Own your own piece of the Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House has launched Own Our House, a unique grassroots fundraising campaign that gives people in Australia and around the world the opportunity to show their support for the Opera House by buying a virtual tile on the tallest Sail.

Tile owners, known as Housemates, will be able to:

• Choose their tile online and check out the view
• Personalise their tile with a photo and short message
• Form or join virtual tile communities with friends, family and famous artists
• Visit their tile and share it through social media
• Search for other Housemates and see what they have done with their tiles
• Buy a tile as a gift.

Housemates will own their tiles for the Opera House’s decade of renewal, launched as part of the 40th Anniversary. The Own Our House campaign gives everyone the chance to be a catalyst in the renewal process.

Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts, George Souris, said: “Own Our House is a way for people to express their love of the Opera House and play a part in its future. It is an innovative idea and I applaud it.”

Sydney Opera House Trust Chairman John Symond AM said: “The Opera House is the People’s House. Own Our House is an opportunity for everyone to feel that they are contributing to its future. This is about our partnership with the community.”

Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said the funds raised by Own Our House would go first and foremost to help renew the building.

“The Opera House belongs to everyone. This campaign gives people a really tangible, practical way of showing how much they care. It provides the seed funding for the renewal campaign of Australia’s greatest icon,” Ms Herron said.

Funds from the Own Our House campaign will also be used to increase public access to the Opera House through more free events, digital innovation and new education initiatives.

The virtual Opera House at the heart of the campaign and the Own Our House website were made possible through the use of ground-breaking laser-mapping technology developed by US-based digital preservation foundation CyArk.

The Opera House’s tallest sail, known as A2, covers the Concert Hall and has more than 125,000 tiles. The tiles come in Snow (matte) and Ice (shiny) finishes and give the famous sails their extraordinary lustre. Ice tiles will be offered for $100 and the rarer Snow tiles for $400 (in honour of the Opera House’s 40th Anniversary year).

Tiles are available to purchase online via PC, tablet, laptop or smartphone or through tablets available in the Box Office Foyer.

For more information, please visit ownourhouse.com.au