Philanthropic activities
The Committee has been responsible for more than $1 million in philanthropic contributions to the Sydney Opera House over the past five decades, making it the largest single source of private philanthropic support.
From 1959 to 1968, the Committee raised $895,345 in net income. From 1969 to 1972, at the request of the NSW Government, the Committee operated primarily with a social focus. Since 1973, the Committee has raised at least $200,000 in philanthropic and in-kind contributions. In recent years, the Committee has helped fund projects such as: the Opera House’s Oral History, which recorded interviews about construction of Jørn Utzon’s masterpiece; and, in partnership with the State Library of NSW, extensive restoration and digitisation of Utzon’s drawings, plans, documents and films, which he had donated to the State Library.
Currently, the Committee contributes, on average, $10,000 per annum in support of the Opera House’s Arts Assist program, to provide opportunities for socially and financially disadvantaged students to experience educational performances at the Opera House.
The Committee is preparing to contribute to the Opera House’s decade of renewal, which began with last year’s 40th Anniversary celebrations and will continue to the 50th Anniversary in 2023. Utzon’s masterpiece requires significant investment to evolve and meet the needs of new generations of artists, audiences and visitors. This will be come from a combination of government funding, corporate sponsorship and private philanthropy. The Committee plans to play a significant role in this renewal, as it did in the building’s original construction.