Preview evening of Figure per Gianni Rodari - Illustrators for Gianni Rodari in Auckland

The Illustrators for Gianni Rodari exhibition is now on in Auckland. 

From today, 17 October, until Sunday 25 September, drop in between 10.00 a.m. and 4 p.m. you can read more about this exhibition in the website of Regione Emilia Romagna by clicking here, (and also here in the Italian language).

The Dante team joined a preview event last night, along with guests from the local Italian and publishing communities, plus Waitematā Local Board and Newmarket Business Association representatives.

Dante Auckland members, from left: Cav. Alessandra Zecchini, Flavia Berucci, Sir John Kirwan, Matteo Telara, Barbara Martelli, Cav. Sandra Fresia, Valeria Santillo, Luca Manghi.

Brought together to mark the centenary of the birth of the great Italian children's writer Gianni Rodari, the exhibition showcases illustrations from 21 leading artists who have illustrated his books. The Exhibition is organised internationally by: Fiera di Bologna, BCBF, Regione E-R, Regione E-R Cultura d’Europa, Einaudi Ragazzi, Vivere all’Italiana (MAECI).

Auckland edition is curated by Nicoletta Benella and organised by Dante Alighieri Society Auckland and Festival Italiano Auckland in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in New Zealand, Oratia Books, Newmarket Business Association. and is part of the Artweek Auckland 2020 Programme, the Italian Festival Season in Auckland, and celebrates the XX edition of the Italian Language Week in the World.

 

Dante members delighted to rediscover Rodari's books 

Featured artists: Bruno Munari, Emanuele Luzzati, Altan, Beatrice Alemagna, Gaia Stella, Olimpia Zagnoli, Manuel Fior, Alessandro Sanna, Valerio Vitali, Simona Mulazzani, Chiara Armellini, Anna Laura Cantone, Fulvio Testa, Maria Chiara Di Giorgio, Giulia Orecchia, Nicoletta Costa, Federico Maggioni, Francesca Ghermandi, Pia Valentinis, Vittoria Facchini, Elenia Beretta.

 

The Oratia Books crew, one of the local sponsors, with Lindsey Jones (third from right), Honorary Consul for Italy, Auckland. From left: Belinda Cooke, Frances Chan, Peter Dowling, Alessandra Zecchini, Lindsey Jones, Carolyn Lagahetau, Ross Kinnaird

Of course we had Italian food to nibble on: piadina, arancini and...

.... cannoli, from Nonna in Teed St, Newmarket. 

Congratulations to exhibition curator Nicoletta Benella, and all who have made the exhibition possible.

Tomorrow morning (18 October) at 9.30 a.m., Nicoletta will join Professor Bruno Ferraro in a discussion about Rodari's life and work, and the artists who have accompanied him. Free entry.

Photos by Gianni Flego

October 2020 Newsletter

Our October Newsletter is online now, please click here to read.

 

Photo from Festival Italiano Concert : Cartoline Italiane

We had a beautiful Festival Italiano concert on Sunday evening with flautist Luca Manghi e pianist David Kelly.

The program included Italian composers from the XVIII century through to contemporaries:

Locatelli, Rabboni, Catalani, De Lorenzo, Busoni, Malipiero, Casella, Gagliano and Morricone, with the added bonus of an encore (Rota).

Thank you all for attending, keeping distances and scanning the QR code! It was a real joy to be able to enjoy live music again!

Photos by Gianni Flego

Term 4 schedule out now!

 Learn Italian in Auckland

Italian Language Courses 

Term 4 - 2020

For Adults' classes click here

To find out more about the Dante Alighieri School in Auckland click here.

The Children's school and Playgroup will re-open when we will be able to have more than 10 people in class. Stay safe everyone!

Cartoline Italiane – Musical snapshots of XX century Italy, with special homage to Ennio Morricone

 

Cartoline Italiane – Musical snapshots of XX century Italy, with special homage to Ennio Morricone

September 27 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

|$25

This year’s Festival Italiano Concert will feature Flautist Luca Manghi and pianist David Kelly with a selection of music by Casella, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Malipiero, Rota, and a special homage to Ennio Morricone. The concert will be followed by an Italian aperitivo. Due to Covid Alert 2 in Auckland the event will be limited to 100 people (including musicians and staff). 

 

Cash at the door only, entry $25,

Dante members $20, Students $10.

Sunday 27 September, 5pm start

St Luke’s Church

130 Remuera Road,

Remuera, Auckland 1050

 

Dante Raffle 2020 - Win some amazing prizes!

Our annual Dante Raffle is back! We may not be able to travel to Italy this year, but we have some amazing prizes for you, to make the most of the dolce vita here in New Zealand!

1st Prize

Win a long weekend for 6 at Bombardino Chalet in Ohakune, with welcoming Italian dinner!

Our first prize this year is an Italian style experience here in wonderful New Zealand! Bombardino Chalet is a modern holiday home in Ohakune, complete with Spa, mountain views, and located within walking distance from shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Prize pack includes two nights for 6 people and welcoming Italian dinner by hosts Simona and Massimo, to be enjoyed between November 2020 e March 2021 (date to be arranged with hosts, dependant on availability, public holidays excluded). Prize pack valued at approx. $1000 +

 

2nd Prize

Love Italian fashion? Win a $300 voucher from Edit. and be the most stylish man in town!

Edit. specialises in luxury international clothing and footwear brands for men with care about fabrication, fit and detail. Edit. has two stores in Auckland, in Vulcan Lane, CBD, and Teed St, Newmarket, and one store in Wellington, in Hunter St, CBD.

