Segmento Magazine XX - Summer Edition 2019/20 by Segmento

UNAPOLOGETICALLY ITALIAN

Summer 2020 - ISSUE XX

SPECIAL EDITION

segmento.com.au

CONTENT 4

Italian Magazine

ENDORSEMENT

Learners & lovers of the language and culture of Italy Jenna Lo Bianco How teaching Italian helps my students to discover themselves in the world Francesco Ricatti The shift the Italian culture undergoes from newly arrived italians Jytte Holmqvist Ever had a bruning curiosity about Italy? Hayley J. Egan

Founder and Managing Director Daniele Curto daniele.curto@segmento.com.au 0418 891 285

Q&A with Melbourne’s future Italian speakers Hayley J. Egan The best possible expression of the Italian culture Laura Napolitano Hope and concerns about the Italian ‘Glocal’ generations Maria Pallotta-Chiarolla

Associate Editor Halyey J. Egan editor@segmento.com.au Graphic Artist Elaine Bocchini marketing@segmento.com.au Creative Consultant Imbarani Poonasamy Photographers Wide Shut Photography For features, articles and editorial submissions: segmento@segmento.com.au For advertising equires please contact: marketing@segmento.com.au 0418 891 285

The stars shine bright and speak Italian Jenna Lo Bianco

New channels of communication between the old and the new Italian legacy Hayley J. Egan

Cover photo credits Illustration by Tonia Composto

Gioca con noi Bravissimi

Translation Support Jenna Lo Bianco

University of Western Australia celebrates 90 years of Italian studies 22 Daniele Foti-Cuzzola Ensuring the perpetuation of the Italian Studies program into the future Hayley J. Egan

EDITORIAL

Contributors Agata Grimaldi Archimede Fusillo Hayley J. Egan Francesco Ricatti Rachael Martin Daniele Foti-Cuzzola Mariantonietta Rasulo Jenna Lo Bianco Natalie Di Pasquale Elaine Bocchini Raffaele Caputo Jytte Holmqvist Valeria Suriano Benedettta Ferrara Laura Napolitano Pierluigi Trombetta Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli

DISCLAIMER

The Editorial-Staff ensures that every details are correct at the time of printing, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for errors and inaccuracies.

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An achievement to reflect on Daniele Curto

Daniele Curto

AN ACHIEVEMENT TO REFLECT ON Committed as we are to fueling the controversy over the Italian ‘decline’ (as defined by the Italian economic newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore), we often forget about the reputation that the Italian system has earned and maintained in various sectors for several decades.

Despite many problems, it is known that Italy is the second industrial power in Europe (second only to the ‘locomotive’ Germany). There are also achievements that are unexpected, for example, that Italy ranks as the first agricultural power in the EU, or that the Italian share in the export of textile machines and shoe machines is among the most significant in the world. Also surprising is that Italy is among the leaders at a global level in the circular economy for waste recovery, with 307 tons of material per million euro produced. According to data from the World Trade Organization, there are at least eight sectors in which Italy excels, from mechanics to agriculture, to food, to fashion… to name just a few.

But there is a field in which Italy is the undisputed world leader, and that is culture. This was recently stated by the 2019 Best Countries report, by the U.S. News and World Report, in collaboration with BAV Group and University of Pennsylvania, which assigns Italy the gold medal for the most relevant cultural influence on an international scale. This is the recognition that perhaps should surprise us the least, given that ours (together with China) is the country in the world with the highest number of UNESCO sites (55) and holds 60% of global artistic and cultural heritage. This special 20th edition of Segmento comes from a reflection on this wonderful honour. The first publication of Segmento saw the light of day five years ago, pursuing the goal of providing young generations with a narrative of Italy that reflects the broad spectrum of its cultural offerings in today’s world. Italian culture is a living body and like all living organisms, it undergoes crucial changes for its own survival. If we paraphrase the Latin poet, Ovid, we could argue that culture changes and renews itself, avoiding the danger that it suffocates in asphyxiated clichés and perishes.

Guided by this belief, Segmento’s editorial team asked itself a series of questions: what is the degree and role that Italian culture plays in the Italian community (and not only) in young people, starting with the youngest children? What is the role that Italian institutions, private bodies and Australian organisations play in spreading and teaching Italian culture? What kind of future are we forging for our culture, and what idea of Italy are we transmitting to our children and grandchildren?

Thank you for the constant support offered to Segmento and the contribution of ideas for this edition in particular to:

I take great pleasure in thanking all those who, together with us, have tried to answer these complex and stimulating questions to contribute to a debate, of which the outcome will shape the young Italian families of tomorrow in Australia and the sense of a cultural identity capable of influencing not only the Australian community, but a large part of the human consortium.

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The Italian Consulate, Melbourne

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The Italian Cultural Institute, Melbourne

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The Elderly Assistance Committee (Co.As.It.), Melbourne

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Deakin University

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Monash University

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Melbourne University

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Brunswick South Primary School, Melbourne

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Bravissimi School, Melbourne

Italian Magazine 3

Jenna Lo Bianco

LEARNERS & LOVERS OF THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF ITALY

Above and in the next page: moments of the learning and teaching activities

Tucked away in the heart of Melbourne’s Carlton is a very special and unique place. It’s where many gather to reflect, others flock for support and guidance, and droves go to challenge themselves and enrich their lives with new cultural and linguistic endeavours. I am of course speaking of the Education Department of CO.AS.IT., comprising the Resource Centre and the Museo Italiano.

Funded by a grant from the Italian Government, CO.AS.IT. funds, alongside funding support from the Department of Education and Training, the Language Assistant Program is in its 26th year of operation. Ferdinando highlights, ‘It’s an integral part of the support and teaching of Italian in Victoria, and is seen as the major contribution.’ Though other assistant programs exist in Australia, the CO.AS.IT. program is fairly unique in its way of operation, therefore is unique to Victoria. Alexander tells me, ‘Each year CO.AS. IT. receives three times the number of requests from schools seeking assistants, than available assistants.’ As such, allotment of assistants to schools is based on a fine-tuned selection system.

I spoke with CO.AS.IT.’s CEO Marco Fedi, Manager of the Language, Culture and Heritage Department, Ferdinando Colarossi, and members of the Education Services Team, Maria Brancolino, Rose Patti and Alexander Parise. This, to say the very least, is close-knit group of passionate professionals all dedicated to serving the needs of the Italian community of Melbourne, Victoria and beyond. They are dynamic and enthusiastic, and this is their story.

The Education Support Team also organises and delivers a number of afterhours Italian language classes, as the centre is an accredited community language school, as well as being the only Certification of Italian Language (CELI) accredited examination centre in Victoria. Classes are offered from pre-school through to Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) level. The classes are intensive at 3 hours per week, giving the students a chance to work on their language skills during the school term. The topics selected by the CO.AS.IT. teachers immerse children in Italy and its language, as well as the Italian reality here in Melbourne. Maria reminds me that the classes are open to all learners. Most recently the team has been running story time programs for little ones aged 3-5 years, as well as interactive workshops with rotating activities for school-aged children during the school holidays. These new initiatives have been met with exceptional feedback, with many parents and carers also getting involved.

