Kia ora e te whānau whānui,

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It was with sadness but great aroha that we announce Dr Sean Coyle will be resigning from his role as Poukōkiri Mātauranga at Toi Whakaari from the 9th of October.

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After four years, Sean has made the decision to move to the Hawkes Bay for family, health, and new career opportunities. While Sean will be greatly missed, we couldn’t be more grateful for his contributions to our kura since joining us in 2021.

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Sean contributed immensely to the growth and success of our academic programmes in his initial role as Head of Department of Design and Performing Arts Management. He then took up the wero of joining the new co-leadership Tira Mana Kōkiri (TMK) as the Poukōkiri Mātauranga, Director of Academics, in 2023.

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Sean has been a big champion of the school's research and decolonisation focus, supporting our research strategy, decolonisation wānanga within our staff, and establishing the new Masters of Creative Performance Practice, alongside Bronwyn Bradley and many others, which will remain a legacy of his commitment to the future of performing arts practice and research in Aotearoa.

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We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Sean for his visionary leadership, his passion for the performing arts, and constant commitment towards our students and our kura. We wish Sean and his whānau all the best for the future.

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Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, Ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tīna.

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Ngā manaakitanga ki a koe Sean, otirā ki tō whānau hoki.

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