Artist impression of Racing NSW submission to use the sails of Sydney Opera House for sport event advertising
In a story in the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday (5 October), it was revealed that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, supported by NSW Minister for Racing Paul Toole, had agreed that horse race The Everest 2018 be advertised upon the Sydney Opera House sails.
In the days that have followed there has been a huge sector and public outcry over the decision. ArtsHub recaps the events and reports sector support.
The key facts
- Last night, Tuesday 9 October, more than 1,000 protesters gathered at the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House as The Everest advertisement was activated.
- (9 October) Independent Member for the state electorate of Sydney, Alex Greenwich presented a motion in NSW Parliament to amend the Sydney Opera House Trust Act to remove the ability of the Minister to over-ride Trust decisions.
- (9 October) Broadcaster Alan Jones apologised for his comments towards Opera House CEO Louise Herron
- Over 290,000 people have signed a change.org petition against the government’s decision and in support of Herron since last Friday when the news broke. Subsequent petitions have been initiated to change the Act to prevent further intervention.
- Petition organiser Mike Woodcock delivered the near 300,000 signatures to Parliament Tuesday morning. It was reported that Premier Gladys Berejiklian did not accept it.
- The New York Times, The Washington Post, the BBC, CNN, and Time have all reported on the story.
Overview of the sequence of events
Under a policy adopted by the Opera House in 2012 – when CEO Louise Herron commenced – no identifying logos are to be projected onto the structure of the sails, with further limits on the number of occasions that the sails can be used to mark events.
The government, however, chose to override that policy, agreeing that not only should the jockeys’ colours and numbers be projected for next Saturday’s horse race (13 October), but that the word “Everest” should be included in the projections on the world heritage-listed site.
The usurping of culture for sport did not seem to bother the Premier, and a cohort of supporters including Racing NSW, and 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones, who attacked Heron in an aggressive radio interview on last Friday.
Justifying her rejection of advertising on the sails of the House, Herron said in that interview: ‘We would be seen in the global community as not respecting this jewel, this masterpiece of human creative genius that is the greatest building of the 20th Century.’
The sector has been quick to respond, with numerous organisations speaking out in Herron’s defense. On Tuesday evening (9 October) a crowd of over 1,000 people gathered at the Sydney Opera House forecourt in protest as the “advertisement” was projected on the sails.
Since Friday, nearly 300,000 people had signed a petition circulated via change.org objecting to the move, not only commenting on the defacing of a national cultural asset, but aghast at the prospect of a global icon being turned over to the inadvertent promotion of gambling.
The issue goes before Parliament
Independent Member for the state electorate of Sydney, Alex Greenwich presented a motion in NSW Parliament today (9 October) to amend the Sydney Opera House Trust Act to remove the ability of the Minister to over-ride Trust decisions.‘If this crass use of our greatest cultural icon is allowed to go ahead – it should be the last time,’ said Greenwich. ‘We must stop the culture of a minister picking up the phone on behalf of his mates in the racing industry and telling the Opera House what to do. I will begin work immediately to amend the act, the government will likely use their numbers to block it from even being debated, but the next parliament will be a very different place.’
Greenwich acknowledged The Trust’s robust decision making processes led independent experts appointed to protect the heritage and artistic uses of the Opera House.
At the time of publishing, the outcome of Greenwich’s motion was yet to be announced.
Shock-jock rattled
Jones has subsequently apologised for his original comments. ‘I used some words in these programs about the Everest, and the Opera House, and Louise, which in hindsight I now most regret,’ the broadcaster said on his program on Tuesday.
‘I don’t believe my words or actions qualify as those of a bully or a misogynist but there are clearly many people who do.
‘My intention was to deal with the issue about which I feel very passionately and not to bully or demean Louise Herron.
‘So to Louise and those people who’ve been offended, I apologise,’ Jones said.
High level support
Attending the Bathurst 1000 motor race over the weekend, Prime Minister Scott Morrison supported Premier Berejiklian’s green light to usurp the sails for sport advertising.
‘Frankly, I thought it was a no-brainer. I can’t work out what all the fuss is about,’ the Prime Minister told The Age on Sunday.
‘This is one of the biggest events of the year. Why not put it on the biggest billboard Sydney has? It’s just common sense and I don’t know why people are getting so precious about it,’ he said.
Labor leader Luke Foley agreed, telling ABC Radio that, ‘what’s being proposed here is, I think, reasonable.’
In light of the ferocious backlash against the Premier’s decision, the Prime Minister and Mr Foley may want to rethink that position.
Bullying the arts
In a very public, combative remark in his interview last week, Jones suggested that Herron should ‘put her resignation on the table’.