‘We started a journey in 1968 that has allowed CO.AS.IT. Melbourne to grow with the Italian community and in Australian society. Today we are promoting our Carlton headquarters and our activities in general, as part of this history of migration, part of a learning and growing process; a continuous learning process that leads to excellence in education as well as aged care services, which are increasingly intertwined in our model,’ says Marco. The support of teachers, schools and students of the Italian language is what drives the team. The Resource Centre boasts a plethora of books, DVDs, CDs, realia and other valuable materials. The collection is carefully curated to enrich the learning experiences of all Italian language learners and lovers, irrespective of age and experience level. ‘For parents who want to immerse their children in the Italian language, subscription to the CO.AS.IT. Resource Centre is the first step for them,’ Rose tells me. ‘It provides anyone who is interested in the language and culture of Italy a space where they can access information about Italy.’ The centre is bright and welcoming, and you simply can’t help but want to delve right in and go exploring amongst the aisles of Italian language treats. The collection is ever evolving, responding to the needs of students and teachers, keeping up with trends and changes in curriculum, as well as the evolution of technology. ‘If that’s what the schools are doing, then that’s what we need to provide,’ affirms Rose. The department produces a number of original materials in-house, which are designed to reflect the needs of the Italian-learning community. Recent editions of ‘Orizzonti’, an educational magazine published three times each year made available to subscribers of the Resource Centre, have explored topics such as wellbeing, emotions and indigenous and global perspectives. These materials, along with meeting personal requests from teachers and schools, purchasing and sourcing materials, sharing information about new ideas and perspectives, are just a fraction of what keeps the team busy on a daily basis. A key role of the department is to facilitate and manage the Language Assistant Program. CO.AS.IT., working with eight affiliate Italian universities, selects 25 language assistants to come to Australia to support the teaching and learning of Italian in Victorian schools after a public selection process.

CO.AS.IT. also offers a range of adult language classes, with approximately 20 running per week taught by qualified and experienced native speaking teachers. Students can enrol in language classes as well as a series of themed cultural programs, such as geography, cinema, modern Italy, as well as special annual activities. Alexander informs me that the vast majority of adult learners are of non-Italian background and there’s a real sense of community in the cohort. ‘There’s a strong core of returning students, as many of them stay on and become part of the larger CO.AS.IT. family. They are groups of friends, as many have studied together for over 10 years,’ he says. The Education Services Team also facilitates the Museo Italiano Education Program. The Museo Italiano, which is open to the public, houses a brilliantly rich collection of artefacts that showcases the story of Italian migration to Australia. On offer are a series of different workshops that students of all ages can enjoy to further explore the collection in a more meaningful way. The programs compliment the permanent exhibition of the Museo Italiano, and can be facilitated in English, Italian or bilingually. They can be self-guided or led by CO.AS.IT. staff, with supplementary materials available to continue to support discussions well after the visit has concluded. And, as if its reach couldn’t stretch any further, CO.AS.IT.’s Education Department also collaborates closely with the Victorian Association of Teachers of Italian, the Department of Education and Training, the Italian Institute of Culture, universities and other key stakeholders, ensuring the most effective and thorough support of the community across the board.

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Francesco Ricatti (Cassamarca Senior Lecturer in Italian, and coordinator of the Italian program at Monash University)

HOW TEACHING ITALIAN HELPS MY STUDENTS TO DISCOVER THEMSELVES IN THE WORLD

Francesco Ricatti

multilinguistic country Italy actually is, and in fact has always been. When catering for these students, we then need to acknowledge the importance of transculturality; that is, we need to provide students with the awareness that every culture is the result of the influences different cultures have on each other when they come into contact. Every culture is in a constant state of flux, and cannot be regimented into a rhetorical, nostalgic and reactionary frame. Teaching Italian Studies today therefore means to challenge the hegemonic relationship between the Nation, its standard language, and its canonical literature. Literature is still an important component of a humanistic education, but it must be studied in all its complexity, including for instance the work of incredibly talented and powerful writers of Italian literature like Jhumpa Lahiri or Igiaba Scego. Group of migrants on the deck of MV Castel Verde, Italy, 1950–1957

The teaching of modern European languages and cultures, including Italian Studies, was established within a frame that mirrored the identification of the Nation with its standard language and its canonical literature - which was almost exclusively written by white, middle- or upper-class men. This model worked on the assumption that such a structure would eventually result in a proud and stable national identity. Yet Italian identities and cultures have always been much more complex, unstable, and contradictory than such a simplified, nationalistic, classist and patriarchal model would like to admit. It is, in other words, a reactionary model that neither accounts for the actual historical, linguistic and cultural complexity of Italy, nor recognises the profound connections between Italy and the world. To this, we need to add the rapidly changing reality of tertiary education. Once upon a time, an elite of white students could embrace such model as a reassuring path into an exotic experience of a foreign and racially ambiguous country like Italy. Today, students of Italian at university level call for a different approach, one that is much more sensitive to social, cultural and linguistic complexity.

This provides an extraordinary opportunity to rediscover key aspects of Italy, and of the Italian presence in the world, that have been overlooked, if not despised, by most academics. And it explains why a growing number of scholars and students around the world are now fostering a transnational and transcultural turn in Italian studies, and in modern language studies more broadly. I work for Monash University, which was developed throughout the 1960s and 1970s in the southern outskirts of Melbourne, to cater for the children of working-class parents, including the growing number of children from postwar migrants. Thanks to the economic miracle, the democratic development and the social reforms of the postwar period, these young people were the first in their family to be able to go to university. Nowadays, Monash is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, but still maintains a progressive and multicultural ethos. The majority of my students are women. They come from many different backgrounds, speak many different languages, and study disciplines as different as Arts, Law, Commerce, and Science. The majority of them also need to learn how to reflect on their own complex identities, and how to understand and engage with different cultures. They will need those skills in their life and in their profession. So it is not a surprise that only a few of them show an interest in the classic masterpieces of Italian literature. Rather, most of them are passionate about discovering what complex, multiethnic, multicultural and

The study of literature can no longer be at the expense of all other forms of creativity and communication, including the many complex expressions of contemporary popular culture. We also need to acknowledge that Italian languages and cultures also exist outside Italy, for instance in my own backyard here in Melbourne. Italian cultures in Australia, Brazil, Somalia or the United States are a crucial part of Italy’s history. Our students need to embrace the social, cultural and linguistic complexity of Italian communities around the world. Finally, but as importantly, students need to develop intercultural literacy. They need to learn how to learn about other cultures beyond the stereotypes (those about the awful Mafia as well as those about the wonderful Renaissance). And they need to be able to look beyond the established narratives, discovering instead complex stories and histories at the intersection of class, gender, ethnicity, racial appearance, sexual orientation, and body abilities. Teaching Italian for me is about helping my students to find, in the actual complexity of Italian languages, cultures and societies, those precious intellectual and emotional tools that will help them navigate an increasingly complex and challenging world. After all, in Italian, nascere (to be born) is venire al mondo (to come to the world). To study a second language is a way for students to venire al mondo; that is, not just to discover the world, but to discover themselves in the world. For a few weeks or months, and sometimes for a few years, I have the honour and privilege to guide my students not just throughout Italy, its language, and its culture, but throughout a complex and exciting journey of intellectual and existential discovery.

of Arts

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With decades of experience and nestled in the heart of Melbourne’s Little Italy in Carlton, Co.As.It. offers native and qualified teachers of Italian providing the

and focus on certain aspects of the language

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Italian Language Courses at CO.AS.IT. Learn Italian the Italian way quality language and cultural courses for adults and students from Preschool to VCE

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or visit www.coasit.com.au CO.AS.IT. Italian Assistance Association 189 Faraday Street, Carlton VIC 3053

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Jytte Holmqvist

THE SHIFT THE ITALIAN CULTURE UNDERGOES FROM NEWLY ARRIVED ITALIANS Interview with Rosaria Zarro, Commissioner at the Victorian Muliticulral Commission

Rosaria Zarro

How do you draw from your previous professional experience and expertise as part of your current role as commissioner?

