Quiet little Bedonia, not much to do, no place to go….sleepy, boring people who can’t be bothered to do anything interesting?….NOT ON YOUR LIFE!
Let’s take the local library, set up five years ago in the centre of Bedonia, in what was once a private rural house surrounded by a large stretch of land, beside the “Pelpirana”, our local river; forty-five years ago, the Mayor of the time succeeded in purchasing the area called “Peschiera” from the heirs of the historical owners of the property. The old house underwent total restructuring, maintaining its rustic appearance. It now houses a civic hall for meetings and projects of all kinds, and the newest ground floor annexe became the official headquarters of the Bedonia band in 2008. The library, officially denominated “Circolo Primo Lagasi”, occupies the other half of the building, and although small, offers an extraordinary number and variety of books to members.
The motor behind the library is volunteer Camila Raineri Parada, of Cilean origin – head librarian. She tirelessly uses her energies to create new initiatives in order to attract members -adults and children – to the joys of reading. In the past five years, she, alongside other volunteers from town, has transformed the library into a focal point for Bedonia; children may use the premises for peaceful study time, and during the summer months people can sit outside and leisurely read newspapers provided by the library. Entertainment for children, such as storytelling by volunteers as well as puppet shows or animation are set up in the adjacent park, and there is often collaboration with the playschools and schools of the area.
Last year, Camila decided that everyone in town should have the opportunity to learn to speak English, so she set to organising courses in various levels for members of the library circle, and since they began, a large number of students of all ages have already participated with great enthusiasm. The third session is currently taking place; Anne – a qualified English teacher, takes the first hour of all lessons with basic grammar. The second hour is held in turn by two conversation teachers, Eve and Caroline, the advantage of this being that students get to hear and familiarize with three different accents – Scottish, American and English!
But Camila did not stop just at English – she organised courses in photography, cutting and sewing, cold porcelain and knitting – all held by expert locals. It is interesting to see that it is not only the younger people who wish to master a new art and cultivate new knowledge, since many students are retired folk who are not content to sit at home as couch potatoes!
And talking of culture, the afternoons dedicated to opera music are worthy of a mention. Not everyone has had the opportunity to see an opera at the theatre, and that is a shame because it is a truly wonderful experience. So tireless Camila, aided by expert Barbara Cocconi (who actually suggested the idea), set herself to bridging this cultural gap by offering the chance to watch filmed performances of various operas in the civic hall, preceded by explanations regarding the composer, the story and any other interesting historical facts. The last opera shown was “Cavalleria Rusticana”, set in 19th century Sicily – very powerful and emotional. Sicilian passito wine and the typical biscuits of the island were served before the performance, just to set the right mood!
But the cultural experience doesn’t stop there – these afternoons are a prelude to the REAL experience which comes later for a handful of lucky music lovers; the Teatro Regio at Parma – one of the city’s most prestigious architectural gems – is endeavouring to draw people towards opera, which is often considered too “difficult”, a niche sector. The theatre management sells tickets for afternoon general costume rehearsals to the public at a symbolic price, but any one person can attend only a single performance, in order to give many other people the same chance. In fact it is necessary to give personal data upon purchasing tickets. The “Circolo Primo Lagasi” – as a cultural association – is assigned a few tickets for its members, and the fortunate recipients get to see a performance which is identical to an opera night “Prima”….breathtaking singing and scenery in the magnificent setting of the Teatro Regio. It is an experience you never forget.