The Glasshouse has formed an impressive relationship with the Sydney Opera House which is set to bring even more first class performances to the region.
Last Thursday night the Glasshouse launched the three-year cultural partnership dubbed The Open House Project with the Sydney-based landmark.
The occasion was marked with an exclusive performance by a trio from one of the world’s most highly regarded orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic.
The partnership is the first of its kind in Australia and has three principal strands — cultural engagement, education and tourism development.
The Open House Project will deliver up to 20 Sydney Opera House programs and performances which will transfer from the stages of the House direct to the Glasshouse in Port Macquarie.
The program kicks off in early January 2012 with the Glasshouse and Sydney Opera House presenting the much-loved children’s character Angelina Ballerina in Angelina Ballerina’s Big Audition.
“Sydney Opera House is an asset owned by all the people of NSW so The Open House Project is our way of ensuring everyone can experience Sydney Opera House at its best. We hope one day to have additional Sydney Opera House cultural hubs like this one set up across regional NSW for communities all over the State,” said Richard Evans, Sydney Opera House CEO.
“This program is multi-layered and goes beyond simply taking artists to the Glasshouse. It will deliver strong education outcomes in the region but also give the Mid-North Coast and the Glasshouse the rich profile it deserves. The Glasshouse is one of the most beautiful venues I’ve seen, certainly in Australia, but also around the world.”
Mr Evans said the Opera House attracted 8.2 million visitors a year and largely from overseas.
He said he believed the partnership with the Glasshouse would give scope for those visitors to travel further afield to not only indulge the beachside offerings of Port Macquarie, but a true cultural experience at the Glasshouse as well.
Joe Conneely, Glasshouse Manager said that the partnership, which has been six months in the making, was a great coup not only for the Glasshouse but for the Mid-North Coast region.
“I am excited that such a unique project as this is now married to a unique building in unchartered territory, with the only limitation being our imaginations,” he said.
“The great thing about the partnership is that it is a bipartisan approach to deliver a program which will excite our audiences and benefit our community,” he said.
“By tapping into areas such as education, culture and tourism, The Open House Project can deliver real results to Port Macquarie and the Mid-North Coast region. We are thrilled to work with the Sydney Opera House, to be the second home for its artists, and to deliver this innovative program to our regional community.”
Mr Conneely said the partnership of three years was inevitably going to continue but, by allowing targets within that timeframe, it set a platform for immeasurable possibilities in the future.
The first segment of the 2012 program will be released in December 2011.
