Italy: Ciao via Ballarat!

Rome: With international travel returning in force, the Ballarat Italian Association looks to have a busy period ahead of them.Frank Cotronea, president of the BIA, said the group is wanting to get the word out about what the organisation can offer to those looking for the Mediterranean experience.“Especially now that travel’s opened up a lot more, we want to show what we can do to help people who are going to Italy,” he said.“We try to get the community involved in our culture, get them to enjoy and appreciate what we do and to experience what we offer.”BIA’s upcoming offerings include Italian culture and language classes, with the latter’s second term set to run weekly from Monday, 2 May until Monday, 20 June.

The group is currently seeking additional teachers for their language classes, and the coming months will also see a showcasing of Italian movies from Palace Cinemas, which will be shown at Showbiz Cinemas.In the midst of these offerings, the BIA will invite the public to celebrate Italian Republic Day on Wednesday, 4 June, which Mr Cotronea said is “the main event” of their year.“Each year we have a band that comes up from Melbourne. We’re also working on a floor show for the evening. It’ll be a lot of dancing, lot of food, lot of fun,” he said.

Comprising over 140 members, Adrian Morisi, BIA’s administration officer said the group’s offerings are about giving people “a taste of what Italy looks like” under a combined cultural gathering.“That’s our greatest strength is that you don’t have to be Italian to join or get involved. We’re pretty diverse,” he said.“I remember a time when we had a Chinese chef, a Dutch member, we’ve had so many people from over the world become a part of this.“All the different communities come together as one to celebrate family and understanding everyone’s culture and what they bring to it.”The BIA was first established in 1975, and Mr Cotronea said the association has evolved into something more than a community group for the members.“If you look at a lot of our member base, a lot of them are in their 50s and 60s with family all over the world, so for a lot of them, this is their family,” he said.“For them this is about getting back to our regular schedule and there’s a lot happening for us right now, so it’s about not just what we do but also supporting the community out there.”Memberships will see a reduced rate for all BIA offerings at an annual cost of $25 for individuals, $40 for couples and $50 for families.