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DanceRitesDeaf Indigenous Dance Group

In 2012, the Opera House became the first performing arts organisation in Australia to launch a Reconciliation Action Plan. Since then, we have built a strong workplace culture of respect and inclusion, created employment and education opportunities, and presented important First Nations artistic works on our stages and sails.  

Today, we continue our commitment to the First Nations community, with First nations voices, self-determination and storytelling playing a vital role in shaping the Opera House and its future.  

DanceRites celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures through a dance competition on the Opera House Forecourt. Since it started, more than 1600 participants from 116 dance groups have joined this annual hallmark event that showcases the richness and diversity of First Nations culture. You can ensure more remote and interstate dance groups can share their culture by subsidising their travel costs to Sydney to compete.  

DanceRites and the Deaf Indigenous Dance Group

Donate

By making a tax-deductible donation to the Sydney Opera House you can make a difference. With your support we can ensure more regional and remote First Nations communities can participate in programming like DanceRites. Please donate today.

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Deaf Indigenous Dance Group (DIDG)

In 2023 DIDG travelled from Cape York to the Opera House with the support of the donor enabled Travel Fund, to compete for the first time on the Opera House Forecourt.  

DanceRites enables connection between nation groups and continues cross generational exchanges of cultural knowledge. It is central to our ambition to be Everyone’s House.  

“I was so thrilled to travel to the Opera House, bring our dancers together and share our stories and talent on such an iconic stage.” 

- Patty Morris Banjo, founder of DIDG

You can ensure more dance groups like DIDG can showcase their talents by supporting the Opera House this end of financial year.

Ways to support

There are a number of ways you can support the Opera House:

All donations $2 or more to Sydney Opera House (ABN 69 712 101 035) are tax-deductible for the purposes of Australian tax-law. For international tax-deductible gifts, please call us on 02 9250 7077 or email us.

The Sydney Opera House thanks its family of Corporate Partners and Donors for their support.