Isabella’s Opera House experience

Isabella is a bright, vivacious, five year old – and congenitally blind.  You might think Isabella would not enjoy coming to the Opera House. However, through our donors generosity, Isabella’s first Opera House visit was as exciting and fulfilling for her as it is for you and me.

Through our donor-supported Access Program, Isabella got to come with her friends and family to a children’s show at the Opera House. With the help of our specially-trained guide, before the show, she learnt where everything was on the stage, touched and learnt about the costumes, and then followed the action on stage with personalised live-commentary through her headphones.

Learn more about Isabella’s visit to Possum Magic at the Opera House below.

Our Access Program helps overcome some of the barriers people may face so we can make the Opera House a place where everyone feels welcome and people can have the same inspiring experience of the performing arts that we all enjoy.

To help open the House to all, we invest in a broad range of services and experiences for children who are blind or have low vision, who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, have a disability that affects physical capacity or mobility, or have intellectual or sensory disabilities. These include:

• Live commentary-enhanced performances for those who are blind or have low vision;
• Live-captioned, AUSLAN-interpreted and surtitled performances for those who are deaf;
• Assisted-listening devices, like induction hearing loops, for those with hearing impairment;
• Supported, relaxed-performances for those with intellectual or sensory disabilities;
• Special programs for those living with Parkinson's disease or autism;
• Wheelchair-accessible seating; and
• Mobility services, like accessible pick-up/drop-offs, and shuttle bus/golf buggy access.

For as little as $34 per child, you can make sure other children like Isabella can have their own Opera House experience.

The Opera House is not-for-profit and we raise almost 90% of our annual costs ourselves from non-government sources. 

We are only able to offer initiatives like our Access Program through the generous gifts of people like you.

Our donors make a vital difference to helping open the Opera House to everyone. With your support and generosity we will continue to develop and deliver our Access Program that gives these children with additional needs the opportunity to come to the Opera House and to have the same quality of experience as their friends can enjoy.

Thank you for helping to make the Opera House a place where everyone is welcome.

You can transform a disabled child's life, opening up a world of possibilities, through helping them to experience the performing arts.

Every gift, of any amount, makes a difference.

Telephone
+61 2 9250 7077 

Email
give@sydneyoperahouse.com

Mail
Sydney Opera House Philanthropy
Reply Paid 4274, Sydney NSW 2001 Australia