TAYLA COOK

DIRECTOR

Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Ueoneone, Whangaroa, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Uenuku

Believing in the power of a kaputī, Tayla Cook is all about building strong relationships, sharing in story and figuring out the recipes to activate the village as a whole. Tayla draws upon her ‘engine room’ experience from both her home life and her marae, Okorihi, when strategising and designing community-led movements. Before moving back home to Kaikohe, Tayla played in the realm of social change as a project manager weaving community experts, government organisations, and designers to help move from inequity and injustice to creating campaigns and movements that are both real and told by our people.

Now in her role as Programme Co-ordinator at Hauora Hokianga, Tayla leads Te Takapau Wānanga, a Rawene-based clinical placement programme for tertiary students to experience the resourceful and creative ways of Hokianga living. As an emerging artist and creative herself, Tayla is keen to activate her pōtiki powers on the board, understanding the needs of supporting creatives, balancing childlike wonder and strategic decision-making and advocating for what we need in our own ‘engine room’ within our whānau, hapū and marae.