“Over the ditch” in New Zealand, both of Dunedin’s major tertiary institutions will start the year with new creative leadership. At the University of Otago, Professor Anthony Ritchie takes over as Head of the new Performing Arts school with the task of bringing together the music, theatre and dance programmes and overseeing a move to new arts facilities at the refurbished College of Education site.
At Otago Polytechnic Federico Freschi, who has moved from the University of Johannesburg Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, takes over as Head of Otago’s new College of Art, Design and Architecture. Professor Freschi has an equally challenging role to bring together the Dunedin School of Art, the School of Design (including architecture) and the Business School under the new college structure.