I.O.H.I. Past Programs

I.O.H.I. Past Events

The IOHI has earned a reputation for innovative, high-calibre programming on the oral, folk, and regional cultures of Italy–generally little known, but of special importance to an immigrant population–and for presenting these cultures to a general, multicultural public with sensitivity and respect. The IOHI typically partners with prestigious cultural and educational institutions in Los Angeles,* and fosters cross-cultural programs and dialogue wherever appropriate. Some public programs have been a direct outcome of field-collecting campaigns (e.g., exhibit of St. Joseph's Tables at the UCLA Hammer Museum and Cultural Center in Westwood), offering a tangible demonstration of the value of community-based oral historical and ethnographic research as a tool for public education and presentation.

*The IOHI has partnered with the following institutions: Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Los Angeles (Cultural office of the Italian Consulate), UCLA, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Skirball Cultural Center, Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Dept., the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West, Slow Food Convivium of Los Angeles, etc.

Conferences/Festivals

Performing Ecstasies: Music, Dance, and Ritual in the Mediterranean, an international and interdisciplinary symposium/festival including conference, exhibits, films, and concerts (cf. website: www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/Conference/home.htm); co-sponsored by: Ethnomusicology Department, UCLA; Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Los Angeles; Provincia di Lecce (Puglia, Italy); Claremont Consortium for Medieval & Early Modern Studies; Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, UCLA; October 7-22, 2000.

Mountains of Cheese, Rivers of Wine, a unique food program including illustrated lecture and tasting of artisanal California wines and cheeses, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, April 16, 2000.

Essential Salento: Festival of Salentine Culture, (a multi-media festival including photo exhibit, film premiers, concerts, and lecture), Istituto Italiano di Cultura, October, 1998.

Exhibits

"St. Joseph's Day Tables and Feeding the Poor in Los Angeles," UCLA Armand Hammer Museum, March 1998.

Music and Dance Workshops

Traditional Italian Instruments: music workshops for: tambourine, jaw's harp, friction drum, and other instruments from the oral traditions of Southern Italy. Fall/Winter, 2000.

Traditional Italian dances: traditional dance workshops from the pizzica tarantata to the tarantella and tammurriata, as well as Northern Italian traditional dances. Fall/Winter, 2000.

Courses

Collecting and Connecting: Italian Culture in Los Angeles: This course is designed for a general public interested in learning about Oral History, field collecting methodologies, and Italian cultural resources in Los Angeles. During four successive interactive lectures, students will learn to map and collect in the Italian communities of Los Angeles, and will, through their own guided research projects, directly contribute to the archives and programs of the Italian Oral History Institute. Winter, 2000.