Museo Italiano in Carlton precinct

Rosaria Zarro has acted as Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) Commissioner since 2017, when she was first appointed for this role by Minister for Foreign Affairs Robin Scott acting on behalf of the Daniel Andrews Labour government in Victoria. As VMC Commissioner some of her main responsibilities are working ‘at grassroots level to gain a solid understanding of the issues facing ethnic communities’, attending events, liaising between different faith and community groups, attending monthly meetings, and developing ‘strategies to address community issues’. The role is to bring together people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, drawing from both personal and professional 8 6

Photo Lorenzo Cambieri

strengths. It requires the capacity to be sensitive to the cultural needs within certain communities, and to be flexible and openminded when dealing with these community groups. Rosaria is herself of Italian heritage and have taught Italian, science and history at both government-level and for cultural organisations. What inspired you to embark on your culturally and ethnically inclusive professional trajectory? I was nominated by a friend whilst I was overseas: My friend Carlo Carli, exparliamentarian in Victoria for some 12 years. He thought that with my experience at Museo Italiano and within the Italian community, I could contribute to this role at the VMC.

My background is in Education and so I have very strong contacts with the network of teachers of Italian. I have presented at many conferences both locally and nationally. This has enabled me to make some strong contacts in Victoria and interstate. I also worked in the cultural sectors at Museum Victoria for some 8 years, so I worked on exhibitions and events at the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks. My experience in exhibitions and events were useful skills for Museo Italiano where I worked on the core development team. Working at Museo Italiano provided opportunities to link with the Italian community but also the various communities in the Carlton precinct. I involved the African community in festivals and events to engage and invite locals to Museo Italiano. This linking with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities was something that I considered important and it has provided many opportunities for my role as commissioner. In what way do you help bring different ethnic communities together as part of your very important role? I believe making links to other CALD communities and sharing my experiences as commissioner and community member is crucial to begin dialogue. What are some of the issues facing ethnic communities in Victoria and Australia today? I believe the new arrived migrants face many similar issues that the Italians faced in the 60s. Language is a barrier and learning a good level of English takes time. The most recently arrived migrants have other pressures of finding work and housing. This can add to the pressure.

What can be done to rectify these issues? There are many more organisations set up to help migrants, which is helpful, but maybe a person’s mental health needs to be considered as part of the overall resources that are given to newly arrived migrants. You serve also the Italian community. How does your own Italian background benefit you in your work dealing with members of the Italian community? My Italian background and the ability to speak the language helps to provide the link to those in the community who prefer to speak in their mother tongue. Also understanding the various types of organisations within the Italian community provides an insight as to what interests the community at present. With regard to the Italian community, are there any areas that require further development – i.e. what can be done to further promote the Italian culture also among members of the younger generations?

The Italian culture is strongly embedded in the Australian culture, through the introduction of food and beverages which are evident throughout Victoria. Culturally also there is a shift to cultural events by recently arrived Italians to Victoria which includes traditional and contemporary music and dance. Also there are many opportunities to be involved in cultural events through Museo Italiano and the Italian Institute of Culture. Smaller organisations are also providing opportunities to view exhibitions from Italy, like Global Association of International Artists (GAIA). What, more specifically, do you feel can be done to make the Italian culture thrive and prosper in Melbourne and Victoria?

Finally, why is it important to celebrate cultural and ethnic differences? We are lucky that in Victoria we have a very accepting community that promotes cultural diversity and celebrates this diversity. We have a state government that understands the need to promote cultural groups and when there are issues the government is quick to respond to rectify any issues. This is done by meeting with community group leaders and actively helping particular communalities with their issues. What role do you see yourself fulfilling in the future? I hope to continue with the VMC for the next two years and afterwards continue working within the department of premier and cabinet in a different capacity.

I believe the Italian culture has a strong presence already in the community but maybe working with Italian communities in regional Victoria and promoting cultural events like festivals and Street parties or festas. Is there any particular project that you would like to embark on as part of your work supporting different ethnic communities in Victoria – including the Italian community? I would like to do more with refugee groups and with youth. Providing them with support and guidance where they need assistance.

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Promoting opportunities for the younger generations to get involved in the Italian community. One club that does this well is the Eolian Club, they hold events that attract all ages and the committee boasts a wide range of Italians and Italo-Australians so that the younger generation feel included in the decision-making within the club.

Why is it important to keep the Italian culture active and alive within the Melbourne community?

A not-for-profit initiative aimed at facilitating the international exchange of artists www.artgaianet.org ph 0410 860 036 - info@artgaianet.org

Hayley J. Egan

EVER HAD A BURNING CURIOSITY ABOUT ITALY?

Pierluigi Trombetta, Italian Consul in Melbourne with his son Edoardo

We asked a group of Italian kids living in Australia if there was anything they wanted to know, and our Consulate General of Italy in Melbourne, Pierluigi Trombetta, was only too happy to answer their questions.

1. Why are there so many dialects in Italy? (Sankara, aged 8)

2. Why is Rome the capital of Italy? (Sankara, aged 8)

5. What is the best place to vacation in Italy? (Coco, ages 8)

Italy is not a painting where everything is uniform, but rather a beautiful mosaic where many different pieces come together and create a masterpiece.

Italy was unified in 1861 under the pressure of the Kingdom of Sardinia which included Piedmont and Sardinia. The capital was Turin where even French was spoken. Rome had been the great capital of the Roman Empire and therefore was the natural capital of United Italy. Rome was also in the center of Italy while Turin was far to the north. In those years, however, Rome was the capital of the Church State and was protected by France and was not part of Italy. The first step was therefore to transfer the capital from Turin to Florence and then, when Rome became Italian, to Rome.

It depends on what you like to do. If you love the sea there are beautiful places in Sardinia, Sicily, Liguria and Puglia.

Each area of Italy has a different culture, because Italy was separated for hundreds of years and each region of the country has had a different history. Northern Italy has had closer ties with Central and Northern Europe, Southern Italy has closer links to the Mediterranean. This led to the development of different cultures, and different cuisines. The dialects also developed separately because many areas of Italy might not even have been able to communicate with each other. All Italian dialects, however, derive from Latin like many other European languages, including Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian. When Italy became unified in 1861, one of the big problems was that there was no Italian language because there were so many different dialects. Communicating was almost impossible. A Neapolitan and a Milanese couldn’t understand each other. Then the government decided that the Tuscan dialect, the language used by Dante Alighieri to write the Divine Comedy, would become the Italian language. In reality, however, the Italians continued to speak their own dialects. They only really started speaking in Italian during the First World War, when boys from all over Italy had to fight together and, to communicate, they learned Italian. Italian has only really spread thanks to radio and television.

