Ocean Visuals Exhibition
29 March - 7 April 2023
To launch the Australian Ocean Visuals initiative visitors are invited to a free exhibition on the Western Broadwalk. Go on a visual journey into the critical but often poorly understood connections between climate change and oceans.
There is a major gap in climate and ocean imagery that can truly engage people, despite so many people’s lived experiences of climate extremes linked to coastlines and oceans. Ocean-climate photography in Australia is dominated by underwater shots of marine biodiversity or lamenting the tragic loss of emblematic reefs. Yet most of the severe climate impact stories of Australia are in bushfires, floods, and extreme weather - often in areas underpinned by coastal livelihoods.
The exhibition showcases the Ocean Visuals collection - generated through a global call inviting any amateur or professional photographers to apply. The collection of 93 images provides new and compelling visual stories of climate change causes, impacts, solutions, resilience, and justice.
From Australia to the Pacific Islands, to India, Norway, Mexico, and more, the images tell powerful stories, rooted in human lives, cultures, and experiences, about the critical interconnectedness of ocean health and climate change.
29 March - 7 April
This is a free event
The exhibtion will be on the Western Broadwalk for everyone to experience.
Age
This exhibition is recommended for all ages
Ocean Visuals is a family friendly exhibition for all ages to enjoy
Wheelchair accessible
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Climate Outreach
Climate Outreach is passionate about widening and deepening public engagement with climate change. Through their audience research, practical guides and consultancy services, they help organisations engage diverse audiences beyond the usual suspects. Climate Outreach focus on building and sustaining cross-societal support for climate action, overcoming political polarisation, and turning concern into action.
Run by Climate Outreach, Climate Visuals is the world’s only evidence-based programme for climate change photography. Together with a team of social scientists and communication specialists Climate Visuals work to widen and deepen public engagement with climate change.
Inspiring positive change
As a community meeting place that inspires and connects us, the Opera House is a platform for the kind of bold creativity that helps us build the world we want to see.
For fifty years, we have been providing a stage for diverse voices, creating space for conversations that matter, opening up the Opera House to more of the community and doing all we can to reduce its impact on the environment.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we want to inspire the community to build a more equitable, sustainable and fairer future. How will the actions we take now, in this moment, shape the lives of future generations?
By hosting this exhibition in collaboration with Climate Outreach, we are taking action for #ClimateChange (Goal 13) #ReducedInequalities (Goal 10), #LifeBelowWater(Goal 14) and #ResponsibleProduction and Consumption (Goal12) as part of our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals).
Read more about how we are taking environmental action and driving diversity, inclusion & belonging at the Opera House.
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Other information
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
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.
Getting here
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 the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six minute walk to the Opera House.
Covid-safe information
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We’re committed to making your experience safe, comfortable and enjoyable, with a number of measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. We remind our audiences and visitors to please stay home if you feel unwell. If you need to discuss your ticketing or booking options, contact our Box Office team on 02 9250 7777.
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We have a number of safety measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. While face masks are no longer required, we ask all our patrons and visitors to practise good hygiene.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Frequently asked questions
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. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
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.
Please contact Box Office on +61 2 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Prior to the workshop, please notify us if you will need a chair for the session, so we can have those available. Please email accessibility@sydneyoperahouse.com to request a chair or notify our team of any additional needs you may have.
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.
Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Food and beverages will not be allowed 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.
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.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
The Opera House has also developed a Child-friendly Code of Conduct to engage with our youngest visitors.
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