Arts Northern Rivers would like to officially congratulate our ArtStart Northern Rivers 2011 Young Creatives for all of their achievements. Each and every one of them has produced some amazing results. We hope you'll join with us in celebrating their success and wishing them all the best in the next stages of their careers...

Here are their stories, in the same order as their snaps above, from top left to right.

Writer Clare Douglas has written a 60,000 word young adult novel, and also had a short story that she co-wrote with mentor Martin Chatterton selected for publication in a new anthology coming soon from Random House.

Music producer/ DJ Jack Tinning has delved into electronic music production, producing several new songs and mastering the use of electronic music equipment and computer programs with the help of mentor Randolf Reimann.

Fashion designer Jaz Who's big achievement came early in the program when she showed a range of her wearable art at the Out of the Box Fashion Extravaganza. Since then she has taken on the role of President of Nimbin Fashion and has designed another range for the Nimbin Fashion Show. Jaz was mentored by Wendy Powitt.

Fashion accessories creator Lily Noakes has been busy working on the branding for her small business, designing a logo and registering her business name. She has also made a variety of bags, purses and jewellery, with some expert help from mentors Anne Leon and Potts.

Filmmaker Alex King wrote, filmed and edited a poetic film on the theme of happiness, based around his recent experiences in Fiji. And with some healthy prompting from mentor Carli Leimbach, found his voice as a filmmaker.

Singer/songwriter Eliza McLeod has worked closely with mentors Melia and Nerida Naughton from Scarlett Affection, focusing on her performance and stagecraft. During the program she played support at a number of gigs, and has since secured her own regular performance over the summer. Eliza was also highly placed in Triple J's Unearthed High competition.

Street artist Marcus Upton (not pictured here) partnered with mentor Emma Harrison to work on The Tunnel drawing project in Lismore. He also produced several new street art works and several works on canvas.

Dancer/choreographer Ruby Teather worked closely with mentor Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal to develop her technique and understanding of dance, and to choreograph an original dance piece, which she performed at the ArtStart Showcase.

Singer/songwriter Danika Smith has had a whirlwind of success since the ArtStart program began. She wrote the song 'Oh Father' just in the nick of time and made it to the top six finalists in Triple J's Unearthed High competition. As a result she has received considerable radio airplay and has performed at Triple J 'Kingdom of Little Empires Concert'. Under the guidance of her mentor Karen Hanna, she has written and recorded several new songs and has been approached regarding a possible recording deal.

Installation artist Jacob Fitzroy produced a short film on climate change and mastered specialist technology to project it as a largescale installation on the exterior wall of the Dendy Cinema, at a special event held last weekend. He was guided in his introduction to this new larger than life experience by mentor Karena Wynn-Moylan.

Sculptor Mel Robin has developed several new works under the guidance of mentor John Dahlsen, who challenged her processes and asked the hard questions that she feels will inform her work for years to come. During the program she has exhibited at Byron Bay Writers' Festival Sculpture Show, the Coraki Art Prize and Sculpture in the Paddock, Bangalow.

Visual artist and photographer, Ria Tierney was co-mentored by Bernadette Curtin and Fran Flynn. During the program she shot a photographic history of the town of Bonalbo, produced a new series of drawings and secured an internship at the Australian War Memorial Gallery in Canberra. One of her new drawings was awarded second prize in a recent art prize at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery Ballina.

Congratulations to each and every one of you!!

Of course, the ArtStart Northern Rivers Young Creatives Mentoring Project would not have been possible without our amazing mentors.

A big thanks to: Anne Leon, Bernadette Curtin, Carli Leimbach, Emma Harrison, Fran Flynn, Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal, John Dahlsen, Karen Hanna, Karena Wynn Moylan, Martin Chatterton, Potts, Melia and Nerida Naughton from Scarlett Affection, Randolf Reimann and Wendy Powitt.