Draw the House with Zanny Begg and Catherine O'Donnell
30 July, 27 August, 24 September, 29 October, 26 November 2023
Create a range of drawings inspired by one of the world's most iconic buildings.
Once a month join like-minded creative souls to explore the Opera House and its surroundings through the eyes of an artist. Working with a different artist each month, explore various drawing techniques, and perspectives inspired by one of the world's most iconic buildings.
|
Date |
Artist |
Time |
|
Sunday 30 July |
Zanny Begg |
9.45am-11am & 11.30am-12.45pm |
|
Sunday 27 August |
Zanny Begg |
9.45am-11am & 11.30am-12.45pm |
|
Sunday 24 September |
Catherine O'Donnell |
9.45am-11am & 11.30am-12.45pm |
|
Sunday 29 October |
Catherine O'Donnell |
9.45am-11am & 11.30am-12.45pm |
|
Sunday 26 November |
Catherine O'Donnell |
9.45am-11am & 11.30am-12.45pm |
Register for the free event by using the 'Book now' button.
A $20 fee will be charged per transaction. It will be refunded after you've attended the tour.
Maximum five (5) tickets per person. Tickets registered in excess of the ticket limit may be cancelled without notice.
The only authorised agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
In English
Wheelchair accessible
The tour involves walking throughout the Opera House site to find interesting aspects of the building, so we will be stopping frequently to sit and draw. Please advise us upon booking if you have any particular learning or mobility needs for us to support.
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House
Run time
The duration of this event is 75 minutes.
Age
Recommended for all ages and all skill levels.
This class is for all ages and skill levels, from beginners to experienced. Come solo, with a group of friends or a family member.
Please note that the tour route includes indoor and outdoor spaces across the Opera House, so there is a fair bit of walking up and down stairs. There will be moments to stop and sit during drawing activities to get your rest.
What you need to know
Please dress for the weather as we will be working outdoors. Participants must provide their own sketchbooks and materials from a suggested list by our art teacher (this will be emailed to you upon registration). The tour will meet at the Welcome Centre located on the Lower Concourse. Our Welcome Team will be around to help direct you. We highly recommend bringing sunscreen, a water bottle and wearing a hat.
This walking tour will visit various spaces throughout the Sydney Opera House and will include around 300 stairs. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes - your feet will thank you! If you have any concerns about the intensity of the tour please contact our Tourism Reservations team on 02 9250 7250 or tourismbookings@sydneyoperahouse.com
John Berger - Art Critic, Novelist, Painter & PoetDrawing is a way of coming upon the connection between things; just like metaphor in poetry reconnects what has become separated.
Slow down, observe...
You will also learn from an expert Tour Guide about the influence of visual arts in the Opera House's history, including the beautiful tapestries that grace our venues and foyer spaces.
Drawing is practical as an architectural and engineering blueprint, but it is also a tool for creative expression and making meaning, visually documenting what we see or imagine on paper, for others to view, interpret and enjoy.
From the very beginning, drawings have played a significant role in the Opera House’s history – a global architectural competition saw entries from all over the world, where a relatively unknown Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, became the winner of a new National Opera House for Sydney. Utzon’s original and somewhat controversial design was an imaginative sculptural response that the judges were convinced would be ‘capable of becoming one of the great buildings of the world’.
Presented by Sydney Opera House
Zanny Begg is a video installation artist who works across drawing, film, social and spatial practice to explore questions of feminism, migration, and ecological and intergenerational responsibility. Often creating intricate worlds through drawing costumes and backdrops, Zanny is interested in the loops and twists of time that reveal previously submerged or hidden histories.
Catherine O'Donnell’s art practice focuses on the urban landscape, representing the commonly overlooked dwellings of Sydney suburbia in an abstracted form. She holds a MFA (Drawing) from NAS and a BFA (Distinction and Deans Medal) from UWS. She exhibits widely and is represented in both public and private collections. Exhibition highlights including Dobell Australian Drawing Biennale, the Dobell Prize for Drawing; the Kedumba Drawing Award; the Trinity Buoys Wharfs drawing Prize, the Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing and JADA. With works represented in many collections including the AGNSW, Parliament House Art Collection, Artbank, National Art School, Korean Art Foundation, MAMA and the Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings.
Artist residencies and grants have taken O’Donnell across Australia and Internationally. Highlights include the British Scool at Rome, Cité des Arts, Paris, Scuola International di Grafica, Venice, Bundanon, Grafton Regional Gallery, Bilpin international ground for creative initiatives and Parramatta Artist Studios.
She has received numerous awards and commendations, with exhibition highlights including Dobell Australian Drawing Biennale, the Dobell Prize for Drawing; the Kedumba Drawing Award; the Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing and JADA. Her works are represented in private and public collections both nationally and internationally, including AGNSW, Parliament House Art Collection, Artbank, Penrith Regional Gallery, MAMA, National Art School, Korean Art Foundation, Grafton Regional Gallery, Grace Cossington Smith Colllection, Blacktown City Art Collection, and the Kedumba Collection of Australian Drawings. She is currently represented by Dominik Mersch Gallery, SYD
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. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
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 consistent with COVID-safe rules.
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 their website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel and COVID-19 safety measures. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six min 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 encourage you to wear a mask in indoor settings or when physical distancing can’t be maintained, and 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.
Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of everyone on site, and we are closely following NSW Health guidelines and advice. The Sydney Opera House is registered as a COVID Safe business with the NSW Government. For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you when visiting, please see our plan your visit page.
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
As you move around the Opera House, practise physical distancing (1.5 metres whenever possible) and follow the guidance provided by our staff and signage.
Within venues, always take your allocated seat.
For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you, please see our plan your visit page.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
Contact information is required when making a booking with us and upon arrival at the Opera House, as set out in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events and our Customer Privacy Statement.
As the ticket purchaser, you are responsible for recording the contact details of your guests. Contact information will only be used for the purposes of contact tracing, if required, and will be deleted at least 28 days after your event.
Frequently asked questions
The tour meeting point is at the Welcome Centre located on the Lower Concourse of the Opera House.
It’s a great idea to arrive early, grab a drink and soak up the view. Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour to allow sufficient time to cloak any large bags.
This should allow enough time for the mandatory visual inspections and/or cloaking of bags and personal belongings by Opera House staff before starting your tour.
Where possible, please leave bags at home. If you bring a bag, those larger than A4 size will need to be cloaked before you can go on the tour. We're unable to store suitcases or large bags as we have limited cloaking facilities.
If you are going to be late for your tour please call our Reservations team on 02 9250 7250 for assistance.
Where possible, please do not bring bags to the Sydney Opera House. Bags larger than A4 size will need to be cloaked before you can go on the tour. However we can’t store suitcases or large bags as our cloaking facilities are extremely limited.
Cameras are allowed on the tour and there are plenty of photo opportunities throughout the entire tour. Your tour guide will advise you whilst on tour if photographs are not to be taken inside any venues. Please note there is no video filming on the tour.
Mobile phones are permitted on the tour however please ensure they are switched off or on silent for the duration of the tour.
You will have the opportunity to visit some of the Opera House’s many venues and theatres on this tour.
Please note that as we are a busy performing arts centre, venues and theatres are subject to availability at the time of your tour.
You can make a booking for up to 11 people though our maximum capacity per tour is 35 people, or 25 people for the Junior Adventure Tour. For capacity reasons the booking must be made by calling 02 9250 7250. Our Reservations team will assist with your reservation.
We encourage you to purchase your tour in advance online or via the phone where you’ll receive an eTicket. Please bring this with you and present it upon check-in at the Welcome Centre located on the Lower Concourse of the Opera House.
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