Curated by Jo O'Toole (Mentor) & Melody Suranyi (Mentee)

The NAS Mentorship Pairings for 2026

Mentor – Mentee

Clare Weeks - Tara Barrington

Dani Marti - Montserrat De La Garza

Deirdre Bean - Chloe Hooper

Hannah Cheetham - Simone Pilla

Holly Macdonald - Emma Guthrey

Izabela Pluta - Michela Ciulla

Michelle Teear - Emily Rose

Patricia Wilson Adams - Eira Chidgey

Wyan McAllister - Mahalia Leckner

Anne Kempton - Lauren Wiltshire

Lezlie Tilley - Den Milenkovic

Synergy is the theme and title of this year’s Newcastle Art Space Mentorship Exhibition—a celebration of the transformative power of creative connection. Derived from the Greek word synergos, meaning “working together,” synergy reflects the idea that when people combine their talents, ideas and experiences, they can achieve far more together than they could alone.

Collaboration has been at the heart of this year’s mentorship journey, bringing creatives together through shared learning, support and creative exchange. Together, we joined the program with a desire to learn, share knowledge, and grow while inspiring one another.

 The exhibition Synergy reflects the connections, conversations and discoveries made along the way. Emerging from this collaborative experience is an exhibition filled with energy, creativity and passion. 

Images on this page include Holly Macdonald & Emma Guthrey with detail of ceramic by Holly Mcdonald, Patricia Wilson Adams & Eira Chidgey with detail of collaborative work by the artists plus work by Chloe Hooper entitled Morphoiris Acrylic on board 20.5 x 33 cm