TWO best friends will spend a month immersed in and working at a world-famous Italian art exhibition.

Later this year fine arts students at the University of Cumbria, Aimee McCallum, 22, and Lauren Wilson, 24, will spend a month at the Venice Biennale.

The Scottish pair - who have been awarded Venice Fellowships by the British Council - are in their third and final year of their BA (Hons) Fine Art degree course.

Being granted a Venice Fellowship involves a rigorous and competitive application process, which includes a formal interview with British Council representatives in London.

Taking place from May 11 to November 24, the Venice Biennale will be held for the 58th time this year. The event regularly attracts 500,000 visitors.

Aimee and Lauren, who share a house in Stanwix, Carlisle close to the university’s Brampton Road campus, are among 60 young artists from across the UK awarded 2019 fellowships.

During their month-long residences fellows will divide their time between invigilating the British Pavilion exhibition at the Venice Biennale and conducting independent research.

The research will be guided by the focus of this year’s biennale, which is based on the title May you Live in Interesting Times and will focus on the work of artists who challenge existing habits of thought.

Lauren and Aimee first met five years ago when they began a foundation art and design course at Edinburgh College.

Sculptor Lauren, from Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, plans to head out to Venice in early June, while Aimee, from Edinburgh, intends to travel to Venice in July.

Lauren commented: “Where I come from there are not lots of fine art exhibitions to go to and so I explained in my application that I would like to give something back that would help benefit other creatives in my local community.

“It would be nice to go back and put on an exhibition and workshops.”

Aimee said: “I want to open a performance and creative exhibition space with my friend Page Hardie eventually.

“This experience is going to help me; I will learn and be inspired so much about the possibilities of what we can do. ”

She added: “It is going to be an amazing experience living and working in Venice. The stewarding at the British Pavilion will come with a high level of responsibility and will give us great opportunities to engage with so many people and visitors from across the world. It is also going to be wonderful opportunity to learn more about Cathy Wilkes and her work.”

Jane Topping, programme leader for the BA (Hons) Fine Art course at the University of Cumbria, said: “The fine art team is delighted that Aimee and Lauren have both won this genuinely life-changing opportunity – a month of living, working and making art at the Venice Biennale 2019.

“The competition was stiff, but the qualities of these students quite clearly stood out from the crowd.

“Aimee and Lauren are already developing dynamic professional practices in performance and sculpture, and have lots of ideas about how to develop art work in collaboration with the other Venice Fellows.

“Aimee and Lauren are intelligent and resourceful emerging artists, who will be wonderful ambassadors for the fine art programme at the University of Cumbria Institute of the Arts.”

A campus tour of the University’s Brampton Road campus is taking place on Wednesday (20 March). Visitors have the opportunity to look around the facilities and speak to current students about their experiences at the University of Cumbria. Booking details are online.