Cari amici e soci della Dante Auckland,
Welcome to our 2025 Annual General Meeting!
Looking back on the past year, I’m pleased to say that 2024 was a positive and productive one for the Dante Team. We hosted a full calendar of engaging talks, workshops, and activities, while continuing our regular classes. It’s been a year of growth, learning, and cultural exchange, and I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.
First, I want to thank our teachers and committee members for all their hard work in organizing and supporting these events. Your dedication is what makes our society so special.
Also, a special and very personal thank you goes to Valeria Santillo, who has been an integral part of the Dante Society for many years and served as our Treasurer for the past seven years. Valeria has been a pillar of support, managing our finances and assisting with many other administrative tasks. Her dedication and professionalism have been invaluable to the society. Valeria has decided to step down as Treasurer, but she will continue to support us as a Committee member. Her official time as Treasurer will end on April 1st, and we’re deeply grateful for all the hard work she’s done over the years.
As we thank Valeria for her incredible contributions, we’re also excited to welcome Lynne Webb as our new Treasurer. Lynne brings a wealth of experience from her work as a Finance Manager, leading accounts and payroll teams and supporting local organizations. We’re confident that she will bring her skills and expertise to our society, and we look forward to working with her.
I also want to give a special thanks to Barbara Martelli, who led our Creative Writing Workshop “Una Storia in Italia.” Under Barbara’s and Elia’s guidance, a group of our students wrote a beautiful short novel, Trieste, addio! This project was a wonderful exploration of both the Italian language and the power of storytelling. The experience was incredibly rewarding for both tutors and students, as it allowed participants to challenge their language skills while creating a compelling narrative. The novel was presented during the Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo with the theme “L’italiano e il libro: il mondo fra le righe.” This project was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Dante Alighieri Society of Rome.
I would also like to acknowledge Riccardo Lucignani for his insightful workshop on Caravaggio, Caravaggio in Rome: The Painter and the City 1500 – 1600. Riccardo’s expertise gave us a deep dive into the life and works of this iconic artist, and we appreciate him sharing his knowledge with us.
During the year we continued our monthly Colazione appointments organised by Matteo Telara with several interesting talks that were part of these events. Among them were a special talk by Dr. Giulia Dondoli on anti-money laundering, a session on Italo Calvino with Professor Bruno Ferraro, and a fascinating history talk with Giulia Borelli about how Italy became a Republic. These gatherings have been a great way for us to stay connected and engage with Italian culture.
This year, for the first time, the Dante Alighieri Society of Auckland attended the 84th International Congress of the Società Dante Alighieri in Rome. Alessandra Zecchini represented our committee where she participated in three days of meetings, events, and networking opportunities. It was a fantastic chance to connect with other Dante Societies from around the world and strengthen our bonds within the global Dante network.
In November, we had the privilege of hosting the Tenores di Neoneli concert, which brought the music and traditions of Sardinia to New Zealand. It was a beautiful celebration of Italian culture, and we were thrilled to share this experience with our community. I’d like to thank Luca Manghi for organising this beautiful concert and for his contribution during the concert. It was just magical to see him playing together with the Sardinian musicians and their ancient instruments.
The year concluded with our annual Mercatino di Natale (Christmas Market), which was a lovely way to bring our community together and celebrate the festive season and the new year kicked off with the return of the Festival Italiano in Auckland. The festival was a huge success, bigger and better than ever. Our Dante stand was well-represented, thanks to the hard work of Alessandra Zecchini and all the volunteers who helped out. We are also very grateful to our sponsors, La Marzocco, Segafredo, All Good, and Coffex, for their support. The Festival Italiano was made possible by the Newmarket Business Association, Only Event, with the support of the Waitemata Local Board, the Italian Embassy, and thanks to all the sponsors and stallholders.
In addition to these special events, we also continued with some of our regular activities, such as the Cantastorie, our monthly children’s program and our ever-popular Intensive Italian Course in January, both led by our School Director Sandra Fresia.
These activities, along with everything else, are reflected in our financial statement, which shows that the society has been able to realise a small operational profit compared to previous years. Valeria Santillo will share more details on the finances shortly.
Looking ahead to 2025, we know there will be some challenges, but I am confident that the society is in a stronger position to handle them. With that in mind, we are pleased to announce that membership fees will remain the same as last year, with no increases.
In closing, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of our members and students for your continued support. Together, we have accomplished so much, and I am excited for another year full of activities, events, and opportunities for growth and connection.
Grazie a tutti, e ci vediamo presto!
Flavia Berucci
President
Società Dante Alighieri Auckland
