The Powerhouse has announced a $5 million investment in the future of Powerhouse Parramatta by the South Western Sydney Vitocco family. This significant philanthropic commitment will support the establishment of foundational programs for Powerhouse Parramatta: the Vitocco Family Kitchen and the Vitocco Legacy Project.
The Vitocco Family Kitchen will bring together leading chefs and producers from across Australia and around the world to engage audiences and communities with the histories and leading contemporary thinking about the culture and production of food. The Vitocco Kitchen will be a 200-seat presentation space that will feature a large-scale demonstration kitchen and utilise high-end technology that will support the creation of digital content.
Through the generosity of the Vitocco family the Powerhouse will establish the Vitocco Legacy Project. The initiative, through the establishment of a full-time curator, will research, collect and share the histories, innovations and entrepreneurial spirit of Western Sydney. These programs will engage communities and audiences across the disciplines of agriculture, manufacturing, changing land use, cultural diversity and food production, integrating with and expanding the Powerhouse Australian Culinary Archive, which is working closely with industry to collect the stories and histories of the great chefs and producers of Australia.
“The Vitocco family has a remarkable story of innovation and resilience which is indelibly woven into the cultural fabric and history of South Western Sydney. The Vitocco story in Australia began in 1955 when Domenic Vitocco Senior migrated from Italy and started his business in Bringelly in South Western Sydney. For more than 70 years the Vitocco family has continued to make significant contributions to the communities of Sydney and NSW. This generous gift will expand the Vitocco family legacy by ensuring the histories and stories of Western Sydney are embedded into national and international stories of innovation and change at Powerhouse Parramatta,” said Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah.
“As Abraham Lincoln said, “the best way to predict the future is to create it.” Our family’s investment into Powerhouse Parramatta is an opportunity to create a legacy that celebrates the contributions of cultural migrants to Western Sydney and showcase them to the world. Powerhouse Parramatta will set a new benchmark for innovative learning experiences for students and generations of the future,” said Arnold and Irene Vitocco.