Apple and the Sydney Opera House have announced a year-long collaboration to champion the next generation of Australian creativity.
The pair will do this through initiatives that support Australian art, design, and culture, including programming for young people and activity within the Opera House’s Centre for Creativity.
To launch the collaboration, a newly commissioned artwork, Illuminating Creativity, will transform the Opera House’s eastern Bennelong sails from March 25-27 into a canvas for creativity, community, and Australian talent.
The projection will showcase original static and moving-image artworks created in Procreate on iPad by a diverse group of 10 emerging Australian artists.
From March 9-15, members of the public are also invited to create their own digital artworks on iPad at free Today at Apple sessions, with the opportunity to submit their creations for consideration in the final projection.
Through this collaboration, Apple and the Opera House will focus on interactive programming and experiences for young people at the nation’s premier cultural institution, with Apple to be the founding partner of a new international children’s festival being presented later this year. Apple will also support the Opera House’s Centre for Creativity — a purpose-built home for hands-on creative participation — and explore new ways to enhance Opera House programming and experiences through technology.
“The Sydney Opera House, like Apple, is synonymous with creativity. This collaboration is a natural fit between two organisations that continue to search for new ways for people to experience the world. From our first international children’s festival to exciting programming highlights throughout the year, Apple’s support will enable us to continue to inspire and welcome more of the community in line with our ambition to be Everyone’s House,” said Louise Herron AM, the Sydney Opera House’s CEO.
“For 50 years, Apple has been at the forefront of empowering creativity, providing tools that allow people to imagine, design, and share their unique visions with the world. The yearlong collaboration with the Sydney Opera House and Illuminating Creativity is a celebration of this legacy, bringing together the incredible talent of Australian artists and the transformative power of iPad and Procreate. We are thrilled to be working with such an iconic Australian cultural landmark to help inspire the next generation of creatives,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.
Here, with his iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, he uses Procreate to bring his design for the Sydney Opera House’s eastern Bennelong sails to life.
A testament to Australian innovation and ingenuity, Procreate, developed by Tasmanian company Savage Interactive, has become a leading digital art and illustration app for iPad and iPhone globally.
“Procreate was born from the belief that multitouch and Apple Pencil could transform the experience of creating digital art. Fifteen years later, this initiative with Apple and the Sydney Opera House underscores our shared commitment to making powerful creative tools accessible to everyone, from beginners to professional artists,” said James Cuda, Procreate’s CEO.
Perth-based illustrator Rebecca Mills first discovered Procreate through a Today at Apple session at Apple Perth City, redefining her creative practice. Since then, her career has included designing vibrant, colourful works for exhibitions, award-winning children’s books, prints, puzzles, packaging, and murals.
“Procreate on iPad Pro with Apple Pencil Pro has been a complete game changer for my career, allowing me to create professional-level artwork from virtually anywhere. The fact that Procreate is an Australian-born success story makes it extra special. If you had told me at that first Today at Apple session that I’d one day be using iPad Pro and Procreate to design artwork to be projected onto the Sydney Opera House, I wouldn’t have believed you. Using these amazing tools to design artwork for such an iconic canvas is a privilege, and I can’t wait to see my work light up the sails. It will definitely be a pinch-me moment.”
From March 9-15, Apple Store locations across Australia will host free Today at Apple sessions, inviting members of the public to create their own digital artworks on iPad, with the opportunity to submit their creations for consideration in the final projection program. Selected artworks, from both commissioned artists and public submissions, will be curated and projected at 8:30 p.m. on March 25, and at 8:00 p.m. on March 26 and March 27 on the eastern Bennelong sails of the Sydney Opera House.
