A community arts project designed to bring together people from different backgrounds and cultures in Ipswich has been launched.

Ipswich deputy mayor Bill Quinton was joined by councillors in marking the launch of the ‘Eye for Ipswich’ community printmaking initiative at the Ipswich Furniture Project store in St Matthews Street.

The pop-up arts project, which has taken over a section of the shop, aims to bring together people from different cultures and backgrounds in the Norwich Road area.

The project will culminate in a professionally curated exhibition of work at Ipswich County Library in Northgate Street.

The exhibition will display images of the town “as seen through the eyes of others”, according to Alison Smyth, director of Oyster Community Press, the arts organisation delivering the project.

She said: “Behind the shop front, some 24 people from 12 nationalities have been having fun, learning the common visual language of printmaking, alongside art students from two schools.

“The standard of artwork being created by our project participants is amazing and we are looking forward to inviting the public to an entertaining and informative exhibition of printmaking that will show Ipswich in new lights to hundreds of people.

“We are grateful to our project partners at the Ipswich Furniture Project and the Ipswich County Library and to our funders, which are the Central Area Committee of the Borough Council, the National Lottery through Arts Council England and councillors Inga Lockington, Sarah Adams, Kathy Bole, Mandy Gaylard and Bill Quinton from Suffolk County Council.”

The Ipswich Furniture Project charity provides affordable and good quality furniture to households.

The public arts exhibition created by the Eye for Ipswich project launches at the library on June 24.