We are delighted to announce the artists who will take part in the BEAG–Starcatchers International Early Years Residency Exchange, launching in 2026.
We’re delighted to officially congratulate the four selected artists — Amie Walker, Roz McAndrew, Nathalia Marques, Jo Dennehy.
This new international residency builds on the collaboration between Graffiti BEAG (Cork) and Starcatchers (Edinburgh), which began in 2020 as an online artist network connecting early years practitioners across Ireland, Scotland, and the UK. What started as dialogue and exchange has now grown into an artist-to-artist residency programme responding to a clear desire for deeper, in-person collaboration.
At its heart, the International Residency Exchange prioritises collaboration, experimentation, and the co-creation of new early years work for babies and young children, brought to life through cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exchange.
Supported by The International Residency Initiatives Scheme (IRIS), awarded by The Arts Council of Ireland, the programme brings together Graffiti BEAG and Starcatchers, who share a deep commitment to playful, child-centred, high-quality early years arts.
We’re excited to see how this group of artists will explore, connect, and create together through the exchange, supported by project coordinators Rachel Doolin (@studioracheldoolin) for BEAG and Dawn McPherson for Starcatchers.
Congratulations again to our selected artists — welcome to the residency!
Meet the artists
Nathalia Marques
Nathalia Marques is a drama and movement artist and educator based in Cork, working at the intersection of body, imagination, and learning. Her practice cultivates spaces where curiosity, agency, and play emerge through embodied artistic processes.
Since 2021, she has worked with Graffiti’s BEAG programme, creating immersive experiences for the youngest audiences. In 2025, she was supported by an Arts Council Agility Award, which enabled her to join an international study group exploring the Reggio Emilia Approach — an experience that broadened her practice and sparked new creative questions.
Drawing from somatics and theatre, her work is driven by a fascination with how art can awaken both individual and collective possibilities.
Josephine Dennehy
Josephine Dennehy is a puppeteer and theatre practitioner based in Cork. She joined Activate Youth Theatre in 2008 and has worked in theatre ever since in production, performance and youth theatre in Ireland and internationally. She mainly works in theatre for and with young people. She holds a BA and MA in Drama & Theatre Studies and wrote her MA thesis on Puppetry, Politics and Scale. As a puppeteer she trained with the Curious School of Puppetry (UK), in marionette making in Prague, apprenticed with Bread and Puppet Theatre (Vermont, USA). She loves visual art and making things, and her puppet Rowan has become a local celebrity among the primary schools of Cork.
Amie Walker
Amie is a Theatre Maker, Writer and Immersive Specialist. Her performance background led her on to becoming one of the creators of the UK’s longest running immersive theatre shows ‘The Great Gatsby’ directing the West End Transfer and Korean Production, she is co-writer of the Off Broadway Production other writing credits include ’The Forty Elephants’ for stage and screen. Amie is co creative director of All Points North. She leads large ensemble casts, with a focus on community, inclusivity and collaboration.
My community work is rooted in inclusivity and creative exploration. I lead art-led play sessions for 0–5-year-olds, nurturing early development through sensory storytelling, music, and movement. These sessions are designed to spark imagination and build confidence in young children and their caregivers through joyful, accessible experiences.
At Artlink Edinburgh, I collaborate with disabled actors to co-create original performances. This work is deeply collaborative, centering each performer’s voice and perspective to develop meaningful, innovative theatre. It’s about dismantling barriers, celebrating diverse creativity, and making space for everyone to contribute to powerful, shared narratives.
Roz McAndrew
Roz is an actor and community artist based in Edinburgh. She is passionate about working with children and families who might not traditionally engage in the arts, as well as creating accessible, imaginative work for early years audiences and children with additional complex needs. She draws inspiration from the power of play, from laughter and the simple joy of connecting with people and learning their stories.
Roz is motivated by collaborative, community-focused creativity and is committed to making spaces where everyone feels seen, supported, and free to explore their own possibilities.
As a neurodiverse artist she is currently exploring how her own lived experience of neurodiversity can help inform her practice.
Graffiti BEAG Early Years Arts Programme is supported by Cork City Council, Cork County Council Arts Offices, The Arts Council of Ireland and the HSE.