3. What is the style of Italian cars and how does it differ from other cars? (Gia, aged 5) Italian cars are usually more sporty and more elegant. For a long time (during the 50s and 60s), Italian cars were the most sold in Europe, but then there was a period of decline. Now the Fiat Group, which includes Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Ferrari, Maserati and Fiat, is again going strong and a few years ago, bought the American Chrysler (Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge). Now the Fiat group is among the top companies in the world. Italian cars usually have a better design because the best designers are Italian.

4. How many islands does Italy have? (Coco, aged 8) Very many, I can’t count them. But the two main ones are Sicily and Sardinia. Those lucky enough to have a boat can spend the summer going from one island to another.

I like skiing and the Italian Alps are the best place in the world for skiing. There are slopes where the snow is present all year round and you can ski even in summer like on the Presena glacier. If you like art then certainly your first trip to Italy must include Rome, Venice, Florence, Naples and Milan but, after the first time, then it is nice to discover the smaller cities that are each more beautiful than the next. Italy is also rich in national parks such as the Stelvio National Park or the Abruzzo National Park. Another nice way to visit Italy is, if you have Italian origins, to go and see where your ancestors come from.

6. Why is Italian gelato so good? (Ravi aged 6) In general, the secret of Italian cuisine is that the ingredients are always fresh. gelato is different from icecream. It has less fat, is healthier and better because it is made with top quality ingredients. Gelato is an Italian invention, but some say it is Arabic. It could be possible. Many centuries ago the Arabs controlled Sicily and the Arab culture and cuisine influenced Sicily. It is said that some Arabs in Sicily invented ice cream. Whether it was the Arabs or the Sicilians, the certain thing is that ice cream was invented in Sicily. Or maybe not. The Venetians say that ice cream was actually invented in Veneto. Sicily or Veneto? Sicilians or Sicilian Arabs? Who knows? However it is true that Italian gelato is the best in the world.

Daniele Foti-Cuzzola

UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA CELEBRATES 90 YEARS OF ITALIAN STUDIES Back In 1929, the University of Western Australia (UWA) became the first Australian university to appoint a professor of Italian, Francesco Vanzetti. Vanzetti, from Venice, was a true pioneer for the Italian language in Western Australia. When he reached retirement age, he lobbied for the University to create a full Italian department and refused to retire until his dream was realised. 20 years later, the University finally fulfilled his wishes and he retired at the age of 85. Vanzetti’s perseverance paid off and his legacy continues to live on at the University, which this year celebrated its 90th anniversary of the teaching of Italian language and culture. Today, more than 300 students are enrolled in Italian studies according to Associate Professor and Head of Italian Studies Department, John Kinder. To commemorate the milestone, Professor Kinder, who has taught Italian at UWA for more than 30 years, ran a series of free public lectures throughout the year. The public lecture series covered a number of topics, from Italy and the invention of luxury, to Catherine de Medici’s hidden cultural legacy, to Pellegrino Artusi’s use of the Italian language and how Vanzetti, an industrial chemist came from Kalgoorlie to teach Italian at the University of Western Australia.

Among students that attended the lecture series was 21 year old Grace Walker. ‘Hearing the Italian Ambassador Francesca Tardioli speak was a great privilege and it was wonderful discovering ties between Australia and Italy that I was previously unaware of. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about topics such as Italy and the Invention of Luxury, Italian-Australian migration and Pellegrino Artusi and his impact on Italian cuisine and the Italian language.’ Walker, who finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in October this year says she was inspired to pursue Italian studies at UWA after taking part in a two month exchange while she was in high school. ‘(On exchange) my passion for the Italian language grew and my appreciation of the culture deepened. I didn’t want that journey to end so studying Italian at university was a no-brainer for me.’ Highlights for Walker during her time studying Italian include units on Italian migration and the history of Italian language, reading Italo Calvino, studying Verdi’s Macbeth and attending this year’s West Australian

Grace Walker in Italy

Dianne Bortoletto (right) with her sister-in-law and fellow Italian studies student Marnie Paoliello Opera production as a class, being involved with the UWA Italian club and being taught my Professor Kinder. ‘His breadth of knowledge of the Italian language and culture is just awe-inspiring,’ Walker says. High-profile Perth-based publicist Dianne Bortoletto has returned to university to complete a Diploma in Italian studies. ‘I have Italian born parents and an Italian passport, but I’ve always wanted to be fluent in proper Italian and not dialect from the 1950’s. I studied it without much success in high school and I’ve done a number of short courses over the years including a few weeks in Bologna; but to master it properly, university was the best option. I didn’t realise I could just do the major units for a diploma in Italian Studies until my sister-inlaw announced she had enrolled. I couldn’t sit back and listen to her talk about her Italian studies for the next four years, so I decided to join.’ As part of her studies, Bortoletto took part in an exchange in Bergamo with her sister-in-law. ‘It was an amazing experience to go to university every day and study Italian with students from all over the world.

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‘The lecture series attracted around 1500 people, which is a sign that Italy and its culture are interesting to a wide-cross section of people’, Professor Kinder says. ‘Highlights were the visit from Italy’s first female ambassador, Francesca Tardioli, a beautiful talk by the Art Gallery of Western Australia’s director Stefano Carboni about the cultural exchange between Christian Venice and Muslim Istanbul, and the history of Italian migration to WA by Professor Loretta Baldassar who combined a deeply personal story of her own family with up-to-the-minute research that uses digital technology to help ageing migrants stay in touch with family around the world.’

We made some terrific friends and I finally got my head around pronomi – that alone was worth the trip.’ While this year’s celebrations commemorated UWA’s past, Professor Kinder is excited to see what is in store for the future of the Italian department. The beloved Professor has seen plenty of changes during his time at the University. ‘When I arrived at UWA in 1988, very few students had been to Italy, although many students came from Italian families. Now i would say most of our students have been to Italy for study or travel and many of them are in contact with friends and families via social media. Students at UWA take 2-4 units form a different faculty as ‘broadening units.’ This is a very positive change. When I arrived students of Italian were all arts students, now around half of our students of Italian are doing science or commerce. This diversity is good for our classes and it is great to see young Western Australians gaining a professional qualification and language skills as well.’ Professor Kinder is the first Italianist in the southern hemisphere to be elected as a Corresponding Member of the Accademia della Crusca, Italy’s premier language academy, founded in 1583.

Professor Kinder

Hayley J. Egan

ENSURING THE PERPETUATION OF ITALIAN STUDIES PROGRAM INTO THE FUTURE The University of Melbourne launches Italian Studies Trust Fund A stones throw from the centre of Melbourne lies a suburb called Carlton. It is home to the Museo Italiano, CO.AS.IT, the Dante Alighieri Society and the Italian Historical Society. The bars and cafes on popular Lygon Street are diverse, some are historical establishments, with touters thrusting menus into the hands of passers by, the love projects of post-war migrants. Amongst them are little venues that transport patrons into the heart of modern Rome or Milan, where you’ll be served by someone young, trendy, and newly arrived, and can take your espresso standing at the bar. The influence of Italy on this tiny little corner of the world is undeniable, it is perhaps the suburb that has most reflected the changing face of the Italian migration experience in Australia. It is, however, not the only place in Australia, or indeed, the world, where the Italian cultural presence is felt. Italy was named number 1, in the 2019 Best Countries rankings, formed by the U.S. News and World Report, in partnership with BAV Group, and the University of Pennsylvania. Italian culture has had a phenomenal influence and is particularly celebrated for its classical art, designer clothing, and of course, its culinary traditions. Just a short walk from Lygon Street lies the University of Melbourne, home to one of the oldest Italian Studies programs in Australia, where the teaching of the Italian language dates back to the 1920s, and the formal Italian Studies program will have been established 60 years ago this year.

