Emergence of an idea An opera house, Sydney, and post-war Australia
9 April 2024
In the Utzon Room
Talks and Ideas
Join Sydney Opera House and Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade colleagues to celebrate the Australian Heritage Festival. Dr Penelope ‘Penny’ Stannard (Head of Curatorial & Research, Museums of History NSW) will talk about the realisation of the Sydney Opera House, revealing untold stories and a creating a deeper understanding of how this cultural institution shaped Sydney. The talk, held in the Utzon Room, will be followed by a Q&A and morning tea.
This event will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in-person.
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 9 April 2024 | 10.00am |
This is a free event.
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.
The authorised agencies for this event are Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Run time
This event runs for approximately 2 hours.
- 1 hour – talk and Q&A
- 1 hour – morning tea
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
Recommended for all ages.
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy
Join us to celebrate Australian Heritage Festival
The story of the cultural, social, and political forces that combined to progress the idea of an opera house from the imagination of a few to the public at large, was truly remarkable.
Dr Stannard (MHNSW) will delve into the years leading up to the announcement of the international design competition for the Opera House in 1956. What was the mood of the country and the cultural policies driving this change at the time? Who were the influential voices from Australia’s political, artistic, and academic elite and communities who coalesced to form a shared ambition for an opera house that would be comparable – even unrivalled – with any in the world?
Join us in the Utzon Room or online from 10am on Tuesday 9 April for a talk and Q&A with Louise Herron AM, Opera House CEO. The event will be followed by morning tea from 11am.
Presented by Sydney Opera House
Dr Penny Stannard
Dr Penny Stannard is the Head of Curatorial & Research at Museums of History NSW. Dr Stannard has over 25 years’ experience in the cultural and associated sectors, incorporating senior roles in government with responsibility for arts/culture portfolios. She has gained wide and diverse experiences across the history, heritage, museums, education, curatorial, research and arts policy spheres delivering knowledge, engagement, and cultural planning outcomes for communities across NSW. She has held non-executive director roles with public-funded Australian arts companies including Sydney Chamber Opera, Ausdance and Ensemble Offspring. Penny holds a PhD from the University of Technology Sydney in cultural policy studies and history.
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.
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