UCOL Whanganui School of Design students and staff participated in noho marae at Putiki Marae earlier this month engaging with local history, culture and art/design practices in a direct and meaningful way.
The Whanganui School of Design has partnered with Putiki Marae to help deliver the core tikanga component of the new Bachelor of Design and Arts (BDA) offering.
The students who attended are enrolled in the Bachelor of Design and Arts, The Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design, Graduate Diploma in Animation and the Certificate of Art and Design. Whanganui UCOL Associate Dean of creative studies Katrina Langdon said she considered this relationship to be of great value to Whanganui School of Design students.
"The relationship with Putiki Marae will add very significantly and sincerely to the richness and relevance of our creative programmes in Whanganui," she said. "The BDA in particular was written with the intention of creating a 'truly Whanganui degree' and this is the beginning of walking the talk and making our communities genuine partners in what we do here."
Staying overnight in the wharenui, students were welcomed with a powhiri, and were brought onto the marae by UCOL Maori director Teina Mataira and kaiawhina Mere Robb. BDA student Mina Bourke (who has ties to Ptiki Marae) performed the karanga for the first time.
