Sicilian Arts Collective Australia

01/01/2026

Buon annu nuovu!!

Here's to an exciting harmonious and inspiring 2026!!

22/12/2025

IL GLOBO 22 DEC 2025. "Memories carved in the stone of Lipari"

An insightful article on the premiere screening of the documentary film LA CAVA BIANCA at SACA's Avventure Siciliane II Festival event "Isola Bianca" on 28 OCT 2025

Elisa Mereghetti
Davide S. Sapienza
Ethnos
Italian Cultural Institute Melbourne - IIC Melbourne
Consolato Generale d'Italia - Melbourne
Museo Eoliano dell'Emigrazione
Giuseppe Pino La Greca
Marcello Saija
Società Isole Eolie Melbourne
Cristina Neri Janetta Ziino
Comune di Lipari - Amministrazione Comunale
UNESCO

📷 Fiona Basile: Photographer & Writer

07/12/2025

The beautiful art deco heritage Eolian Hall, North Carlton: the cultural site to three of four events staged by the Sicilian Arts Collective Australia's Avventure Sicliane II festival 2025.

This site, the traditional sites of the Wurunderij people, of meeting circles, talks, debates, dance, music, songlines, storytelling, food shared, where performances are held since time past.

Designed by Architect C.J. White of 100 Queen Street Melbourne and constructed by F.N Mann Pty. Ltd in 1932, for the formerly, Kadimah Jewish Centre and since 1963 the Eolian Hall, the venue for migrants from to gather and celebrate traditions.

Gratitude to our venue sponsor Società Isole Eolie Melbourne and host to our festival's Isola Bianca premiere screening of La Cava Bianca; to Celebrating Nino Randanzzo, cantastorie performances of Il Pane e Le Rose and Victoria Markets: a genesis of a myth; and in Sicilian language, I Fimmini Diciunu No!, playact.

A warm call out to COASIT Melbourne Museo Italiano venue sponsor and host to La Mama Theatre 2024 premiere performance, The Last Sicilian, our festival opening event.

Grazie infinite per la vostra squisita ospitalita’.

📷 Rosalie Paino

07/11/2025

Gioverdi 6 November 2025. Grazie IL GLOBO for supporting the arts.

06/11/2025

Write up by di lipari on the premiere screening of LA CAVA BIANCA - THE WHITE QUARRY also presented in Melbourne 28 October 2025 at the Eolian Hall, Carlton.

DM for a googl translation.
https://www.giornaledilipari.it/la-cava-bianca-presentato-anche-a-melbourne/
IL GLOBO
SBS Italian
SBS Australia

Presentato alla Eolian Hall di Melbourne, il documentario "La Cava Bianca" . Madrine della serata Cristina Neri e Janetta Ziino,

04/11/2025

The closing highlight in SACA’s Avventure Siciliane, a cultural festival exploring Sicilian themes of loss and power through theatre, film and lively discussions was 'I Fimmini Diciunu No' (The Women Say No).

Donatella La Macchia’s performance in I Fimmini Diciunu No is a lesson in theatrical resourcefulness, a dramaturgical gift direct from Messina in Sicily. With only her voice and body and a microphone, La Macchia inhabits the stage with an array of characters who are equal protagonists in this act of political theatre which chronicles the Italian Government’s 1971 attempt to exile 15 mafia bosses to the tiny island of Filicudi in the Eolian archipelago.

Like her one-time mentor Dario Fo, or more specifically his theatrical partner Franca Rame, La Macchia utilises the craft of the giullare – a form of radical medieval solo performer – to animate the stage with multiple personae and political opinions. She stalks the stage (and the audience) as a crowd of curious islanders, eager to know if the mafiosi have arrived. She precisely embodies an individual woman, who has been assaulted by a military commander yet boldly defies the authorities, urging on the women of the island in their refusal to allow the mafiosi to be housed on Filicudi.

Without need of any complex staging, La Macchia employs all her physical and vocal skills to make manifest this act of defiance, supported at critical moments by narrator-figure Donatella Alibrandi and accompanied on percussion by local musician Giovanni di Stefano. From a whisper to a scream La Macchia informs us, she cajoles us, she alarms us, she emboldens us: No! I fimmini diciunu No! The women say NO!

Thank you to SACA committee member, Laurence Strangio, for this fabulous review!

And of course, a VERY BIG THANK YOU to Società Isole Eolie Melbourne, our venue sponsor and host, to COASIT Melbourne, The Sicilian Association of Australia, our SACA committee members, the performers Donatella La Macchia Cuntastorie, Donatella Alibrandi and Giovanni Di Stefano of Solo Antico., and to our wonderful community of supporters, especially those who attended our events.

Photography by SACA committee member, Fiona Basile: Photographer & Writer. If using any of these photos, please credit the photographer.

