meet the artists`;
Duffy Mooney Sheppard
Duffy is a visual artist, storymaker and children's theatre practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of creativity, community and the education. Over more than fifteen years she has developed a practice rooted in immersive storytelling, participatory art-making and the imaginative world of children, from toddlers to primary school age. She brings this playful methodology to the adults she works with.
She is currently the Creativity in the Classroom Artist at St James' Primary School in Dublin 8, continuing a two-decade legacy programme that supports holistic child development through the arts. Her work spans long-term residencies, social inclusion initiatives and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Recent projects include The Butterfly Doctor and Island Homelands, immersive visual art and theatre experiences for young children at The Ark; Art Room, a community arts programme with newly arrived Medevac families from Gaza; and The Well at Marino Institute of Education, a long-term visual arts engagement project developed with Darren Yorke.
Duffy's visual art and illustration practice has been exhibited at the Graphic Studio Gallery Dublin and at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. She holds an MA in Children's Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art, where she studied under Professor Martin Salisbury, founder of the Children's Book Illustration programme. She holds a Professional Diploma in Art & Design Education from NCAD and a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Print from NCAD. Her work has been supported by the Arts Council through Literature and CYA Project and Bursary Funding.
As well as making art with and for children, Duffy is also a committed advocate for creative education. She is a regular contributor to CPD programmes for educators and those working with children in community and early years settings.
Collaborations with Tally Ho
Duffy first collaborated with Tally Ho as a co-creator and shadow theatre artist on Liam McCarthy's Fergal in 2021.
She has since collaborated as co-creator and performer on Boss Rob (Dublin City Council Creative Hubs commission; Judges' Choice Award for innovation in children's theatre, Dublin Fringe, 2024), and as a creative partner in developing Fancy Dan, delivering community engagement workshops.
As collaborating Artists-in-Residence at Marino Institute of Education, Duffy and Darren developed their cross-art-form "play-making" practice that blends spontaneous theatre and visual art workshop elements, much of which has been programmed by The Ark. This led them to The Well space they designed for play-making with the MIE campus community.
Duffy and Darren's collaborations includeThe Nature of Fairytales, Island Homelands, and On Your Marks! at The Ark, Creature Features at Mary's Mansions with Cluid Housing / NEIC Arts Office, and Making Conversations, The Games Board, Stitch and Switch, , and an Art-making Céilí at MIE.
In development with Tally Ho, Duffy is currently collabrating on Cocooning (supported by Backstage Theatre, Arts Council, Dublin City Council).
Duffy's Art and Illustration
Professor Martin Salisbury, founder of the Children's Book Illustration programme:
"In my role I see many, many highly talented emerging artists in the field. It is rare though to encounter work that seems to come from 'another place' — and Duffy's was always fresh and exciting, conceptually and visually."