Acting Premier Andrew Stoner said the NSW Government was investing more than $5 million to ensure the success of the 2014 Festival, which will also showcase a range of new and existing works from around the world.

“The Sydney Festival is an important part of Sydney’s major events calendar, attracting interstate and overseas tourists and injecting tens of millions of dollars into the State’s economy,” Mr Stoner said.

Mr Stoner said the NSW Government’s investment included an exciting program of events in Western Sydney, with the public encouraged to embrace what will be a major cultural celebration.

“Last year the Sydney Festival attracted more than 500,000 people with more than 120,000 tickets sold to paid events, including more than 33,000 people who attended events in Western Sydney. In 2012, it injected almost $57 million into our economy,” Mr Stoner said.

“We expect the same level of enthusiasm for this year’s Sydney Festival, which is bringing an exciting calendar of events that will offer something for people of all ages and with different tastes.

“Sydney Festival 2014 will enliven our city with a unique program of world-class arts and cultural activities and will provide a boon for our economy and in particular hotels, restaurants and the retail sector.”

Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts George Souris said Sydney Festival 2014 will reach more than half a million people during its run in January, through both ticketed as well as free events.

“The 2014 program features 370 performances and 100 events, performed by more than 700 artists in about 30 of the city’s finest venues and outdoor locations, including the Sydney Opera House, Seymour Centre, Carriageworks and Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres,” Mr Souris said.

“The fun will get underway tomorrow evening with a range of performances across the city.

“Out west, Sydney Festival Parramatta will kick off on Friday (10 January) from 6-11pm with the Parramatta Opening Party 'POP 2014', a vibrant open-air street celebration around the Riverside Theatres offering music, street theatre and great food, including the chance to see some of the Festival's top acts for free.

“Parramatta River in Parramatta Park will host Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s 15-metre high yellow Rubber Duck from Friday (10 January) to Sunday 19 January, which is sure to be a family drawcard.

“Kaldor Public Arts Project will grace Parramatta Town Hall with three works by internationally acclaimed contemporary artist Roman Ondák, to be presented over two weeks from Friday (10 January) to 24 January.

“There will be highlights right across the city for people to enjoy, including Summer Sounds in The Domain, a free outdoor concert on Saturday (11 January) from 8pm, which will feature disco queen Chaka Khan and music spanning the 70s to today, and is expected to attract up to 60,000 people.

“NSW Government funding has also been provided to some of the State’s leading arts companies which will be presenting works at the Sydney Festival 2014, celebrating our investment in our creative economy.

“The NSW Government is supporting Sydney Festival through Arts NSW and Destination NSW with the NSW Government facility Carriageworks also a key venue partner.”

For more information and to book tickets for Sydney Festival 2014 visit sydneyfestival.org.au

NSW Government-funded arts organisations presenting work at Sydney Festival 2014

  • Belvoir (Company B) and Post will present Oedipus Schmoedipus, a medley of the greatest death scenes ever brought to life on stage, at Belvoir Street Theatre from January 9 – February 2. Arts NSW supports Belvoir through program funding.

  • Ensemble Offspring and The Song Company will present Hurricane Transcriptions/Laborintus II, by Lee Ranaldo with Mike Patton at the City Recital Hall on January 16. Arts NSW supports both Ensemble Offspring and The Song Company through program funding.

  • Griffin Theatre Company and Performance 4A will present The Serpent’s Table, at Carriageworks from January 24-27. Combining storytelling, installation and great food; five remarkable Asian-Australians will share dishes of special significance to their lives. Arts NSW supports Griffin Theatre Company through program funding.

  • Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) will present The Calling – a physical and sonic experience focusing on the built and aural architecture of selected mosques, churches and temples in Auburn, Granville and Parramatta on January 11, 12, 18 and 19. Arts NSW supports ICE through program funding.

  • Opera Australia will present, The Turk in Italy, a sequel to Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers at the Sydney Opera House, Joan Sutherland Theatre, on January 22 and 25. Arts NSW supports Opera Australia through program funding.

  • At Carriageworks on January 18 and 19, Performance Space will present The Redux Project, a celebration of cinema by artist, Richard DeDomenici. Richard collaborates with local audiences to recreate sections of popular films, shot for shot, with low-budget props, costumes and effects, which he edits for screening. Arts NSW supports Performance Space through program funding.

  • Sydney Chamber Opera and Sydney Theatre Company will present His Music Burns at Carriageworks from January 17-19. Renowned playwright Martin Crimp warps the Pied Piper legend into a dark political tragedy, directed by Sarah Giles. Arts NSW supports both Sydney Chamber Opera and Sydney Theatre Company through program funding.

  • Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Bell Shakespeare, both supported by Arts NSW, will present Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite, The Planets, interspersed with readings by Bell Shakespeare’s John Bell at Symphony in the Domain on January 26.

Projects funded by Arts NSW featuring at Sydney Festival 2014

  • Artist, Karen Therese Smith, developed installation work, Funpark, in partnership with people from the local community, and using the space within the disused Bidwill Shopping Plaza. Audiences will be able to experience an interactive arcade cinema, a political rock opera or a spontaneous hula-hooping session on January 18 and 19. Arts NSW provided $47,000 towards this new project.

  • Sydney based theatre and live art production company, My Darling Patricia, will re-tell the story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, using puppetry, multimedia and innovative stagecraft. Arts NSW provided $29,370 for the creative development of The Piper, which will be staged at Carriageworks from January 8-19.

  • Shaun Parker & Company will present Am I, a collaboration between choreographer, Shaun Parker and composer, Nick Wales. Arts NSW provided $89,559 for the creative development and presentation of this work at the Sydney Opera House, Drama Theatre from January 9-12.

  • Lingalayam Dance Company and TaikOz will present Chi Udaka, a collaborative dance work merging the powerful Japanese drumming of TaikOz with the intricate classical Indian dance movements of Lingalayam. Arts NSW provided $29,702 to TaikOz for the creative development of this work which will be presented at the Seymour Centre’s York Theatre from January 16-18.

  • Kaldor Public Art Projects was provided with $50,000 to develop and present Project 28: Roman Ondák at Parramatta Town Hall from January 10-24. The internationally celebrated Roman Ondák merges art with the experiences of everyday life in his trio of performative works.

  • Arts NSW also provided $100,000 to Sydney Festival towards the creative development of the landmark new Aboriginal theatre and music performance work, Black Diggers, at Sydney Opera House from 17-19 and 21-26 January.

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