Talking Italian at free Guildhall ‘Ciao’ Fest

A free festival centred on Italian culture is set to return to Derry’s Guildhall next Wednesday, July 17.
Last year's festival at the Guildhall.Last year's festival at the Guildhall.
Last year's festival at the Guildhall.

Organisers of the ‘Ciao’ festival, which runs from 4pm to 8pm, have said it will be “like a real journey through Italy”.

At the entrance, visitors will receive their own passport and have it completed with stickers along their pathway through the tour.

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There will be lots of fun and interactive activities, including several stands that will guide visitors through a trip along the Italian peninsula and its traditional cuisine, followed by a quiz to test their newfound knowledge about Italian culture and to discover some more fun facts.

Some of those involved in last year's festival at the Guildhall.Some of those involved in last year's festival at the Guildhall.
Some of those involved in last year's festival at the Guildhall.

They will also find an interactive reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci ready to answer all their questions, along with a variety of other games and activities, with food and Italian music also on offer.

Visitors can also pick up a free Italian recipe as they exit to show off their cooking skills at home.

The event is part of a vocational project “CUL.TUR.E PLUS” developed by 45 Italian students from five high schools, funded by the European Programme ‘Erasmus +’. A spokesperson for the students said: “The project was devised by our sending organisation ;Educazione all’Europa’ from Ravenna along with their partner NW Academy of English, and has allowed us, students, to come to Northern Ireland and spread the Italian culture. Then we started putting our ideas together and Derry citizens will see the final results at the festival on Wednesday.”

The students have said they are very grateful to be hosting in the Guildhall, and to the Nerve Centre, the NW Academy of English and the Italian Cultural Institute, which sponsors the event.

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