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Costume Pardi Mardi Gradi

Adults Workshop guided by queer fashion designers Gary Bigeni and Sally Jackson

To celebrate Sydney World Pride 2023, sustainable fashion designers Sally Jackson and Gary Bigeni will facilitate a weekend of workshops for adults to create unique and custom-made costumes for Mardi Gras.

In the Centre for Creativity | Sydney Opera House Presents | Making Workshop

Pre-sale and on-sale information

Pre-sale timings:
  • Insider Member Priority – Tuesday 18 October, 9am
  • What's on Priority sale – Wednesday 19 October, 9am

General public on sale Friday 21 October, 9am

Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 February both adult and family workshops available

Adult workshops
Sat 18 & Sun 19 Feb, 10am - 3pm
This workshop is recommended for those 16+ and adults of all ages. 

Note - Some sewing experience is necessary, however enthusiasm and a willingness to make and try new things will also help!

Kids and Families workshops are also available on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 February

 

Standard tickets from $45 | $8.50 Booking Fee applies per transaction

Ticket Description & price
  All tickets
Adults $45 per person

The only authorised ticket agency for this event is  Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the FAQ below. Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times. 

The duration of this event is 5 hours

The duration of this workshop is 5 hours, with a 1 hour break. You're welcome to bring your own lunch, or purchase from the SOH surrounding food and beverage venues.

What to bring on the day

Gary Bigeni will use slow hand-dying processes in his signature colourful style on upcycled denim garments from the Circular Centre. These beautiful hand-made pre-loved items will be available for participants to use and take home as part of the workshop.

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Celebrate World Pride with glamorous upcycled garments

To celebrate Sydney World Pride 2023, sustainable fashion designers Sally Jackson and Gary Bigeni will facilitate a weekend of workshops for adults to create unique and custom-made costumes for Mardi Gras.

Guided by designer Sally Jackson, alongside queer designer Gary Bigeni, work with recycled and sustainable fashion labels such as The Circular Centre to repurpose material offcuts into glamorous garments for Mardi Gras!

Participants will receive upcycled denim garments lovingly hand-dyed by Gary Bigeni in his bold signature colourful style. Each piece is painted separately, creating an original work of art on each garment. Bigeni's slow hand dyeing techniques achieve brilliant colours that are ready to wear.

In this workshop, participants will work with these pieces using fringing, studding and other textile manipulation techniques to create a bespoke wearable costume for World Pride, as well as learning the important and dynamic history of upcycling waste with handy tips to incorporate this thinking and making into your everyday life.

Of course, no workshop is complete without the necessary catwalk and photoshoot to proudly display your creations with friends.

Presented by Sydney Opera House

Meet the Artists

Sally Jackson

Sally Jackson is a Sydney-based couture designer specialising in bespoke garments made from high-quality vintage fabrics combined with layered printing and hand-crafted surface treatments.

Sally has been a sustainable and ethical fashion activist for over a decade. Her experience ranges from teaching up-cycled garment design and construction at the Powerhouse Museum, University of Technology, Sydney, and, most recently, collaborating on the First Nations Fashion and Design movement, having participated in a group show at Sydney Fashion Week in May 2022.

Sally's Collection, 'The Bowerbirds', is made from 100% preloved fashion and textile waste.

Photo credit: Fiona Wolf

Gary Bigeni

Gary Bigeni pushes the limits of fashion as individual expression through his custom made-to-order fine art collections. Original designs are hand-painted by Gary directly onto ethically sourced eco-cotton, then made in very limited production runs using sustainable manufacturing practices. Intended to last a lifetime, all pieces are gender-neutral and designed to reflect the distinctive personality of the wearer.

Even as a young Maltese boy living in Sydney, Australia with his three siblings and mother, creativity was always present for Gary Bigeni. As a child, he would sneak into his mother’s wardrobe and cut large circles out of the bottom of her dresses so he could create collections for his GI Joes and Barbies. Years later, following fashion training at East Sydney Tech, Gary Bigeni launched his eponymous label and secured himself as part of the Australian fashion cohort.

The Circular Centre

The Circular Centre is a solutions-based inter-industry company, geared to facilitate circular initiatives. They create, showcase and foster collaboration through the lens of a circular economy to create and offer circular products and services including design, fashion, textiles and textile waste. The Centre creates circular opportunities to minimise the environmental impact and maximise the positive impact on social welfare, create circular industry jobs and harness waste resources through various circular economy initiatives.

Venue Information

The Centre for Creativity will adhere to a maximum capacity of 1 person per two square metres, in line with the current NSW Public Health Order. 

