Sydney – Tuesday 23 November, 2021. The Sydney Opera House will open its new Centre for Creativity on January 4, 2022 – a purpose-built home for hands-on creative experiences inside the world-renowned building.The Centre will significantly increase the breadth of year-round participatory performances, workshops and installations, in line with the Opera House’s commitment to engage new audiences on site, in schools, and in homes across Australia and the world.It’s one of the final projects in the Opera House’s Decade of Renewal, funded by the NSW Government, and is the first new dedicated programming venue to open in more than 20 years.
For children and families:
- During the school holidays Hidden House Puppets workshop, run by contemporary Tasmanian theatre company Terrapin, will invite 8-12 year-olds to turn household items into puppets and create a new story together;
- Rain – a mesmerising and immersive sensory experience for babies (babes in arms and crawlers) and their carers, which introduces the next generation of audience members to the generosity of rain through sound, touch and performance; and
- Australian-born artist of Laotian heritage Anney Bounpraseuth will lead a series of free creative experiences on Sunday mornings for 7-11 year-olds and their families, including mask making Opera House Unmasked, wig making Big Opera Wigs and Firework Fascinators
“The Centre for Creativity will be a place for everyone to set their creativity free. We will offer programming and experiences based in design, engineering, dance, singing, storytelling and drawing to appeal to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds – and, very importantly, they will reach people wherever they are,” Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said.
“The new state-of-the-art Centre for Creativity will help ensure the Opera House remains relevant and contemporary for the people of NSW and the world, expanding the creative learning opportunities available to young people and lifelong learners, on site and online. The Centre will enable the community to reap the benefits of creativity – collaboration, resilience and imaginative thinking – which are essential to navigate these unprecedented times and plan for our future,” NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin said.
The Centre for Creativity’s inaugural program (January-March 2022) is curated by the Sydney Opera House’s Head of Children, Families and Creative Learning, Tamara Harrison and features a mix of free and paid activities that will go on sale to the public at 9am on Friday 26 November. It will open with House Warming (4-16 January), a free, tactile and participatory installation from award-winning Sydney artist Rosie Deacon, filling the space with a forest-like environment made of colourful, recycled materials. Adults, children and families will be able to explore, interact and add to the installation, creating a living site-specific work.
“The year-round program in the Centre takes inspiration from the three major life forces that course through the Opera House and all it does – the powerful First Nations history of Tubowgule, the magic and science of the building, and the extraordinary art and artists from our stages and community,” Opera House Director of Programming Fiona Winning said
