Celebrating Italy and Italian culture in Canberra at the Viva Italia in Canberra Festival.

Viva Italia festival director Lyndall Heddle says it’s certainly a curiosity to have an Australian woman with no Italian heritage become as passionate as she is about the country. 

“Siena has given me so much and this festival is not only a way to give back to Italy, but to acknowledge, celebrate and thank the wonderful Italian community we have in Canberra,” she says. 

Watching her youngest daughter embark on a gap year in 2011, something sparked for Lyndall, who decided to also take her own gap year. 

Dreaming of studying Italian and no longer constrained by children in the house, Lyndall took off on her own adventure to Siena in Tuscany. 

What had initially started as a six-month visit was extended to 20 months, an experience that Lyndall says has “changed [her] life and outlook on life”.

“I discovered another way to live and in doing so found my long-lost self,” she says.

Returning to Canberra in 2013, Lyndall was quick to join as many Italian societies and clubs as she could and says she has been overwhelmed and honoured by the great warmth she experienced in welcoming her.

“I have made so many new friends here and the Italian community has welcomed me so warmly,” says Lyndall. 

“Starting the Viva Italia Festival in Canberra is my small way of giving back and, most importantly, saying ‘thank
you Italy’.

“It is also a way of sharing Italian culture with a much wider community, after all, what isn’t there to love about Italian food and wine, its art, its music, its culture and of course the friendliness of the people.”

With a grant from Events ACT, Lyndall’s dream of celebrating Italy in Canberra was born. 

“With our festival, everyone can have a chance to experience Italianness without leaving Canberra,” she says. 

“Hopefully, it will also inspire people to experience Italy for themselves and have their own life-changing experience, after which you will keep returning time and time again to enjoy.”

The inaugural event starts on March 28 and will go until April 13. She says the program was designed to include signature events across Canberra as well as partnering with businesses keen to be involved with the festival. 

Particularly excited about the opening night at The Jetty at Lake Burley Griffin, Lyndall says people will be able to enjoy typical Italian street food while dancing the night away to the sounds of the Viva Italia band from Sydney. 

“What better location is there to showcase our beautiful city and enjoy a great Italian evening under the stars of the Southern Cross?” she says. 

Other highlights include a special screening of the 1953 film Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck at the Palace Electric Cinema, a wine tour at Mount Majura Vineyard for a wine tasting and tour of the vineyard, a visit to Shaw Estate in Murrumbateman to play bocce and other games while enjoying award-winning wines, Italian music at Smiths Alternative, Italian painting lessons (while sipping Italian wine) and a workshop to create an Italian glass tile at the Canberra Glassworks. 

With three book launches taking place during the festival, Lyndall says the festival will bring real Italian pride and reverie to the community. 

Home to many Italian migrants, Lyndall says it’s a special thing indeed to celebrate Canberra’s rich history with Italy. 

“One of the most important events that we are hosting will be our Gala Dinner at the Realm Hotel on May 10,” says Lyndall. 

Entertained by the National Opera Canberra and DJ Joe (who will be playing Italian dance tunes throughout the night), Lyndall says the highlight of the gala will be an auction raising money for a scholarship to send a student of Italian studies at the ANU to Siena to study for a month.

“It’ll be a real pleasure to foster a friendship between Siena and Canberra by being able to send a student over to learn more about the culture and language from a first-hand perspective.”

Lyndall says she is excited to welcome everyone to Canberra’s first Viva Italia festival.

Viva Italia Festival. March 28 to April 13. Visit vivaitaliaincanberra.com.au 

Festival sponsor has a passion for food and all things Italian

Proud Italian son and owner of Sitting Ducks Catering, Danny Corvini is a sponsor for the first Viva Italia in Canberra Festival. 

“It’s an exciting way to experience Italy and its culture without leaving the comfort of home,” he says.

Sitting Ducks Catering has been serving the community for more than 20 years, with Danny taking the business on five years ago. 

“We are a strong team and our wait staff are well loved,” says Danny. 

Known for its canape menu, Danny says he and his team of “ducks” are proud to have been providing exceptional catering services to events throughout Canberra. 

“With years of experience and a passion for food, we serve up delicious, creative and diverse menus for a wide range of events, no matter if it’s a corporate event, formal dinner or if you simply want restaurant-quality food at home,” he says. 

Not limited by a select menu, Sitting Ducks has a wide range of menus, ensuring the right food fits the bill. 

