Claudia Callisto, Adelaide's Australian - Italian cultural story teller and author of the book named "The Good Italian Girl" published 2021. As a woman, born in Australia of immigrant parents, Claudia's work highlights the struggles faced by the second generation, especially women, of navigating living between two cultures - she highlights with sympathy and humour, the situations all of her generation, who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, faced in trying to reconcile their essential 'Italianess' with forging lives and careers so different to those of their parents. Claudia demonstrate through her own story that you can still be fully immersed in your cultural heritage yet be brave enough to stand out and be yourself. Following the book, Claudia wrote and performed three seperate Fringe shows (2022-2024) based on her life and content from her book.
To further expand her cultural message, Claudia produces a podcast called “The Good Italian Girl and Friends” distributed via the Spotify App all over the world. The she has recorded a range of cultural topics relating to growing up Australian – Italian inviting fellow Australian – Italian friends to share stories about life growing up with their immigrant parents. The shows reflect on both the highs and lows of each guest’s cultural experiences and how it has influenced their parenting and lifestyle choices, and especially how it has shaped them into strong and resilient ethnic women.
In November 2024, for the Italian Festival, Claudia will host a retrospective photographic exhibition for her late husband, John Callisto. This free community event called 'Loving and Living the Italian way' celebrates a local artist with a passion for all things Italian and will feature his favourite photos taken of Italy during his travels and his father’s home in Rostrevor.
Claudia is proud of her Italian background and the inspiration it gives her to pursue her creative passions.