New Head for ideaschool

December 12, 2017

Shortly before retiring as head of ideaschool, Chris Verburg introduced Professor Matthew Marshall to the team he will leading going into the New Year.

A classical guitarist, Matthew has shaped a career that combines performance music and academic management.

Head of Music at Massey University in Wellington for many years, Matthew was most recently Dean of Arts and Social Science at Southern Cross University
in Lismore in northern New South Wales. Prior to that he was Dean of Creative and Performing Arts at Central Queensland University in Mackay.

Incoming head of ideaschool Matthew Marshall, left, with recently retired head Chris Verburg.

A Kiwi who studied music in Wellington and later in England at the Royal Northern College of Music, Matthew was born into a family of dancers.

“The world’s a better place for me not dancing,” he jokes.

However, he collaborated with his uncle, the famed ballet dancer Jon Trimmer, for a performance in Dunedin in November. Sir Jon and actor Tina Regtien narrated poems by New Zealand poets Alistair and Meg Campbell – effectively love letters, Matthew says – while he played guitar.

Written by New Zealand composer Philip Norman, the music for the performance was commissioned by Matthew and funded by a Creative New Zealand
grant.

“That’s the basis for my research, commissioning composers to write new music for the guitar, and especially music that is representative of New Zealand.”

Matthew likes the sense of community he sees at ideaschool – “they’re a supportive, enthusiastic and dedicated group of people.” He sees his role as a wonderful opportunity to develop collaboration and cooperation between the school’s various programmes, culminating next year in a new degree, the Bachelor of Creative Practice.

Meanwhile Chris, after three years heading ideaschool, is enjoying a retirement based at Waimarama.

Chris arrived at EIT in 1995 as coordinator of the video and electronic media certificate and has seen that programme evolve into the New Zealand Diploma of Screen Production.

He was involved in the rebranding of the school of creative arts as ideaschool, the move to more project-based learning and the integration of different creative fields.

“The school has become far more industry-based,” he says, “including for those enrolled for a fine arts education.”