First Nations at the Sydney Opera House
Celebrating the richness of the world’s oldest living cultures
The Opera House stands on Bennelong Point, known to the traditional custodians, the Gadigal, as Tubowgule. The Opera House continues this legacy today by embracing and celebrating the culture of First Peoples.
Upcoming performances, shows and events
Badu Gili: Celestial
1 Sep – 31 Oct 2024
DanceRites
19 & 20 Oct 2024
Find out more about Sydney Opera House First Nations programming
Stream, read & listen
Michael Nelson Jagamara
Eternal History
Since its opening in 1973 the Opera House has carried a deeper legacy, one that embraces, challenges and celebrates Australian culture.
But what of Australia’s First Peoples and First Nations culture? How does a cultural institution like the Opera House celebrate First Nations work, or more specifically works for the stage? Has it always done so?
Liza-Mare Syron traces the history of First Nations theatre at the Sydney Opera House back to the buildings very first days.
Deadly Voices from the House
A Possum Story
Badu Gili’s Frances Belle Parker
Deborah Mailman on Rhoda Roberts’ “remarkable” 16 years at the Sydney Opera House
Music for... Love by Budjerah
Why NAIDOC matters
Ensemble Offspring | Composing Songlines
Career development opportunities
The Sydney Opera House is committed to providing hands-on experiences to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, which can lead to employment opportunities.
For further information about these career opportunities, contactworkexperience@sydneyoperahouse.com.
The best way for students to experience what we do is through our Work Experience Program. Through our partnership with the NSW Department of Education we run a program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are studying in years 9-12. The program is a week long and is offered several times throughout the year. During the week, students are introduced to different staff and departments across the organisation. The program is practical and participants spend time working in up to four different departments to gain first-hand work experience.
After completing our Work Experience Program, students can apply for a paid internship. These internships are currently offered in our Ticketing Sales department and we are always looking to expand the types of intern roles. The internship is based on a 90 hour contract as a Ticketing Sales Representative. The hours of work are designed to fit around the student’s study, and students develop skills in sales and customer service, operating ticketing software and basic computing. We have a growing alumni of interns, many of whom have gained ongoing employment at the Opera House and are now involved in facilitating Work Experience Program activities with students.
Each year the Opera House supplements these two programs with events for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Our Careers Day program is one such event where participants get to meet a range of Opera House employees to hear about what they do and stories of their career pathways.
Courtney, Work Experience Program participant, FY17Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be great and learn more about our culture at the Opera House.
Discover Tubowgule
Explore the history of the site where the Opera House stands.
Support
The Opera House is committed to providing educational, professional development and cultural opportunities for First Nations communities. Whether through work experience, curated performances, such as the annual DanceRites festival, or the daily lighting of the sails, the generous contributions of our visitors and friends allows us to create a positive impact in the lives of our communities.
Support the Sydney Opera House by giving a gift and helping to foster and celebrate a shared sense of belonging for all Australians.
Reconciliation Action Plan
The Opera House is committed to respecting, embracing and celebrating the culture of Australia’s First People. Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) outlines this commitment through a range of actions and initiatives that are being undertaken across all areas of the Opera House. These initiatives aim to safeguard the traditions of the world’s oldest living culture, and provide opportunities for Australia’s First People.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan
Learn more about Reconciliation Australia’s RAP program, or access the Share Our Pride tool to help you start your cultural awareness journey.