Above and in the next page the launch of the Italian Studies Trust Fund at the University of Melbourne Photo David Hannah

To mark this milestone, and to continue to value the contribution that the Italian language and culture has made in Australia and throughout the world, the University of Melbourne has established a trust fund, which, Professor John Hajek explains, is intended to ensure the continuation of the Italian Studies program well into the future. The Italian Studies program at the University of Melbourne runs language classes at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, as part of diplomas, bachelor degrees and post-graduate courses. The program includes a wide range of studies surrounding culture, including theatre, literature and cinema. Hajek is proud of the Italian Studies program, and much like the changing face of nearby Lygon St, he has seen the student demographic evolve during his years as a member of staff at the University. John Hajek, Professor of Italian Studies at the University of Melbourne Photo David Hannah

Today around 50% of students are from a non-Italian background. Those who are from an Italian background, are largely coming to university to reclaim the language that has been lost through the generations, and it is particularly important, says Hajek, that they continue to have the opportunity to do this through tertiary study. ‘We want to make sure that, in 100 years time, regardless of available government funding, that students who want to study the Italian language have the opportunity to do so.’ The trust will be used to fund scholarships, as well as travel opportunities for students, allowing for increased communication with Italy. The funding is also intended to heighten community engagement, and research. As senior development manager Julie du Plessis says, the fund will enable ‘activities that deepen our understanding of the Italian contribution to Melbourne, to Australia and to the world.’ A contribution so great is surely worth understanding, and if the activity on on Lygon Street is anything to go by, the Italian Studies Trust Fund will be appreciated by Italians and Italophiles for years to come.

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Hayley J. Egan

Q&A WITH MELBOURNE’S FUTURE ITALIAN SPEAKERS

LOUKAS

RUGIADA

FIONN

5 Years

7 Years

9 Years

Where were you born?

What language do you speak at home?

Where were you born?

Australia

Italian

Melbourne

What languages do you speak at home?

Where were you born?

What language do you speak at home?

Italian and Greek

Australia

English

Who do you speak Greek with?

Have you ever been to Italy?

Papa

Yes

Have you ever been to Italy?

Where have you been?

Yes

Milan

If you could do anything right now, what would you do?

What do you like about Italy?

What is your favourite food?

Probably go and watch the cricket or the footy

The sea

Carrots

What’s the first thing you like doing when you get up in the morning?

What is your favourite thing about school?

What do you look forward to when you wake up in the morning?

Learning

Breakfast

Having pancakes and playing!

If you could do anything right now, what would it be?

If you had a shop, what would you sell?

What’s the first thing you like doing when you get to Italy? Go to my Grandparents house

What is the first thing you like doing in the morning?

What fruit or vegetables would you most like to grow in your garden?

Playing

Apples If you were to write a book, what would your book be about? Clocks and watches If you were to open a shop, what would you sell? It would be a nursery, trees What do you think you’ll dream about tonight? Pizza What language do you dream in? Italian Would you like learn another language? Which Language?

Go back to class and keep learning

If you wrote a book, what would it be about?

What’s your favourite thing about school? Lunchtime and recess

Sports stuff What is your favourite thing about Italy? Venice, because there was lots of water and loads of modes of transport by which I mean boats

Gymnastics

If you wrote a book, what would it be about?

Where would you most like to travel?

Sport

Italy, or Japan What is a memory that makes you happy? Going to the beach in Italy, the Cinque Terre How do you keep contact with your friends and family in Italy? On the phone. We talk about what we’ve done during our day If you had a pet dragon what would you call it? Dragondino What type of books do you like reading?

Where would you most like to travel? China, because I want to go on a Chinese bullet train If you were outside all day, what would you do? Play sport, footy, lacrosse, rugby, all day Would you like to learn another language? Yes, Irish Do you like speaking Italian at school? Yes

Spanish

Small books, and also big books

Do you ever speak Italian outside of school?

What would your circus act be?

Do you read in Italian or English?

Yes. In Italy!

Tight-Rope walking

Both

If you had a pet dragon, what would you call it?

Would you like to learn another language?

Draghino

Yes, French

At Brunswick South Primary school, the children are not ‘taught’ Italian, they simply use the language to learn 50% of their curriculum. The school has been running a bilingual program since 2017. One unseasonably cold, windy spring morning, we took the opportunity to get to know some of these students, Melbourne’s future Italian speakers, and find out some of their favourite things about Italy, Melbourne, and life.

HANNAH

CLEO

ROSIE

9 Years

12 Years

Where were you born?

Here in Melbourne

Melbourne

Wollongong

Do you speak Italian?

Do you speak Italian at home?

Kind of, I speak it here, & to annoy my brother at home

Not really, but my parents try to make me speak Italian when we go to restaurants

What is your favourite food? Gozleme What is your favourite book?

And do you do it? Or do you feel embarrassed? I don’t feel embarrassed, I just don’t really know what to say!

With my little brother who goes to this school, and my Dad went to a language school to learn Italian, so he sometimes he makes jokes in Italian. We are trying to learn more Italian as a family What is your favourite thing about school?

Pasta, Ice cream, Noodles

Sleeping, I like sleeping!

What is your favourite thing about school?

What is your favourite food?

Seeing my friends, Recess and lunch, and writing

I love pizza, and dumplings

Read

If you could do anything right now what would you do?

Have you ever been to Italy?

If you opened a shop what would you sell?

Go shopping

If you could do anything right now, what would you do?

What is your favourite food?

Kittens. Not a pet shop, just a kitten shop, with supplies for cats

If you opened a shop, what would you sell?

If you could grow anything in your backyard, what would it be?

If you wrote a book what would it be about?

Clothes Me and my cousins

No, but I would love to go If you could do anything right now, what would you do? I’d want to be in Italy and explore their culture and see how my language skills would transfer there

Roses

If you were a chef, what foods would you serve?

Is Italy the first place you’d go if you could travel?

If you wrote a book what would it be about?

Pasta and Pizza

Yes Italy, then Finland, my Grandma is Finnish

Me and my many cousins

Where would you most like to travel?

Have you been to Italy?

Italy and Bali

What would you expect the biggest difference between Australia and Italy to be?

Yes

Have you been to Italy?

What did you like most?

yes I went last year with the school, to Florence, Rome and Pesaro

Venice, and Milan What was the biggest difference between Melbourne and Milan? There was a lot of people selling things on the street, especially at il Duomo. There are a lot of old things in Milan, you don’t see much of that in Melbourne What are three things you would like to do this summer?

What was your favourite of the famous attractions you saw in Italy? The colosseum, and this museum where all the water goes underneath What about day-to-day experiences in Italy? One day we went swimming at the beach, and then shopping, in Pesaro

Go to Ireland, go boogie boarding, annoy my brother

What was the main difference between Italy and Australia?

Would you like to learn another language?