Outside of supporting his father, a recent nominee for the ACT Senior of the Year awards and author of memoir A Climbing Life (to be launched at the Italian Cultural Centre on Sunday, March 30), Danny says he is most excited about the opening night launch at The Jetty. 

“Canberra has a large number of Italian migrants who now call Australia home,” he says. 

“It’ll be a spectacular evening celebrating Canberra’s rich history with Italy. 

“Get out and escape the everyday into a celebration of Italian culture.

Sitting Ducks Catering. 17b Bentham Street, Yarralumla. Call 0417 322038, email mail@sittingducks.com.au or visit sittingducks.com.au

Mountaineer’s autobiography on frostbite and resilience

At 85, Armando Corvini has lived an incredible life. 

Nominated as the ACT Senior of the Year, Armando isn’t a man to let anything get him down. 

Born in Trieste, Italy, and now living in Canberra, Armando has fostered a love of caving and climbing from a young age. 

In 1994, his life changed as he knew it after losing his fingers and toes due to severe frostbite after climbing a mountain in Nepal.

Now, after many operations and life-changing decisions, Armando has written his autobiography with the help of close family friend Pamela Steele. 

Armando’s book, A Climbing Life, is set to be launched during the Viva Italia in Canberra Festival on Sunday, March 30 at 2pm at the Italian Cultural Centre. 

“We’ve known each other for 20 years and about five years ago we were talking and decided to write down his incredible story,” says Pamela. 

“I looked down at his hands and thought, ‘how can we do this?’, so I offered to type if he spoke.

“Every Tuesday for five years, I drove to his house and sat in front of the laptop.” 

According to Pamela, Armando’s story is one of resilience.

“If someone can’t type, there’s no reason why they can’t write their story,” she says. 

“It’s been a privilege to be welcomed into their family and write it up.”

Armando now teaches young people how to climb and cave. 

“A Climbing Life” Book Launch at the Viva Italia in Canberra Festival, 2pm, March 30. Italian Cultural Centre, 80 Franklin Street, Forrest. 

Society that celebrates Italian language and culture

The Dante Alighieri Society (DAS) of Canberra is passionate about the promotion of Italian Language and Culture in Canberra and is pleased to support two initiatives expanding Canberra’s opportunities to engage with Italian culture. 

“We welcome the Viva Italia in Canberra Festival and warmly congratulate the organisers,” says president Franco Papandrea.

“We are also very pleased to join the students at Yarralumla bilingual Primary School to celebrate Dantedì (Dante Day) on March 25, as a tribute to the father of the Italian language.” 

Established in 1957, the Dante Alighieri Society has been offering an authentic experience of Italian language and culture to the Canberra community for more than 65 years and is widely regarded as the best place to learn Italian in the national capital. 

Offering the widest range of adult Italian courses available in Canberra at competitive prices, the society is the only place within the region where non-native Italian speakers can sit exams for the PLIDA certificate of Italian competency. 

Thanks to assistance by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the society employs mother-tongue Italian-language assistants to support Italian classes in Canberra’s schools. 

The society also provides subsidised Italian language courses for children attending schools where the language is not offered. 

Membership of the society is open to anyone and members are provided with an extensive program of cultural and social activities including weekly social conversation groups, special events and social occasions. 

The Dante Alighieri Society of Canberra. Italian Cultural Centre, 80 Franklin Street, Forrest. Call 5117 3996 or visit danteact.org.au

Pat’s got more workwear than ever before

With more than 30 years of providing quality work clothes to the Canberra region and a team that’s backed with more than 90 years’ combined industry experience, Seears Workwear knows what working people are after, says owner Pat Seears, who runs the business with his son Shane.

Seears Workwear has its largest range of workwear stock ever – the biggest in the region, says Pat.

The store also has workwear for chefs, paramedics and firefighters, says Pat, who knows the needs of local businesses and supplies many Fyshwick businesses with their work uniforms. 

Stocking work apparel such as high-vis workwear, jackets, jeans, shoes and hats, he says: “Everything is the best quality from the best manufacturers.” 

Located on Barrier Street, he says their stock includes safety work boots, leather shoes and steel-toed canvas shoes, from brands such as Puma, Rockport and Dunlop. 

Seears Workwear can also assist companies through their corporate uniform services, which provide customised embroidery services for promotional clothing and business uniforms. 

Seears Workwear, 60 Barrier Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 4111 or visit seearsworkwear.com.au