Our foyers will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.

All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer consistent with COVID-safe rules.

Transport options

  • We encourage you to use private transport options to minimise crowding on public transport (in line with NSW Government advice). 
  • The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see their website for details.
  • Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel and COVID-19 safety measures. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a 6 min walk to the Opera House. 

Frequently Asked Questions - Workshops

What should I bring on the day?

All materials for this workshop will be provided for you to use. Participants will receive upcycled denim garments lovingly hand-dyed by Gary Bigeni in his signature colourful style. Each piece is dyed flat and by hand, front and back separately. Bigeni uses several slow-washing techniques to achieve his brilliant colours without colour bleeding or making a mess for the wearer.

What if I am late for the workshop?

We will start promptly at the workshop time, however if you are running late, please make your way to the Centre of Creativity where you can join the activity. 

Where is the workshop located? 

The workshop is in our new Centre for Creativity at the end of the Western foyers, near the entrance to the Drama Theatre.

Frequently Asked Questions - Performance & Venue

What time do I need to arrive before the event?

We advise that you arrive 15 minutes prior to the event. Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts.

I have access needs. How can the Opera House support me?

Please advise us upon booking if you have any particular learning or mobility needs for us to support

Who are the authorised ticket sellers for this event? 

The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.

Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. RESALE RESTRICTION APPLIES. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.

Where does this event/workshop/installation happen?

The workshop happens in our new Centre for Creativity at the end of the Western foyers, near the entrance to the Drama Theatre

What if I can't come to the event?

Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend. If you can no longer attend because you are unwell, or have been in contact with someone displaying COVID-19 symptoms, the Opera House has introduced flexible ticketing options to help you, find out more information here.

Will there be food and beverages available to be purchased in the venue?

Food and beverages will not be allowed in the Centre for Creativity unless specified in the event. Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and Portside are also available to purchase food before your event. Please bring a credit or debit card for any on-site purchases to enable contactless payment.

Will there be bag checks, and is cloaking available?

All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to the foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer or as directed by Sydney Opera House staff, adhering to COVID-safe rules.

Can I smoke at the Opera House?

  • The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House will become a smoke-free site from Saturday 1 January 2022.
  • By becoming a smoke-free site, the Opera House seeks to reduce exposure to harmful second-hand smoke, as well as minimise the impact of smoking on the environment, including litter and pollution of the surrounding marine environment. 

Frequently Asked Questions - COVID-19 Safety Measures

What safety measures have you implemented?

Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of everyone on site, and we are closely following NSW Health guidelines and advice. The Sydney Opera House is registered as a COVID Safe business with the NSW Government. For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you when visiting, please see our plan your visit page.

What am I required to do as an audience member?

Bring and wear a mask. Face masks continue to be required for patrons aged 12 years and over while inside our foyers and theatres, including during the performance (unless medically exempt). We highly recommend children aged 11 years and younger wear a mask at all times. Please bring your own mask.

As you move around the Opera House, practise physical distancing (1.5 metres whenever possible) and follow the guidance provided by our staff and signage. 

Within venues, always take your allocated seat.

For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you, please see our plan your visit page.

Do I need to be vaccinated to attend the Opera House? 

Yes. Patrons and visitors aged 16 years and over entering the Opera House building are required to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless medically exempt (under 16s not fully vaccinated must be accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult). This includes visitors and patrons attending a performance or event, taking a tour, or visiting the box office, retail store, bar or restaurant operated within the building (Bennelong and Portside). These requirements do not apply to visitors attending outdoor events or venues on the Lower Concourse, including Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and the Welcome Centre. Check-in processes will be in place for verifying proof of vaccination upon entry. 

Am I required to wear a mask?

Yes, please bring and wear a mask. Face masks continue to be required for patrons aged 12 years and over while inside our foyers and theatres, including during the performance (unless medically exempt). We highly recommend children aged 11 years and younger wear a mask at all times. Please bring your own mask.

Some members of the community may have issues wearing masks due to health conditions. We ask that you be respectful to others as reasons for not wearing a mask are not always obvious.

How are you managing contact tracing? 

Contact information is required when making a booking with us and upon arrival at the Opera House, as set out in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events and our Customer Privacy Statement.

As the ticket purchaser, you are responsible for recording the contact details of your guests. Contact information will only be used for the purposes of contact tracing, if required, and will be deleted at least 28 days after your event.

Will my temperature be taken? 

In line with current NSW Health advice, we will not be carrying out temperature checks.

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