TODAY’S the day when seven ACT artists are inducted into an Australian artists’ mentoring program managed by Youth Arts Queensland – and at last the ACT has not been ignored.

Seventy-five young and emerging artists nationally have been matched with arts professionals with whom they will work for the next 10 months as part of the 2012 JUMP National Mentoring Program.

Funded by the Australia Council for the Arts as part of its program of support for young and emerging artists, JUMP provides an unusual opportunity for artists to advance their careers and to make their mark.

One partner organisation is the Canberra Contemporary Art Space, whose director, David Broker, enthused, “the announcement of successful JUMP applicants is always the source of great excitement for me and for the first time this year the ACT has its own batch of bright young things”.

On the list is 25-year-old silversmith Alison Jackson from Turner, who will be mentored by German silversmith Maike Dahl.

“It is an amazing opportunity for me to develop and refine my technical skills with the guidance and assistance from an internationally successful silversmith,” she says, explaining that her JUMP project will involve creating a body of functional tableware pieces incorporating both flatware and vessels.

For information about JUMP, visit www.jumpmentoring.com.au

[box]The full list of ACT artists in the program is:

Alison Jackson (visual arts) – mentor: Maike Dahl (Germany)

Andy Butler (music) – mentor: Steve Newcomb (USA)

Emma Gibson (literature, theatre) – mentor: Colette F. Keen (NSW)

Katie Senior (community arts, dance, theatre) – mentor: Liz Lea (ACT)

Kimberley Gaal (literature) – mentor: Kaaron Warren (ACT)

Rafael Jerjen (music) – mentor: Bill Cunliffe (USA)

Sarah Tamara Kaur (dance, interdisciplinary arts, visual arts) – mentor: Samuel James (NSW) [/box]