Margaret Street Gallery in London is hosting a group exhibition showcasing the work of 23 photographers who’ve taken part in a year-long mentoring scheme aimed at developing skills and business acumen to equip them for a career in the imaging industry. Opening tonight and running until 17 January in Fitzrovia, the show features the mentees' final assignments, based on a common brief set to the theme of 'Home'.

It’s the culmination of the latest initiative run by The Young Photographers Alliance (YPA), a charity that began life in the US, which helps emerging talents aged between 18 and 29, aiming to nurture “both the technical skills and business acumen required to build successful and sustainable careers”.

YPA has a free membership programme that offers young photographers industry standards information, discounts and advice from leading practitioners, as well as art buyers, picture editors and creatives, teaching the mentees how to work to a brief while honing their technical skills and creative approach. Working in small teams in Bristol, Glasgow and London, the photographers are given two months to work on a final project, meeting regularly with mentors and other team members to get feedback and support from the initial conceptual stage through to the final editing process. The mentors include Sophie Chapman-Andrews, head art buyer at McCann London advertising agency, Sophie Batterbury, picture editor of Independent on Sunday, and photographer Daniel Bosworth.

The exhibition, Home: YPA Mentoring 2012, features one image from each of the 23 UK mentees, and a small selection of pictures from the US and Thai teams. There were 18 teams in all in 2012, spread across Britain, North America and Asia.