Sydney Opera House and Westpac announce new partnership
Westpac is now the official event partner for the Homeground and All About Women festivals at the Sydney Opera House. The two-year partnership announcement coincides with the opening of the ‘200 Women: The Listening Ground’ exhibition.
Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron with Westpac CMO Martine Jager
The announcement:
The Sydney Opera House and Westpac today announced a new partnership to celebrate Australia’s rich First Nations culture, as well as shining a spotlight on the issue of gender equality.
Under the two-year agreement, Westpac will be the Event Partner for Homeground, the Opera House’s annual celebration of First Nations art and culture, which will take place on the Forecourt next month (25-26 November). Westpac will also provide support for All About Women, an Opera House festival held in March each year to explore ideas and issues that matter to women.
Importantly, the partnership announcement coincides with today’s opening of 200 Women: The Listening Ground, a free outdoor exhibition designed to shine a light on diversity and equality through the stories of 200 women from around the world.
The exhibition, which runs until 6 November on the Opera House’s Western Broadwalk, is an extension of Westpac’s support for the storytelling project and book 200 Women: who will change the way you see the world. It is founded on 200 interviews with women from different parts of the world and in different circumstances, who are asked five fundamental questions about ‘what is most important to them’.
NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin MLC said: “The Opera House is a part of our nation’s rich cultural fabric, celebrated as a world-class performing arts centre, a great urban sculpture and, importantly, a meeting place for the community. This is the second time this year that Westpac has partnered with a NSW Cultural Institution and demonstrates again what can be achieved when government, the private sector and passionate supporters come together.”
Curated by co-authors of the book Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday, 200 Women: The Listening Ground features the stories of 200 women from diverse backgrounds, including artists, activists, entrepreneurs and business leaders, told through interactive pods fitted with motion sensors and touchscreen technology to create an immersive soundscape and visual experience.
Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said: “The opening of this exhibition marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration between the Opera House and Westpac to highlight incredible women from around the world who are inspiring change, as well as to celebrate First Nations culture.
“Our partners play a vital role in enabling the Opera House to continue to present world-leading artists and speakers and to program important cultural festivals such as Homeground and All About Women. They also help us to create entirely new ways of engaging the community in the issues that matter today.”
Westpac, Chief Marketing Officer, Martine Jager said: “As we celebrate our 200th anniversary, we’re thrilled to partner with the Sydney Opera House to share unique experiences for Australians and visitors alike at one of the country’s most iconic locations. Helping and listening to our people, customers and communities has always been part of Westpac’s DNA and we are proud to play a role in sharing these remarkable stories.”
200 Women: The Listening Ground is a free exhibition open to the public, taking place from 25 October to 6 November 2017 on the Western Broadwalk at the Sydney Opera House. For more information, visit westpac.com.au/200women.
Source: Sydney Opera House release
