Bulnuruwanha (Taking Flight) at the Centre for Creativity

Sydney – Thursday 24 February, 2022. The world premiere of performance and workshop experience Bulnuruwanha (Taking Flight) by Wiradjuri woman and Bangarra Dance Theatre dancer Emily Flannery will lead the Opera House’s autumn program in its newly-opened Centre for Creativity. The program features 15 new participatory events – a mix of free and paid activities for all ages – as well as the continuation of popular community experiences.

Bulnuruwanha (Taking Flight) explores the Wiradjuri dreaming stories of the magpie, willy wagtail, kookaburra and cockatoo. Children 5+ and their families will learn different dances inspired by these birds and other animals, and respond with reflections of their own country.

Sydney Opera House Head of Children, Families and Creative Learning, Tamara Harrison says: “Since unveiling the Opera House’s new purpose-built Centre for Creativity in January, it’s been thrilling to see almost 2000 people of all ages enjoy the Opera House as never before. The autumn program of hands-on experiences builds on the unique purpose of the Centre to playfully encourage creativity and imaginative thinking. It spans design, dance, drawing, meditation, puppetry and First Nations culture – with some events exploring creativity’s role in solving the problems of today and those we can’t yet imagine.”

Autumn programming highlights include: 

For adults 

• Eco-embodied: Soundbath and Movement – DJ and experienced body/mind practitioner Simon Slieker will explore how our senses, emotions and bodies can positively influence our climate change anxieties through movement and music;
• Dance for Seniors: Anna Karenina and The Australian Ballet – a popular, inclusive ballet class for all skill levels drawing on the production of Anna Karenina in the Joan Sutherland Theatre;
• Creative First Aid – social impact organisation MakeShift and proud Gunai woman and writer/artist Kirli Saunders lead an afternoon of poetry reading, writing, meditation and reflection on the benefits of creativity;
• An afternoon with Bangarra’s Frances Rings – a deep reflection on Bangarra’s performance of Terrain with incoming Artistic Director Frances Rings, a descendant of the Kokatha people;
• BUILD: Life On Land – the first public talk of the Opera House’s pioneering built environment program Sydney Opera House BUILD delivered in partnership with the Ove Arup Foundation. Featuring award-winning architect and champion of Indigenous-led design thinking Jefa Greenaway and artist, designer and curator Liane Rossler;
• Big Heart Sing – a free monthly public choir led by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for singers of all abilities to share in the joy of community singing; and
• Architecture Club – Saturday afternoon workshops for those passionate about design, inspired by the unique genius of Opera House architect Jørn Utzon.

For children and families 

• Ping Pong WoW – a free interactive installation for ages 2+ in the April school holidays. That will fill the Centre with more than 2,000 ping pong balls that can be flung, thrown, dropped and bounced;
• Edward the Emu Workshop – an imaginative drama workshop for 5-8 year-olds inspired by the award-winning Monkey Baa performance season of Edward the Emu in the Playhouse;
• Shadow Puppets – a full-day school holiday workshop by internationally renowned theatre-maker and visual artist Jumaadi that introduces 8-12 year-olds to the art of Indonesian shadow puppetry (wayang kulit);
• Alien Invasion – an interactive quest with theatre artist Alison Bennett where 5-9 year-olds will help find a baby alien that was left behind at the Opera House;
• Free Sunday morning creative experiences for 7-11 year-olds and their families led by Australian-born artist of Laotian heritage Anney Bounpraseuth, including painting pirate self-portraits, making lobster claws and drawing the Opera House’s mascot, Benny the seal;
• The multi-sensory story time experience What the Ocean Said (for 3-9 year-olds and their families) returns; and
• Triage Live Art Collective showcase the Creative Development of After the Flood - an audio installation and workshop for 5-11 year-olds and their families that imagines how the world might be 500 years from now. Audiences can attend for free and provide feedback on the creative development of the work to help refine it, ahead of the premiere season later this year.

For all ages

• The free monthly Draw the House: The Sketchbook Tour examines the Opera House and its surrounds through the eyes of an artist, and encourages different approaches to drawing, from traditional and observational to experimental and abstract.

Thank you to the NSW Government for enabling the Opera House’s Decade of Renewal; our Global Goals Partner Dettol; and our Centre for Creativity major donors: the Yarranabbe Foundation; Ove Arup Foundation; Turnbull Foundation; Boyarsky family; and The Greatorex Fund.

Bulnuruwanha (Taking Flight) is a DirtyFeet Production commissioned by the Sydney Opera House as part of New Work Now, enabled by the Wolanski Foundation.