The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50 exhibition at the Museum of Sydney has been extended until 3 March 2024.
Curated by the Museums of History NSW in partnership with the Sydney Opera House, The People’s House takes guests to the early years of the iconic building by retelling some of the remarkable stories that have shaped the Opera House, and also showcases the broad range of productions, performances and events that have taken place in the building over 50 years.
The free exhibition displays rare archival records, programs, posters, exquisite costumes, photographs, set boxes, architectural drawings, models, artworks and classic souvenirs.
“This exhibition has proven to be hugely popular with the locals and visitors alike,” said Mary Darwell, CEO, Museums of History NSW.
“We are thrilled to be able to extend the exhibition date so that more people can explore and celebrate five decades of the Sydney Opera House as an extraordinary and much-loved cultural icon.”
“In a first for MHNSW, The People’s House brings material and memorabilia from our collection together with the collections of the NSW cultural institutions, the Opera House’s resident companies and the Arts Centre Melbourne, who have generously contributed significant items to help bring this exhibition to life,” she added.
The exhibition also features a specially commissioned woven Opera House by First Nations master weavers Steven Russell and Phyllis Stewart, responding to the iconic Shellwork Sydney Opera House produced by renowned First Nations artist, Esme Timbery in 2002.
To showcase the Opera House as an architectural masterpiece, the exhibition allows visitors to explore its architecture through a playful LEGO model, and test their drawing skills on a digital drafting table. Guests can also conduct a virtual orchestra in Maestro – an interactive space where people can collaborate in the creation of an audio-visual performance, or find out what significant performances or events took place at the Opera House on a particular day in the last 50 years.