31/10/2025

Listen to Magica Fossati, SBS Italian chat with Marcella Alibrandi Marcello Saija, and Donatella La Macchia Cuntastorie on tonight's riveting performance I Fimmini Diciunu No! | Avventure Siciliane II Festival
🎧
👇
https://www.sbs.com.au/language/italian/it/podcast-episode/i-fimmini-diciunu-no-in-scena-a-melbourne-un-cunto-siciliano-che-ci-porta-a-filicudi/uqqlp8h1j

Eolienews - Notizie dalle Eolie e dalla Sicilia
Giornale di Sicilia

31/10/2025

After weeks of rehearsals, a cast of 12 staged ‘Victoria Markets: Genesis of a Myth’ to captivate rows of witnesses in a recount of journalist-playwright Nino Randazzo’s story of “corrupt powers, police, politicians and institutions who perpetuated a false narrative for decades at the cost of innocent immigrants.”

Our theatre director, Laurence Strangio worked his directorial magic with our emerging actor-narrators, together with Australian-Eolian-Italians, and guitarist and songstress, Elvira Andreoli’s acoustics in the making of this community theatre performance.

Il Pane e Le Rose opened the evening of 'Celebrating Nino Randazzo', Avventure Siciliane II's third event on Wednesday, 29 October at the Eolian Hall in Carlton. This three-act play explores the poignant theme of a Sicilian migrant’s disillusionment upon returning to his hometown.

Performer and playwright, Rosanna Morales, who adapts Randazzo’s plays, to continue the Sicilian theatrical tradition of Cantastorie, says, "I love that it brought together a community, and that the cast represented three generations of Eoliani to celebrate their heritage."

Elvira Andreoli composed music to Randazzo's lyrics, matching her powerhouse voice, and bringing climax, cliffhangers, texture and mood to the performances. It was a joy to hear raucous laughter from the audience.

Carmel Randazzo, Nino's daughter was moved by the performances, saying, central to her father's literary works was to build a bridge between australia and Italy - evident in Celebrating Nino Randazzo | Avventure Siciliane II Festival

Applauso a tutti voi! Bravissimi!

A special thank to Società Isole Eolie Melbourne, our venue sponsor and host, to COASIT Melbourne, the The Sicilian Association of Australia, our SACA committee members, our volunteers actors, and to our wonderful community of supporters, especially those who have been attending our events.

Join us this evening for our last event of Avventure Siciliane II, I Fimmini Diciuno No, featuring theatre artist, Donatella La Macchia, direct from Messina, Sicily, from 7pm at the Eolian Hall in Carlton. More info and bookings: bit.ly/3Lgdk3J

Photography by SACA committee member, Fiona Basile: Photographer & Writer. If using any of these photos in any way, please credit the photographer.

IL GLOBO SBS Italian

30/10/2025

Rehearsals last night! Listen in to SBS Italian 9.30am this morning for a chat with performing artist Donatella La Macchia Cuntastorie and Professor Marcello Saija, University of Messina.
Few seats still available on Trybooking I Fimmini Diciunu No!
Mariangela Ficarra
📷 Rosalie Paino

29/10/2025

What a privilege for the Sicilian Arts Collective Australia (SACA) to screen the world premiere of the film, La Cava Bianca (The White Quarry) at the Eolian Hall, Carlton, in the presence of the Vice Consul General of Italy.

Our gratitude to producers and directors, Marco Mensa and Elisa Mereghetti of Ethnos with geopoet, Davide S. Sapienza. We enjoyed the welcome message from Marco and Elisa, and they also joined us online after the screening for a special time of Q&A with the audience, along with Dr Giuseppe La Greca and Prof Marcello Saija from the University of Messina.

Our thanks to the Italian Cultural Institute Melbourne - IIC Melbourne for facilitating our event, and for your sponsorship and to Società Isole Eolie Melbourne, for hosting and sponsoring the screening of the film.

We also acknowledge the support of COASIT Melbourne and The Sicilian Association of Australia

A special thanks our guests who attended and supported the event

And finally, a big thank you to Kelly Dowall, instrumentalist, who provided beautiful musical accompaniment before the film started.

This screening was the second event in our Avventure Siciliane II series, with the next one - Celebrating Nino Randazzo - being held tonight at the Eolian Hall, from 6.30pm. Tickets are still available online - bit.ly/3JzmGHa - or at the door. $35 each.

For more information and to sign up to our newsletter, visit www.sicilianartscollectiveaustralia.com

Photos courtesy Fiona Basile: Photographer & Writer (unless otherwise indicated).

29/10/2025

The Italian Cultural Institute was honoured to support last night’s event "Isola Bianca", held in the presence of the Vice Consul General of Italy.

🎥Part of the Avventure Siciliane II series, the evening featured the world premiere of the documentary "La Cava Bianca", followed by an insightful Q&A with directors Marco Mensa and Elisa Meneghetti. They were joined by Dott. Giuseppe La Greca and Professor Marcello Saija from the University of Messina.

Consolato Generale d'Italia - Melbourne Sicilian Arts Collective Australia Società Isole Eolie Melbourne The Sicilian Association of Australia Ethnos