The Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney, an official body of the Italian State, aims to promote and improve awareness of the Italian language and culture in Australia and New Zealand through the organization of cultural events to promote the circulation of ideas, arts and sciences.
The Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney offers the following services to the Australian public:
- courses in Italian language and culture held by qualified native Italian teachers
- an Italian library open to members of the Institute and students enrolled in Italian courses for the consultation and loan of Italian books, videotapes, CDs, DVDs, magazines and newspapers
- information and documentation on Italian culture
For concerts, some art exhibitions and wider-reaching events, the Institute works in collaboration with:
- local art institutions and museums, such as the Art Gallery of NSW, the Powerhouse Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Sydney Biennale
- musical institutions, such as Musicaviva Australia, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
- cultural entities of the European Union, such as the British Council, the Goethe Institut, the Alliance Française and the Instituto Cervantes
- the Italian Departments of the Universities located in its jurisdiction and of Italian bodies such as the Co.As.It., the Dante Alighieri Society and the Italian Forum
and in general with numerous Institutions dependent on the Ministry of Arts of New South Wales and the Municipal Authority of Sydney.
The main festivals and institutions in which the Institute usually actively and regularly participates include: the Sydney Festival, the Italian Film Festival, the Sydney Italian Festival, the ANU School of Science in Canberra, the LIFF (Lavazza Italian Film Festival ), the Antenna Documentary Film Festival, the <em>Head On</em> International Photography Festival, Opera Australia, VIVID, <em>Sculpture by the Sea</em> , the Queensland Performing Arts Center, the Sydney Writer Festival etc. in collaboration with the Institute of Foreign Trade and the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
