Italian Week 10th anniversary Illumination 2016

WHEN: Monday, 23 May 2016 - Sunday, 5 June 2016
TIME:
WHERE: Story Bridge, QPAC, Victoria Bridge, Treasury Casino, Kurilpa Bridge

To celebrate the 10 anniversary of the Italian Week, the city of Brisbane lights up in green, white, and red. Starting from the 23rd of May and continuing on through the 5th of June, some of the city’s most important superstructures will be illuminated in the Italian national colors to celebrate the Italian Festival and the Italian National Day on the 2nd of June.

Brisbane Italian Festival Illumination Story Bridge Alessandro Sorbello

Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge, Victoria Bridge, Kurilpa Bridge, QPAC (Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the Treasury Casino will all celebrate Italian culture in a vibrant display of green, white, and red as Australia’s third largest city pays tribute to the influence of the Italian culture and migration in a stunning visual display.

The Italian Week tribute to Italy by another Country is the largest one of its kind in Australia.

The illumination gives every Italian and lover of Italy an opportunity to be inspired to remember the things they love most about one of the world’s most beloved countries. Italy means something different to almost everyone and the symbolic meaning in the Illumination creates emotional engagement with Italians and lovers of Italy.

According to the Italian Embassy in Canberra, currently Australia’s love affair with Italy equates to an inbound to Italy of 5 Billion Euro each year.

Kurilpa Bridge - 30 May until 3 June 2016
Victoria Bridge - Monday the 30th of May to Sunday the 5th of June 2016
Story Bridge - Monday the 30th of May to Sunday the 5th of June 2016
QPAC 23 May – 3 June
Treasury Casino 26th May – 2nd June

A central feature of Italian Week since 2009, is the Illumination which see’s structures lit up in green, white and red and this year will see many iconic landmarks in Queensland in the ‘tre colori’. We invite you to engage in this project by lighting up your venue. We will also invite the public and business to do the same in a celebration Italian culture and its influence in Australia.

The 2nd of June is one of the most important Italian national holidays which, like July 14th in France (Storming of the Bastille) and July 4th in the USA (Independence Day), celebrate the birth of the nation Honouring this important date in Italian history and as a tribute to the influence of Italian culture in Australia, Italian Week developed a concept in 2009 to create a point of focus for the festival.

Treasury Casino Illumination Green White and Red

Known as the ‘Illumination’, this focus point consists of lighting up key structures in the Italian colours of green, white and red for the duration of Italian Week festival. Starting with the Treasury Casino in the heart of Brisbane, historically significant buildings and architectural structures have been illuminated each year since 2009. The former Queensland Government Treasury Building built in the 1890s and early 1900s served as a symbol of self-government and as a focus for celebratory and patriotic displays.

Story Bridge Illumination Green White and Red

In 2011, to mark the 150th Anniversary of Italian unification, in addition to the Treasury Casino, Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge was Illuminated in the ‘Tre Colori’  or the ‘three colours’ as the Italian national flag is known.  Located opposite the Treasury Casino and next door to the Gallery of Modern Art, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre stands at the heart of Southbank’s cultural precinct. In a grand display of light and colour, both the Casino and QPAC were ‘Illuminated’ in 2012 as a feature of Italian Week. This event known as the ‘Illumination’ is designed as a ‘focal point’, sending a strong message to Australians that the influence of Italian culture in Queensland is well appreciated and valued.

 This powerful and emotive symbol known as the ‘Illumination” is visible for the entire week of the festival and is seen by hundreds of thousands of people. Supported by extensive marketing and public relations, the event is now well known and popular and continues to grow each year.  The production team at Italian Week believe that the creation and stimulation of ‘emotional engagement’ can and does extend the longevity of the festival, generating anticipation of future editions.