Students
Entertainment Technology Students
Toi Whakaari entertainment technology students come from a wide variety of backgrounds - from teachers to musicians; from school leavers to personal assistants; from roadies to website designers.
The one thing all our tech students have in common is the passion for their craft. Below are some of the entertainment technology students who are in their second and final year, or their third (advanced diploma level) year at Toi Whakaari. To see pictures of them or of our other students check out this.
Sean Hawkins
Sean comes from an acting background and gained a Diploma in Performing Arts from Hagley Theatre in Christchurch. It was there that he discovered a passion for technical theatre after having multiple roles as a technician for performances. Sean is looking forward to taking what he has learnt in the first year and building on it during his production roles in 2010. Sean wants to use his knowledge to create new and visionary theatre.
'The challenges that are given to you at Toi are many. They are designed to motivate and inspire you for the real world. The tutors we have are excellent and incredibly knowledgeable and I feel privileged to learn from them. I am looking forward to improving on my skills and passing on the knowledge to others.'
Morgan Whitfield
Morgan is from Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay where he grew up around theatre.
He is absolutely passionate about lighting and electronics, a keen learner and extremely interested in creative and technical lighting in the theatre industry. Morgan is in his second year at Toi Whakaari now and has enjoyed learning new techniques and solutions. He very much looking forward to an active career in the theatre.
"Studying at Toi Whakaari has enabled me to visit places that I would normal never get the chance to see. This year I’m the technical design coordinator for Atamira and lighting designer for the graduation production of The pohutukawa tree, I am very much looking forward to these challenges ahead".
RICHARD CHILD
Richard got involved with theatre at high school where he did drama and performed in the school musical. Not knowing where he wanted to go with it all he started working behind the scenes and did lighting for school shows and sound for school band concerts. He heard about Toi Whakaari from a family friend, who had studied acting there, though he never knew the school offered more than acting courses until a year before he applied.
“Now that I’ve been at Toi Whakaari for over a year I’ve realised it’s not an easy ride and it is what you make of it. This place has so much to offer and I’m taking as much as I can grasp. Hoping to carry on with my passions in lighting and sound, I’m one of the lighting designers for the New Zealand School of Dance’s Choreography season and I also plan to work with different sound companies for my internship. By the end of it all I’m just glad that Toi Whakaari has offered me so much knowledge to enter the industry with when I graduate.”