At first it felt like Melbourne, but once you get into Rome, there wasn’t as many cars and there were cobblestones, and it felt different

Yes, Irish Do you think you’ll speak Italian when you’re a grown up? Yes, if I go to Italy, or if I need to do something Italian-based

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What do you like daydreaming about?

I love all the learning possibilities we have here, we are the only bilingual Italian school in Victoria, it feels special

Harry Potter

Probably the way they communicate with each other, Italians use their words & also hand gestures What do you think makes Brunswick South Special? Because we learn another language we get to look at learning in another way. It’s not really just learning another language, its learning in another language, so we don’t just know say, the names of the colours, but we learn to write a story in Italian If you wrote a book, what would it be about? How to be a feminist 101

Would you like to learn another language? Yes, Spanish, I feel like its very useful, & my uncle just moved to South America 15

Laura Napolitano - Director of the Italian Insititute of Culture in Melbourne

THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPRESSION OF THE ITALIAN CULTURE Reflection on the state of our homegrown civilisation Around a month ago, in the main space of the Italian Cultural Institute, I was sitting in the audience amongst friends, university lecturers, guests and invitees, including the newly appointed Ambassador, and there in front of me was a 17 year old boy with no Italian background, performing a main role in a farce by Dario Fo. Listening to his fluent Italian, and noticing his confidence and well-rehearsed comic timing, I realised that Italian language and culture in Australia is cherished, and its dissemination is quite successful. The state of Italian culture in Australia is healthy. This experience however, provoked in me a series of questions: what is a young Australian audience today? And more importantly, what is Italian Culture? One of the key differences between my experience at the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris and my tenure here in Melbourne, is of course the strong Italian community that thrives in this city and the history of Italian diaspora. While the role of the Paris Institute is clearly to promote Italian language and culture amongst the French population, strengthening institutional ties and fostering a cross-cultural dialogue, here in Melbourne, a strong part of the population is of Italian background, and this creates a crucial difference. It has been very important for me in these last years to navigate this complexity on at least two different levels. Firstly, the program I devised was carefully aimed at showcasing the best of contemporary art and culture, with the clear awareness that presenting contemporary excellence also implies dealing with inherited discourses about ‘Italianness’ and the nostalgic view of this that does not always reflect the experiences of Italians today. I have been aware of the way this program intersects with other cultural institutions and cultural expressions here in Melbourne. Secondly, my aim was to cater for new audiences, like the young actor in the play: curious, proactive, and willing to explore novelty and complexity. This means framing the Institute as a cultural organisation that can dialogue with a wider group of cultural institutions, from the great ‘Italian’ network to contemporary galleries, museums, and universities. Italian language and culture teaching and learning is also very healthy. We have successful university programs and the teaching of Italian culture across faculties (for example, The University of Melbourne had an exhibition on Terragni in 2018 and teaches the philosophy of Agamben across its Culture and Communication program), alongside well-established private and public courses, we are at a stage in which the need for self-representation and self-recognition goes hand in hand with a more open, diffused and allencompassing presence in the city. Culture can be thought of as the customs, traditions, mores and ways in which a particular group lives and organises itself. However, culture is also ‘high culture’: the exemplar, the best possible expression of those mores through art and literature, scientific achievements, political legacies etc.

Laura Napolitano Cultures, however, are intrinsically stratified, fluid, transnational and translingual; in constant dialogue with the world, to the point of making any definition of a border or a unified identity impossible. The risk therefore is that we fall back on a canon or a series of stereotypes. As Director of the Institute, I have tried to respect and celebrate this canon (inviting personalities such as the esteemed Italian conductor and harpsichord virtuoso Rinaldo Alessandrini, the art historian Costantino D’Orazio celebrating Leonardo Da Vinci, the Baroque ensemble I Bassifondi and so on), while exploring the intersections with other perspectives. Some examples will help me clarify this and introduce my conclusions. In 2018 Liquid Architecture, a Melbourne ‘institution’ in the field of experimental music, approached me and asked me to support a conference on Fascism and aesthetics, organised with the Faculty of Law of the University of Melbourne. We invited the Italian, USbased (again a testament to transnationality), composer Luciano Chessa, an internationally renowned scholar of the Futurist musician Luigi Russolo. We held a series of seminars and a concert that brought to the Istituto a new audience of young artists, students and enthusiasts. Also in 2018, the Istituto organised ‘Counterpoints’, an exhibition of the great 20th century Italian artist Vettor Pisani and Melbourne artist Marco Fusinato.

This was Italian excellence conversing with an artist of Italian background, who has, however, little to do with traditional identity-art. But it was also a conversation between people and institutions: Eugenio Viola, the Italian chief-curator at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) in Perth, the Italian ‘Fondazione Morra’ that enabled the travel of Pisani’s works, and the highly regarded ‘Anna Schwartz Gallery’ that represents Fusinato. Once again, it was the first time Anna Schwartz entered the door of the Institute; symbolically linking our institution to the most important contemporary art milieu of the country. It was a pleasure to read just a week ago that Fusinato has been chosen to represent Australia at the next Venice Biennale: this link has now come to fruition. Far from being self-celebratory, each project can and should be improved. These two examples however, illustrate my concluding point. Italian language and culture has established ways to be promoted, taught and learned, and the work done in this space has been, and continues to be, amazing. As the fourth generation of the historical diaspora grows to adulthood, and as a new, transnational, global and connected cohort of Australians becomes a cultural consumer, intersecting our way to think Italianness with other dynamic and multimodal experiences is a valuable strategy to keep and foster our important presence into the future.

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Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli (Senior Lecturer in Social Diversity in Health and Education School of Health and Social Development Deakin University)

HOPE AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE ITALIAN ‘GLOCAL’ GENERATIONS

Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli

How can our older Italian lives, writings and activism be examples and launching pads for future Italian glocal generations? For example, what did it take to move from Vittorio Perri beginning the Southern European Gay Men’s Group in the 1990s when being LGBTIQ was figura e vergogne, to 2019 when Samuel Dariol and his wonderful collaborators create the play La Nonna about a gay grandson finding a connection to his Italian grandmother through their shared experiences of marginalisation and discrimination.

Chris Gallace and Stephanie Chiarolli at the ruins of Nonno Carmine in Pietracupa, Catanzaro (Calabria)

When I think about the future of Italian culture in young(er) generations of Australians, I think of the role of local Italians in global concerns, a phenomonen I call ‘glocalism’! As an old(er) second generation Italian, I have often been an outlier for seeking glocalism. I’ve written about this in my books Tapestry, an exploration of 5 generations of my family, and Someone You Know, which discusses my family’s resistance to AIDS-phobia and homophobia. I now work with Muslim, Indigenous and other communities as an ally. I am so heartened to see how younger Italian glocals insist emphatically on their diverse genders and sexualities being affirmed. They draw from their families’ histories of war, poverty, religion, and migration to speak out against racism, Islamophobia, homo/bi/transphobia and to call for the rights of refugees and newly arrived migrants. I am heartened to see that they know that maintaining Italian cultural traditions might be used to hide, ignore and perpetuate the injustices, hierarchies and prejudices that exist within those traditions. The Italian glocal generation gives me hope in its awareness that endorsing one’s own culture is not meant to perpetuate insularity and apathy, nor is it an excuse to avoid the responsibility to engage politically and socially in the issues facing Australia and the world.

