For the second successive year, Suffolk Artlink is to run an Artist’s Residency based a University Campus Suffolk to enable collaboration between professional artists and a group of young adult carers from Suffolk Family Carers.

The project launches on anuary 24 and will run until March.

It gives young adult carers the opportunity to explore their creative potential by helping to create high quality art alongside two professional artists within the School of Art and Humanities at UCS.

The scheme, called Exchanges 2, is part of TESTBED - a creative programme of pilot projects run by Suffolk Artlink and funded by Arts Council England Grants for the Arts which was set up to ensure that more people engage in excellent, inspirational arts activity.

Jenny Holland Suffolk Artlink’s project development officer, said: “Last year we succeeded on so many levels with the young adult carers and the dance artist, Shane Shambhu, who they had chosen to work with. It helped the young carers develop their creativity, grow as people, to feel good about themselves and helped them to tackle underlying fears that were holding them back in their daily lives. We are sure that this year’s participants will benefit in the same way.”

This year’s professional artists are Colchester based Lisa Temple-Cox and Natasha Carsberg.

Natasha and Lisa went through a rigorous interview process with eight of the 15 young adult carers they will be working with. They competed with three other talented applicants, which was not an easy choice for the carers.

The carers were impressed by their joint application and excited by the way in which they work. Lisa uses elements of drawing, making assemblage and installation which questions fixed notions of identity and being which often has a narrative quality, with or without words.

Natasha makes site specific artworks and is stimulated by meeting new people and exploring new landscapes. Much of her work is inspired by seeing things through another person’s eyes. A sense of place is a key theme that runs through both the artist’s work.

In weekly sessions, the artists and carers will work in the Atrium Studios at UCS Ipswich where they will they will collaborate and experiment with a range of media. Their ideas and experience will develop over the months and will culminate with an exhibition to celebrate their work at The Atrium Studios on April 4 2014.

Carol Gant, UCS Arts and Humanities External Coordinator, said: “The energy and enthusiasm of the artists and young people involved is infectious. This project not only gives young people the opportunity to work with professional artists and learn new skills, but it also introduces them to the excellent arts facilities at UCS.”

Other UCS students outside of the UCS School of Art and Humanities will be encouraged to be part of the project and will be invited to attend interactive sessions in art making and public lectures. A professional placement for a UCS art student to work alongside the artists and carers will be offered.

The carers will be given the chance to go on a cultural visit of their choice. Last year’s carers chose to go to the Tate Modern in London.

More information available at www.suffolkartlink.org.uk