Forty-nine young artists from around Australia were announced as participants in the 2011 JUMP national mentoring program for young and emerging artists.

As Australia’s largest artist mentoring program, JUMP promotes artistic excellence and champions the early careers of our future arts industry leaders.

The number of 2011 mentorships well exceeds the number delivered last year, and participants cross a broad range of artforms from community arts and theatre to Indigenous arts, music, visual arts, dance, literature, interdisciplinary and hybrid art.

Run nationally by Youth Arts Queensland, the program is funded by the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, as part of its Opportunities for Young and Emerging Artists initiative.

Youth Arts Queensland collaborates with Carclew Youth Arts (SA), Propel Youth Arts WA, CarriageWorks (NSW) and Melbourne Fringe (VIC), who oversee the program for local artists and their mentors.

Julie Woodward, CEO for Youth Arts Queensland, said that that JUMP’s national profile, and the substantial artistic and career outcomes demonstrated by the first round of JUMP mentees, attracted more applications to the competitive program.

"This year, we’re thrilled to welcome artists representing all of the Australia Council’s artform areas, with mentees hailing from all states and territories, along with mentors from across the country and internationally," said Julie Woodward.

Mentee and aspiring ACT textile artist, Amy Kerr, is looking to extend her love of traditional Japanese ‘katazome’ practice by creating hand-dyed works and working through a series of short intensive sessions with mentor, Keiko Kawashima, Director of GalleryGallery and Kyoto International Contemporary Textile Art Centre.

Another mentee, Queensland emerging theatre director and playwright Michelle Miall will complete multiple drafts of a new work in a creative development process, mentored closely by Queensland Theatre Company’s renowned incoming Artistic Director, Wesley Enoch.

Profiles of 2011 JUMP participants and more program information can be found on the Jump website.


Applications are open to Australian artists, aged 18– 0 and in the first five years of their professional practice, across all Australia Council artform areas and from all geographical and cultural backgrounds.

Further mentorship places will  also be available in 2012.