‘You are completely out of your depth,’ Jones said in his interview with the Opera House CEO, adding that he could pick up the phone to Berejiklian and have Herron sacked within minutes.
The Premier’s capitulation to Jones’ bullying of Herron has been widely condemned, and marks the second time in as many weeks that the NSW government has appeared to override cultural decisions and formal policies.
As previously reported on ArtsHub, earlier this year NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin went against Create NSW recommendations and reallocated $404,000 in funding, earmarked for 11 organisations and artists, towards a single pet project.
Read: Ministerial meddling in arts funding met by sector outrage
The sector has had enough.
‘You may be right in thinking the next Federal and State elections will be won or lost in the west but the brutal bashing of any community based cultural history is happening right here in the city,’ art dealer Damien Minton said on social media.
The Arts Party’s candidate for the Wentworth by-election, Barry Keldoulis, said that what stood out for him in the conversation of recent days was the claim that people objecting to the use of the Opera House as a commercial billboard were “elitist”.
‘It’s a very common accusation … If this is the sort of language used to mould the political discourse, then it’s more important than ever before for people to have a voice through The Arts Party. We are the world’s most egalitarian country,’ Keldoulis told ArtsHub.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore, a strong advocate for arts and culture across the City of Sydney, said she was ‘appalled that the State Government has instructed the Sydney Opera House to ignore its own policies to let Racing NSW use our iconic sails to advertise a $13 million horse race.
‘This is blatant commercialisation of Australia’s world heritage listed Opera House for an industry notorious for damaging gambling and animal cruelty,’ Moore told The Herald.
On 18 March 2003, two activists climbed the sails of the Opera House and painted a red No War slogan – an action that landed them in jail for nine months of weekend detention for malicious damage, plus a $151,000 fine for the cleaning bill.
At the time the political statement shocked Australia, and was seen as vandalism of a national icon. One might ask whether this week’s advertising for gambling is so very different?
‘I encourage everyone appalled by the use of the Opera [House] as a commercial billboard to write to the Premier Berejiklian and voice their disgust,’ said Moore.
Voice your support via change.org
Anatolitis added in a formal statement from NAVA (National Association for the Visual Arts): ‘To see both Gladys Berejiklian and Scott Morrison capitulate to bullying is disappointing and un-Australian, setting a dangerous precedent for how public decisions are made.
‘Part of the role of the artist is to stand up to attacks on culture – to speak up with a courage that even a Premier and Prime Minister lack.
‘Public value is not something that’s determined by the biggest gambler. Australian taxpayers expect our cultural institutions to be protected as public value for all and not commercial gain for the few.’
As the drama continued in recent days, more organisations came out with public statements condemning the decision to allow horse racing to be promoted on the Opera House’s sails.
Jane Kreis, Director, Theatre Network NSW (TNN) confirmed the peak agency for NSW theatre’s position: ‘We vehemently object to the way in which the NSW government has overruled the Sydney Opera House, a statutory authority. In so doing, the NSW government and others who cite our sector’s concerns as being “precious” reveal an appalling lack of government support for creative leadership in this country.
‘Bullying and harassment are not respected or supported in our industry or our community and must not be allowed to intervene in such important state and national decisions.
‘We ask that the government review its decision and that the Sydney Opera House Trust be allowed to continue with its established and highly successful process for determining what can and cannot be projected onto the centre’s sails,’ Kreis said.
Resident companies at the House have also spoken out.
Sydney Theatre Company said in a post to social media: ‘As a Resident Company, we are proud to contribute to the vibrant arts and culture presented and created beneath the sails of the world heritage-listed Sydney Opera House. We share the concerns of many Australians about the projection of commercial advertising onto these sails. The value of Sydney Opera House to the nation is its status as a symbol of Australian culture, creativity and pride, not as a billboard.’
Bell Shakespeare responded similarly. ‘The Sydney Opera House is world renowned, and recognised for the national and international arts and culture it presents. As a Resident Company we’re proud to call it our home.
‘We believe that as a world heritage listed building it should be treated respectfully. This is a building that belongs to all Australians and shouldn’t be used for promotion as a billboard,’ the company’s statement concluded.
The Heritage Council of NSW delivered a damning letter to government, in which Heritage Council chair Stephen Davies said the decision goes against existing management policy and may impact the UNESCO expectation for World Heritage sites.
‘It is the view of the Heritage Council that the use of the Opera House for the commercial advertising of this event is completely unsatisfactory and is an inappropriate use of this significant heritage place that is valued by many around the world,’ he wrote.