3rd Prize

Win a beautiful Italian scarf created by Touched by Fire, value $280

Touched by Fire is a small company based in Christchurch (New Zealand) with the aim to ignite a passion for exquisite forms, fabrics, textures and colours. The scarves are conceptualised and designed by Simon Ogden in New Zealand. Once the designs are ready, they are sent to Italy. In Lake Como natural fibres are blended and woven into fabrics that hang softly and best react to natural dyes, bringing the nuances of colour and the details of the design to life. At this point, the printed material travels to Bologna. In Bologna a team of committed artisans cuts, washes and finishes each scarf by hand before the journey back to New Zealand.

4th Prize

Learn to make fresh pasta like they do it in Bologna! Win a basic pasta class for two at Pasta & Cuore in Mt Eden, valued at $220

Pasta & Cuore is an Italian Restaurant and Pastificio in the heart of Mt Eden, open from lunch through to dinner Tuesday to Saturday. They specialise in handmade fresh pasta using quality ingredients and traditional methods, and run pasta and gnocchi classes at different levels.

5th Prize

Win an elegant Giftbox containing Truffle Zest, Black truffle Oil, Black truffle sauce, and black truffle butter, by Sabatino Tartufi, value $85.

Sabatino Tartufi was founded in 1911 when Sabatino Balestra and his wife Giuseppina opened their first store in Umbria, Italy and began the distribution of specialty food products. As fate will have it, their very own lands began to fruit truffles. Overwhelmed with passion for these unique gems of the kitchen, they started to hunt for truffles and develop high quality truffle products for all of their customers to enjoy. Today, Sabatino Tartufi is the world’s largest truffle specialist and is still family owned.

To Win:

To be in to win just buy a raffle ticket from the Dante Alighieri Society, tickets will be on sale from 30 September at the Dante School in Freemans Bay, Auckland, or through our volunteers, and all day until 4pm on 8 November at the Festival Italiano in Newmarket. 

Tickets or prizes will not be sent by post.

 

Tickets: $5 for 1 or a pack of 5 tickets for $20. Tickets are numbered 0001 - 1000.

Winning tickets will be drawn from a barrel on 8 November, 4.30pm on Stage at Festival Italiano, Osborne Lane, Newmarket, Auckland. Results will be notified publicly on www.dante.org.nz on 10 November 2020. In case of event of cancellation the draw will be done one week after the Festival date. The winners, if not present, will be notified by phone.

All proceeds from the sale of tickets will go to the Dante Auckland School for children.

 

The Dante Alighieri Italian School for Children would like to acknowledge our generous sponsors:

Bombardino Chalet

Edit.

Touched by Fire

Pasta & Cuore

Sabatino Tartufi

Cinema Italiano Festival opens in Auckland

First social distancing movie premiere, and one to remember! Studio Italia Cinema Italiano opening at the Bridgeway Cinema in Auckland - cool and safe meeting up with masks to enjoy the hilarious comedy An Almost Ordinary Summer - Croce e Delizia - plus there were yummy goodie bags for everyone!!!

Grazie Cinema Italiano Festival for bringing a lit Italian flair to Auckland: the Italian Festival Season in Auckland is now officially open!

 

Cinema Italiano Festival in Auckland

 Cinema Italiano Festival is coming to Auckland! Click here to download and print the full programme!

Newsletter di settembre

La newsletter di settembre è in rete, potrete trovarla cliccando qui.

 

Auckland’s Italian celebrations are back!

Festival Italiano: 8 November 2020, 11am – 5pm, Newmarket — FREE ENTRY

Italian Festival Season in Auckland: 17 September – 29 November, Auckland-wide

The largest Italian Festival in New Zealand is returning in Auckland, with the highlight being the popular Festival Italiano street event in Newmarket on Sunday 8 November.

The Italian Festival Season in Auckland will open officially on 17 September with Cinema Italiano Festival, followed by a series of Italian events including the international art exhibition Illustrators for Gianni Rodari, in New Zealand for the first time. 

The season will continue until 27 November with a host of Italian-themed events in the city, plus the Week of Italian Language and the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World. For an updated list of events check out our Festival Calendar.

The apex of the Italian Season will be the Festival Italiano on Sunday 8 November, in Newmarket’s Osborne St, Kent St, Rialto Centre and Lumsden Green. Italian restaurants and food stalls will set up in the streets together with a pop-up Italian bar and a market, plus more free activities inside Rialto Centre. 

Live music and entertainment, art and books for children, a special Italian products degustation area, workshops and exhibits will be happening alongside displays of Italian cars and scooters, spot prizes, and special guests. 

Sir John Kirwan, President of the Dante Alighieri Italian Society of Auckland, the main player behind the Festival, commented: 

“2020 has been a challenging year, and the future is still uncertain, but at the Dante Alighieri Italian Society we want to be positive, forward looking, and offer everyone a chance to experience Italy right here in New Zealand. 

“Naturally the decision to hold a Festival came with many new challenges and with much diminished finances, so I would like to acknowledge all those volunteers who work tirelessly to make this event possible, our sponsors big and small, and the public who every year turn up, rain or shine, to celebrate with us in numbers.”

 

This year there will be changes to the event to adhere to new Ministry of Health and Auckland Council guidelines and to keep the public safe. All updates will be published in our website and shared through our media and social channels. 

Festival Italiano is a not-for-profit event organised by the volunteers of the Dante Alighieri Society of Auckland in collaboration with Newmarket., with the generous support of the Waitematā Local Board and under the patronage of the Italian Embassy in Wellington. The major corporate sponsor and partner for 2020 is Rialto Centre.