I see glocal Italian-Australians yearning to understand and connect with their Italy of origin, sometimes by ‘finding home’ in the ruins and remnants of war-torn and earth-quaked villages; and exploring and embracing a new ‘home’ in a contemporary Italy that is finally stepping up, acknowledging and critiquing its own historical and contemporary realities of colonialism, refugee crises, misogyny and LGBTIQ rights. I see Co.As.It in Victoria undertaking pioneering events and engagements with Italian-Aboriginal relations, LGBTIQ grandchildren, Italian arts and culture from the past and the present, with audiences of elders and youngers connecting in laughter, learning and the sharing of loss. I think of our young Italian glocal academics, activists, comedians and journalists who remain grounded in their origins and use that foundation to challenge ongoing Italian, Australian and global injustices and concerns. I see tension between older and younger Italians in the United States, where increasingly, Christopher Columbus Day is seen as a shameful day remembering colonial genocide and sexual violence. More and more Italian-Americans are calling for an Indigenous Day and a separate Italian Heritage Day. I look forward to seeing more Italians recognising that Australia Day is deeply painful to our First Peoples, and calling for decolonial national actions.

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I call for older Italians, the Nonni and Second Generation, to use whatever knowledge and privilege we have gained along the way to create paths, mentor, and collaborate with the Italian glocal generations, as well as openly learn from them and acknowledge our limitations.

It was such a joy to edit the personal stories of younger and older Italian LGBTIQ alongside other cultures sharing their pasts, their todays, and their hopes for the future in Living and Loving in Diversity: an Anthology of Australian Multicultural Queer Adventures. But some younger Italians do dishearten me in their descent into ‘ethnic chauvinism’, materialism and complacency, the vilification of new migrant groups, the perpetuation of sexism, racism, and homophobia, their compliance with oppressive religious dogma and corporate-corruption. When, why and how did the oppressed become the oppressor, as Paolo Freire asked almost 50 years ago? What happens when Italian glocal generations inherit or taste economic success and sink to elitism? Or when they learn from the racial slurs their elders endured and become adept at dishing these out to others? My parents taught me that ‘community’ is not always ‘home’, and that it may sometimes be better to dwell on the borders of a community than be enmeshed in its conformist net. As an older Italian social activist, I want a new generation to take up the challenges in ways that are far more applicable to their context. At that point, I hope to be able to bow out gracefully or keep supporting those who come after me. More spaces need to be provided for the multicultural, multisexual glocal generations that will come after us to weave their own tapestries into the social fabric, to cross borderlines and expand boundaries, to explore the contradictions and confluences inherent in the construction of their multiple social positionings as both end-products of larger socio-political and cultural forces, and beginnings of new inscriptions into society, politics and culture.

Jenna Lo Bianco

THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT AND SPEAK ITALIAN Q&A with Giusi Galbo, ‘Star Leader’ of Bravissimi School

Above, below and in the next page kids learning Italian at Bravissimi School

The

benefits

bilingual

experiences

Photos Wide Shut Photography

I spoke with Giusi Galbo, ‘Star Leader’ of Bravissimi, a bilingual school based in Melbourne offering immersion

young children have been researched and

opportunities for young learners and speakers of Italian. With 28 years of experience in the field, her insights

documented for years. A plethora of resources

offer hope to those seeking support and inspiration, as well as guidance for those already trying to raise children

exists to support parents and caregivers who are trying to establish a bilingual home for their little ones. The benefits of increased cognitive development, cultural awareness and sensitivity and wider literacy skills are often clouded, however. The reality of implementing strategies at home that are both consistent and successful in developing bilingual capacity is quite overwhelming. For many out there who don’t have second-language skills or are confused about how to implement such an

in a bilingual home. Giusi, how do you feel when you walk into Bravissimi each day? I feel so blessed when I walk into Bravissimi. I feel a sense of fulfilment when I see our little students’ eyes light up, smiling during the lessons. I find this really rewarding, and the beauty is that they are learning our beautiful language without realising it. Did you always dream of opening an Italian school for younger learners? I always dreamt of being a teacher and I realised this dream in Italy where I taught for many years in primary schools in Como. When I moved with my family to Melbourne I began working as an Italian teacher for private schools as a tutor for students aged 3 to VCE level. I was so keen to open a school for younger learners not only because I love my job, but also to disseminate our language, tradition and culture. We are so lucky that we have such a wonderful culture, and we can immerse ourselves in the art, architecture, music and food that have flourished for centuries. What does a ‘typical’ lesson at Bravissimi look and sound like? The scope of a typical lesson at Bravissimi is to create a language environment inside the class where young

approach at home, turning to professional

students can find motivation, with catchy music and games to be engaged by and interact with. Kids learn best

support is often the answer.

in a prepared environment. I follow the Maria Montessori philosophy and methodology. This method believes that children learn best in an environment equipped with resources and opportunities to actively learn and explore.

Why should parents and caregivers bring their children to Bravissimi to learn? At Bravissimi children are fully immersed in the Italian language. They are exposed to a language development-friendly environment for easy learning with the Montessori methodology, which is ideal for any child as far as studying a second language is concerned. A Montessori education program gives every child an equal opportunity to learn a second language effectively. This is made possible by providing the right environment for language development, such as learning materials and daily routines. The best thing about this methodology is that the teaching staff uses Italian baby songs and Italian alphabet songs with interpretations in the second language of choice to teach the little people. This approach makes it easy for children to understand and interpret what they learn fast. Why do you think Italian, as both language and culture, is so exciting for younger learners? Because children love to do things themselves, and in our culture we have so many fun traditional things to make. From history, the special monuments like il Colosseo, they love to play with terra cotta and learn about our famous artists, pittori, scultori, and paint all the different masterpieces while using the Italian language. It’s so fun! Italian cuisine is famous around the world, and our little chefs like to make homemade pasta and traditional sweets from the different regions of Italy. Our little Bravissimi chefs love to cook! Why is Italian so easy for younger learners to ‘pick up’?

Language plays a major role in enhancing communication in humankind. A child’s language development starts during the infancy stage where they communicate by making different sounds. By the time they are 6 months old, they may not understand some facts about Italian culture but begin to babble using certain syllables in an effort to communicate. What is the greatest challenge for parents and caregivers who are trying to maintain a bilingual home for their children? Do you have any advice for them? What I suggest is for the parents who speak fluent Italian to speak the language with the child at home and everywhere. It’s not rude to speak your language in an English-speaking environment, because you can just say to the people around you that you are speaking in your child’s grandparents’ language.

I believe in the ‘one person, one language’ approach. For the parents who speak only English, I usually send them weekly language support so their children can practise the language at home. Why do you think the study of Italian continues to be so important in Australian society today? Because the Italian population in Australia is very big, considering all the families that moved here a long time ago, and in the last 10 years. We have so many young families coming from Italy and they definitely want to keep the Italian language, culture and traditions alive in Australia. In fact, at Bravissimi I also offer an advanced program for children who are fluent in the language and who want to attend an Italian school that follows exactly the same program as the primary and middle schools in Italy. That way they can continue to learn as if they were in Italy.

language such as Italian provides students with an insight to culture rich in traditions. From parents and nonni who want to keep their cultural heritage alive, to those who want to give their kids a global advantage. Italian is also studied in many primary and secondary schools as well as universities all over the world. Learning Italian at such a young age will provide the upper hand for your child to succeed in their studies as well as in their personal lives and careers.

