in March 2025 in New York (NY). To get to Panamá and NY, the young artist, supported by her mother, Liza Miller, has launched a fundraising campaign, #SupportManisMission.
In early July, Miller was awarded a merit-based grant to attend the CWMUN Programme at the Change the World Academy. As a Delegate Member of the international academy, the aspiring youth leader will benefit from tutorship and mentorship in geopolitics, social and political sciences, and international and economic relations. The educational programme, which commenced on August 7, 2024, will culminate with the four-day CWMUN NY Conference at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, New York, from March 20 to 23, 2025. At the conference, each Delegate Member will represent an assigned country, present a position paper and engage in debates as they vie for the coveted title of Best Delegate.
Also in July, Miller was selected to join the competitive Hip Hop and Afrobeat dance crews of the urban dance company, Xtreme Dance Academy (XDA). From September 18 to 25, 2024, the dancer will have the opportunity to travel to Panamá to compete in harmony with her teammates as top athletes at ADA, one of the largest dance championships globally.
In 2017, Miller began experiencing severe health challenges, which introduced a plethora of symptoms including digestive, neurological and endocrinological issues, resulting from underlying autoimmune conditions. Despite her debilitating health situation, which has compromised her day-to-day life for significant periods, Miller’s resilient, resourceful and persevering nature has fuelled her ability to rise above her circumstances to achieve notable academic and extracurricular accomplishments.
The young lady aims to use her art forms in dance, music, drama, visual and digital art, animation, spoken word and writing to inspire love, empathy, compassion and positivity. Driven by an undeniable compulsion and propensity to express herself creatively, Miller uses her art as a vehicle for social commentary and to effect change. Her meticulous nature motivates her to pursue the highest standards in her art forms, as she seeks truth and strives to inspire love and harmony.
The artist commenced formal training in the performing arts at the age of two and has amassed 12+ years of performance experience. She has benefitted from dance training in ballet, modern contemporary, tap, Hip Hop and Afrobeat, and music training in steel pan, piano, recorder, guitar, drum kit and African drums. Over the years, her tutors and mentors have included Noble Douglas, Heather Henderson-Gordon, Dr. Patricia Dardaine-Ragguet, Everald ‘Redman’ Watson, Kern Devonish, Mikhail Salcedo, Charlene Harris, Karen Darricades, Irénée Shaw, Shannon Alonzo, Arielle John, Veronique Francois and Hamid Rahman.
Most recently, on July 2, 2024, she won the second-place award in the Ministry of National Security’s Counter Trafficking Unit‘s national spoken word competition, Voices Against Human Trafficking, with the performance of the original piece, Modern-Day Slavery. In addition, she made her spoken-word, performance debut at Girl Be Heard Trinidad and Tobago’s (GBHTT’s) April 14th poetry showcase, Meditations on Light, followed by a performance at GBHTT’s July production, Activated for Change.
As a single parent of two managing the chronic autoimmune conditions of Miller and herself, the artist’s mother has found it necessary to initiate the fundraising venture as she strives to do her utmost to help her daughter engage in these valuable international experiences. To learn more about Miller’s story or how to donate in either US, Euro, Canadian or TT dollars, join Imani’s Facebook (FB) event page and follow her fundraising journey at http://bit.ly/SupportManisMission or visit http://bit.ly/SupportManisMissionHowToDonate or email iimaniism@estuaryPR.com or liza@estuaryPR.com or call/WhatsApp +1 (868) 367-5295. To connect with the artist on Instagram (IG), FB, TikTok and YouTube, follow @iimaniism.
WHAT: #SupportManisMission Fundraising Campaign
WHO: Imani Miller and Liza Miller
WHEN: Ongoing
WHERE: http://bit.ly/SupportManisMission
DONATIONS: http://bit.ly/SupportManisMissionHowToDonate
The Trinidad and Tobago Performing Arts Network 