Meet the delve Artists at Spraoi 2025

Martin Shannon is a painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He holds degrees in both Fine Art Sculpture and Printmaking, and a master’s degree in fine art from the Limerick School of Art and Design. He was selected for Ev+A in 2005, Invited to Headlines Exhibition 2004, Invited to Seconds: The Imperfect Artwork in 2006, has had a residency in 411 Galleries in China, and has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally. Since 2016 he has been Artistic Director of Lumen Street Theatre, an award-winning Street Theatre company based in Limerick City. His role there is not just as Director but as the lead sculptor/maker of their props, puppets, and Floats. He has worked in TV and in Theatre on set design and prop-building. His practice has become more focused on street theatre techniques and spectacle since 2016 and he is consistently developing his practice.

Niamh Lawlor B Des MA is multidisciplinary artist working most often through the medium of Puppet Theatre. Trading as Púca Puppets since 1997 She has extensive experience as a maker, performer, writer, director, designer and participative artist for Púca and other companies and contexts including streets, canals, hospitals, museums and schools, including special ones. Working through Irish and English, she has won several Arts Council Awards -Agility, Project, Touring and Bursary. Her most recent production, Joy! an interactive promenade community celebration for Cruinniú na nÓg at the Civic Theatre Tallaght’s Parthalán Place and surrounding streets, was an Arts Council Project Award winner. Featuring a large puppet, three musicians and a performer in collaboration with local children and a community band with original music composed by Denis Clohessey it inspired spontaneous participation from its audience. Auto-biographical theatrical storytelling piece with live drawing and a heart of clown about transcending grief: The Holding Bones performed in four venues Oct-Nov 2024 and will be in the Hugh Lane Gallery on September 13th 2025. Also current is Creative Ireland DLRCoCo commission, Small Wonders, an interactive multi sensory show created with and for parents and babies. Also available as gaeilge as Iontas na nIontas, and in versions for children with autism – Sensory Wonders, and children with multiple challenges – Myriad of Wonders. Winner of the Fisín Award from Dingle International Film Festival 2014 and ’19 her Béirín Beag Buí films are available on the RTE player and tour with a workshop programme.