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Because the young mind is ready and eager to learn. Children learn from their environment and they are always absorbing new information. They can learn any language. It’s very easy for children between 0-5 years of age.

What’s your hope for the future of the study of Italian in Australia? I really hope that the Italian language continues to stay alive in Australia. I think it will because it’s not only the Italian families who love to learn the Italian language, but also many from different backgrounds. That’s because many people know the benefits and the amazing life-long gift they will give to their children.

Giusi, what are some advantages of studying Italian? It would be an immense satisfaction, value and the sense of accomplishment speaking the language of your heritage and of your culture. Also, a classic Latin

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Hayley J. Egan

NEW CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW ITALIAN LEGACY The emergence of Italian folk in Australia The Fairbridge Festival, held in May this year, took on a special Italian theme. Folk legend Riccardo Tesi and the superb Banditaliana enchanted audiences with their contemporary, virtuosic take on music from the oral tradition in central and northern Italy. In another marquee, Aria winner Kavisha Mazzella and her band played a musical accompaniment to a rare and precious silent film, ‘Dall’Italia all’ Australia’ by Angelo Drovetti. Originally played in cinemas in Italy in 1925, the film, showing footage from the ship, was an hourlong advertisement for migration to Australia, promising an adventure and an exciting new life. Melbourne-based Italian folk band Santa Taranta also presented their new show, ‘Songs from the Homeland’, folk songs collected for the National Library of Australia, and a tribute to the music of Italian migrants throughout the country. Through this careful artistic direction, Rod Vervest, director of Fairbridge Festival, created a snapshot of Italian folk culture in Australia as it is at this unique moment in history. The experience of the post-war migrants is honoured by Kavisha, the daughter of this generation. The music of these migrants is reimagined by Santa Taranta, and Italian culture in Australia is valued, given a place at one of Australia’s most prominent and well-loved folk festivals, alongside the crème de la crème of Italian folk musicians (Riccardo Tesi and Banditaliana). Last year, the Italian nu-folk scene was surely stimulated by visiting Sicilian power trio Oi Dipnoi, as well as Unavantaluna, also from Sicily. Their concerts in Melbourne and Sydney showed that Australian audiences are more than ready to embrace authentic, contemporary Italian folk.

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Following on from this enthusiasm, in March this year, Melbourne saw the debut of the Taranta Festival, an exciting new cultural initiative. The aim of this festival is to highlight Italian folk genres as an exciting global trend. Who better to launch this idea than Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS), which was formed in the 1970’s and, now in its second generation, has exploded onto the global world music scene, winning Best Band at the 2019 SONGLINES awards. At the Taranta Festival’s opening concert at the Thornbury Theatre, CGS was supported by Dora and Angelo Marchese. Now in their 80s, this duo have been performing in Melbourne for decades, and represent the beginnings of Italian live music in Australia. Folk and Romany group Vardos Trio, also played at this event, their invigorating set sandwiched between Dora and Angelo Marchese and CGS. Vardos, in this context, represent the interaction between cultures that enriches the Australian music scene, providing a vital context to the way Italian musical culture has evolved in Australia, that is, not in a vacuum, but as part of a constant cultural dialogue. Meanwhile, in Griffith NSW, a group of young people, including organiser Patrick Zurilli, were bringing to life the first edition of The Griffith Italian Festival, which sold out in the days preceding the event. With 60% of our population coming from Italian background, we asked ourselves why there wasn’t already an Italian festival in Griffith’, Patrick says. The organisers took inspiration from one of Australia’s biggest Italian festivals, the Melbourne Italian Festa in Lygon St, Carlton.

Fairbridge Festival closing parade ‘We went down to Melbourne, and we saw what they were doing there. We had some bands from Melbourne, but what differentiates us is that we were really wanting to showcase our local Italian culture.’ The future, Patrick says, is about reconnection. ‘We want to focus on the local, but in future we would be really open to working with people from Italy and learning from them. Especially for us younger generations, that would be a good way to learn about our roots, to reconnect.’ The Griffith Italian Festival lineup included nu-folk groups like The Rustica Project, whose members include a mix of first and second-generation Italian migrants. In this way, the festival is already opening these channels of communication between the old and the new. Also of note at Griffith was Siesta Cartel, a charming new group that describes themselves as ‘young Italians from Melbourne,’ declaring proudly the existence of Italian culture and identity beyond the Italian peninsula.

Photo David LeMay Siesta Cartel play Italian music learnt here from their parents, Grandparents and their records. ‘The music that raised them,’ as they describe it, is made new and fashionable again as it is reimagined by them. Italian folk bands included in the program of Australian folk festivals, visiting artists from Italy collaborating with Australian artists from Italian and other traditions, second and third generation Italian-Australians re-interpreting the music of their childhoods, new migrants connecting with the musicians who have provided the soundtrack to country halls and Italian clubs since the 50s and 60s. All of these elements are currently present in the Australian music scene, and each of them are necessary to truly reflect the complexity of Italian music culture in Australia. With so many new initiatives, and new ways of including Italian music in existing events and festivals, it’s an exciting time for Italian music and entertainment in Australia.

Conosci l’Italia?

01. Valle d’Aosta 02. Piemonte 03. Liguria 04. Lombardia 05. Trentino Alto Adige 06. Friuli Venezia Giulia 07. Veneto 08. Emilia Romagna 09. Toscana 10. Marche 11. Umbria 12. Lazio 13. Abruzzo 14. Molise 15. Campania 16. Puglia 17. Basilicata 18. Calabria 19. Sicilia 20. Sardegna

Sveglia, é Natale Uno strano tintinnio di campanelli sveglia lo gnomo Pinco. Dal bosco coperto di neve compare uno strano omone vestito di rosso. - Fa freddo fuori mi fai entrare? - chiede educatamente. - Certo! - risponde Pinco. Dopo una tazza di tè l’omone si alza di scatto. - È tardi, ho un lavoro urgente da sbrigare! Esce di corsa, salta sulla slitta e sparisce veloce nel cielo. - Ma certo, oggi è la vigilia di Natale! - esclama Pinco, mentre vicino al camino scopre un piccolo dono per lui.

Chi è il misterioso omone? ....................................................................................

Quale lavoro deve sbrigare? ..................................................................................

Giochi ed indovinelli di Bravissimi Riproduzione illustrazioni di Lorenzo Marinelli

Colora i simboli di Natale

Raise bilingual kids! Give them a skill they will cherish for life ‘I follow Maria Montessori philosophy and methodology. This method believes that children learn best in an environment equipped with resources and opportunities to actively learn and explore” Giusi Galbo, Founder and Teacher at Bravissimi School

N O O S G N I OPEN CH AT BRUNSWICK NEW BRAN RIMARY SCHOOL SOUTH P

Airport West and Princes Hill - Enquiries 03 9338 0831 - www.bravissimi.com.au

Let them embrace the benefits of a bilingual education

the first school in Victoria to offer a bilingual education IN ITALIAN

56 Brunswick Road Brunswick East VIC 3057 ph. 03 9380 1231 brunswick.south.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au brunswicksouthps.vic.edu.au

Segmento Magazine XX - Summer Edition 2019/20

Articles inside

UNAPOLOGETICALLY ITALIAN