Twenty of the country’s emerging talents benefited from a week of intensive mentoring with some of Australia’s top artists at ANU last month as part of the 2010 Australian Talented Youth (ATY) Project.

The ATY Project provided a multi-arts mentoring program for young artists to develop their skills across a range of areas including music, dance, visual art, creative writing, film production and drama. Students were paired with well-known artists including pianist Dr Geoffrey Lancaster, soprano Louise Page, jazz musician John Mackey and filmmaker Che Baker.

The ten-day program developed the skills and talents of young people coming from mostly regional areas of Australia who would not normally have access to established artistic networks and training opportunities.

Graduates from past programs have been accepted to perform with the Bangara Dance Theatre and more recently with Cirque du Soleil. Students have also been accepted to study at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAPPA), the ANU School of Music and the ANU School of Art.

Dr Jolanta Gallagher from the ANU School of Music, and ATY Project Executive Director and Founder, said that for many students, the week represented an once-in-a-lifetime chance to work with professional artists.

“This program not only remediates the effects of social dislocation and geographical isolation of young emerging Australian artists, but also provides young people with invaluable guidance and advice related to their creative endeavours,” Dr Gallagher said.

The culmination of the student’s efforts from across the week was a public performance at The Street Theatre during January.

（www.eduwo.com, Anna）