Community
Your gift opens the Opera House to everyone in the community
Many people in our community face barriers to experiencing the Opera House – those with disability, or who are socially, financially or geographically disadvantaged.
The Opera House welcomes these members of our community through building works to make the site accessible, experiences designed specifically for people with disability, subsidised ticket programs for the disadvantaged, digital performances for children in regional and remote Australia, and programs to include Indigenous Australians in the life of the Opera House.
Your gift today helps to make sure that everyone in our community can have their own inspiring Opera House experience, no matter what challenges they face.
Give now or learn more below about your gift for community.
“Thank you. The children had the most memorable and rewarding experience imaginable.”Parent of young person with disability
Your gift for...
Disability
The Opera House provides experiences designed specifically for people living with a range of disabilities: assisted listening systems and live-captioned & AUSLAN-interpreted performances for people who are have a hearing impairment; audio-described performances for those who have a vision impairment; and specially designed performances for children who are on the autism spectrum or have an intellectual disability.
Your gift today helps to make sure the Opera House can keep providing programs, services, and facilities for people who live with a disability.
Access
The Opera House is investing in new building works as part of its Renewal program over the next six years to make the World-Heritage listed building and site more accessible, including new lifts, escalators, accessible seating, and accessible toilets for the Joan Sutherland Theatre and Concert Hall.
Your gift today helps to make sure the Opera House can keep providing programs, services, and facilities for people who live with a disability.
Disadvantage
The Opera House provides $5 tickets for financially disadvantaged families to selected shows (See the case study below), and free tickets and travel subsidies for disadvantaged school students.
Your gift today helps to make sure the Opera House can keep its doors open to the Opera House for people experiencing social or financial disadvantage.
Indigenous
The Opera House provides educational and professional development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, including careers days, work experience, and paid traineeships to give them practical experience, encouragement, and employment opportunities.
Your gift today helps foster and celebrate a shared sense of belonging for all Australians.
Case Studies
$5 tickets for disadvantaged families
$5 tickets for disadvantaged families
The Balnaves Foundation Open House Program offers $5 tickets for people who face financial and social barriers to accessing live performances. Each year 4,000 people have the chance to attend selected family performances at the Opera House: something they would never normally dream of.
Accessible theatre for children with disability
Accessible theatre for children with disability
Oddysea is an immersive sensory theatre experience designed specifically for young people with profound and complex disabilities. The hands-on story telling made use of all the senses – touch, taste, smell, as well as sound and vision - giving a life-changing experience to those young people who face the most challenges in coming to a regular Opera House show.
