14th November 2006

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Dreaming of trading the long Atlantic winters for the balmy Mediterranean shores? The Academy for Irish Cultural Heritages (AICH) is bringing a slice of Italy to Magee campus this week. 

On Friday 17 November the AICH will launch the first of their Northbound research series, From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic: Italy and Italians in Ireland. 

Northbound is series of research symposia organise which focuses on the established and the emerging European cultural landscapes in today’s Northern Ireland. Migration and cultural encounters is one of the Academy’s research themes.  

According to the symposium organiser Dr Maria Angela Ferrario, who is originally from Italy and is now Research Associate with AICH, Northbound is designed to explore research on migration in Northern Ireland and provide networking opportunities for people who have come here to live, work or study.  

Each symposium will focus on a specific European community with the Italians first in the frame. Other symposia are planned for the Baltics, France and Germany. 

Dr Ferrario says the purpose of Northbound is threefold: “It aims to promote research on the culture and presence of European peoples in Northern Ireland. It aims to enhance the University’s commitment to the region and strengthen the cultural links between Northern Ireland and their respective countries.” 

Dr Ferrario explains that the emphasis of each symposium will be research on individuals and communities who have come to Northern Ireland from other European countries.  

Speakers at the one-day event will include Leo D’Agostino, Italian Honorary Consul to Northern Ireland, a second generation Italian, who was born in Belfast where he still lives and lecturers in English literature at St Mary's University College; Award winning Italian journalist Silvia Calamati; director of the TV series ‘Less spotted Ireland’ and ‘Sense of Belonging’; Liam Campbell; Fabio Mugnaini, Professor of European Ethnology at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Siena, Italy and Eddie McVeigh, Head of the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland. 

From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic: Italy and the Italians in Northern Ireland, is open to staff, students and members of the public.

Anyone interested in learning more about Italy, Italians and the Italian way of life is welcome to come along to the Great Hall, Magee Campus, on November 17 at 10am.  

For further information, please contact Dr Maria Ferrario on: 028 71275304 or email ma.ferrario@uslter.ac.uk  

The Programme and speakers’ biographies and abstracts are available http://www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/aich/nbsymposia/  

For further information, please contact:

Trina Porter
Telephone: 028 71675511
Email: Trina Porter