In a pioneering partnership arts project AYYO Contemporary Art www.ayyo-art.com has worked closely with The Theatre Chipping Norton to mentor a group of five young artists from the region to mount their first exhibition at The Theatre Chipping Norton. For the exhibition, called ʻHigh Seas and Palm Treesʼ, the young artists have responded to the 2016 panto ʻRobinson Crusoe and the Pirate Queenʼ and made colourful prints, animation, ceramics and even a musical soundtrack.
The young artists were given unique access to rehearsals, script and set designs to help them with planning their artworks.
They have made their own animated website too www.illustory.eu

ILLUSTORY EU is the name of the youth project and offers professional development for young artists, illustrators and games designers from Oxfordshire.
The theme of the project is discovering stories and young artists are encouraged to delve into the literary works that are emblematic of their own cultures. They consider why they are so loved and make contemporary visual responses to them and it is hoped, vision new stories together. The project began in July this year with the young artists making art works in response to Carrollʼs much beloved fantasy novel ʻAlice in Wonderlandʼ. Their work was shown in Oxford to coincide with the annual Aliceʼs Day events.

The project is led by AYYO Creative Director Clare Carswell and mentoring by artists, illustrators and publishers in order to learn the skills required to work as arts professionals, as well as networking and exhibition opportunities is offered to the young participating artists.

The young artists currently on the project feel they have gained so much from it that they plan to develop a network to reach out to other young arts graduates in rural areas and invite them to get involved. Future plans for ILLUSTORY EU include an exhibition in Oxford next July to coincide with Aliceʼs Day 2017 and then to work with young artists and arts organizations in the Netherlands and other countries on collaborative projects.