Australian correspondence is the weekly newsletter from our Australian bureau. This week’s issue is written by Australia Bureau Chief Damien Cave.
Earlier this week, as I was queuing up at the Sydney Opera House to attend Amy Poehler’s concert hall event related to the new film “Inside Out 2,” I looked around at a large group of people. .
There are young, there are older, there are men and women of different races and fashion styles. The venue was packed with large-scale animated art dancing on the famous sails, courtesy of Vivid Sydney.
I thought back to all the events I had attended in what was affectionately known as “the house.” One of the few stages I’ve seen is “Shakespeare,” a play about the OED and a big-budget musical that went on to hit Broadway. In its main performance hall, I heard classical and soul music as well as reimaginings of Bob Dylan.
Outside, just for the past year, I drank a beer on the stairs and listened to The War on Drugs and the Pixies playing on the stage facing the harbor. On the main stage inside, I once interviewed Harvard historian Jill Lepore about American politics at a festival of ideas.
In the hallway, I met Tim Minchin, the creator of Matilda. One night I said hello to Liane Moriarty, author of Big Little Lies. After Amy Poehler finished, I walked past Emma Watkins of the children’s pop band the Wiggles. Over the years, I’ve met some of Australia’s most powerful politicians as well as some of my neighbors and quite a few strangers and had interesting conversations in pubs or on the way to the bathroom.
I tell all this simply because, at least to me, it was extraordinary. Never in my life have I had such a deep and varied connection with a cultural institution, never have I seen so much in one place, never have I felt so at home and so connected to the creative community of an arts venue Tightly connected, no matter what if I’m wearing jeans, shorts, or the weirdest thing I own.
To me, the only comparable cultural institution is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In my 20s, I came to love its paintings and the narrow corridors that connected the huge exhibition rooms because my aunt, a former dancer, told me that if I didn’t have the money, I wouldn’t have to pay the recommended entrance. Field fee. She didn’t have it when she was younger, and she doesn’t have it now. Neither do I.
So I spent many winter weekends hanging out at the Met, looking for the warmth, calm, and inspiration of the late 90s. It was the first time I learned that art didn’t require wealth or snobbery, and that creativity nourished all souls, not just those whose names were on the walls.
I traveled to many countries with this belief and experienced experiences that challenged the idea of democratic art. While covering events at private museums in Mexico City and Miami, I was often frustrated by the status-hungry crowds and curators.
But the Sydney Opera House has always felt different, and to be honest, I’m still trying to figure out why.
Perhaps at least partly due to the architecture, the exterior is towering, but the interior is very ordinary and unadorned. The gray-beige wall leading to the main hall wouldn’t be out of place in a 1950s German factory.
However, I think the most important thing is planning and a clear commitment to getting the best possible use of the house for as many people as possible. The house welcomes both high art and mass market art. Sometimes the job requires years of study to fully understand; sometimes it requires no preparation at all. Fun often seems to be a clear goal.
At a time when trust in government continues to decline around the world, it’s worth noting that it has nothing to do with wealthy donors and everything to do with democratic traditions and oversight. Unlike Lincoln Center, which was built largely with help from the Rockefeller family, the Sydney Opera House was funded by state lotteries and the Australian government.
In its early years, the budget far exceeded estimates and there were huge arguments and feuds, but Australians never let go of the place: the Sydney Opera House Trust, established in 1961, has 10 people appointed by the Governor of New South Wales member.
Current directors include a former property executive who now chairs the National Council on Housing Supply and Affordability; the artistic director of the Western Sydney Poetry Slam; an audit and risk expert and member of the Sydney Philharmonic Chorus. Their talents span all areas, not just fundraising.
The result is a warm, earthy logo. The Sydney Opera House is the country’s number one tourist destination and busiest performing arts centre. More than 1,800 performances are held every year, attracting more than 1.4 million people.
On Monday night I was among them – and it was great to be there again. I’ll be back next month doing King Lear.
Now here’s our story for the week.
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