Spirit of the Arts
Qantas is proud to be a sponsor of the following Arts:
Art Gallery of NSW
The Yiribana Gallery, within the Art Gallery of NSW houses the largest permanent exhibition of indigenous Australian and Torres Strait artwork in world.
Qantas is proud to sponsor Yiribana Gallery at the Art Gallery of NSW.
Australia Business Arts Foundation
The Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) promotes private sector engagement with the arts. AbaF connects business, the arts, donors and foundations through three programs:
- Partnering
- Volunteering
- Giving
Since 2001, Qantas has sponsored the 'QantasLink Regional Award' in the AbaF Awards. Qantas' support for this award allows AbaF to recognise and honour regional business arts partnerships, promote best practice in smaller, regional partnerships and inspire other regional arts organisations and businesses to form relationships.
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra (Paul Dyer, Artistic Director) is one of Australia's premium arts companies, offering a superior concert experience in the City of Sydney. The orchestra is made up of Australia's leading specialists in the performance of baroque and classical music on period instruments, presenting programs that are energetic and passionate yet always accessible. In addition, the orchestra presents for its audiences the finest guest artists from Australia and around the world.
The orchestra is based at the City Recital Hall Angel Place, where it offers six different programs throughout the year. The venue offers not only Sydney's best acoustic, but also a convenient central location (50m from Martin Place) with parking available underneath the building. All concerts start at 7pm and finish at 9pm, allowing ample time to round off the evening with post-concert dinner.
Australian Chamber Orchestra
The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO), founded in 1975, is a talented ensemble known for presenting exciting performances of the highest standard to audiences around the world. The ACO's unique artistic style encompasses not only the masterworks of the classical repertoire, but innovative cross-art form projects and a vigorous commissioning program.
Under the inspiring leadership of Artistic Director and Lead Violin, Richard Tognetti, the ACO has performed as a flexible and versatile 'ensemble of soloists', on modern and period instruments, as a small chamber group, as a small symphony orchestra and as an electro-acoustic collective. As Australia's only professional national orchestra, the ACO presents seven concerts in cities around Australia and at least one international tour a year. The ACO's dedication and musicianship has created relationships with celebrated soloists such as Steven Isserlis, John Williams, Dawn Upshaw, Imogen Cooper, Angela Hewitt, Ivry Gitlis, Pieter Wispelwey and Emmanuel Pahud.
Qantas is proud to be the Official Airline and an Official Partner of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Australian Girls Choir and The National Boys Choir of Australia
The Australian Girls Choir was founded in 1984 by Judith Curphey and their outstanding reputation as one of Australia's most dynamic choir's has been established in many hundreds of high profile performances at home and abroad. The choir is proud to provide high quality education and wonderful performance opportunities to nearly 3,500 girls across the country who are trained in song, dance and drama on a weekly basis.
Founded in 1964 and growing to around 200 choristers, the National Boys Choir of Australia has established itself as one of Australia's finest treble choirs. The Choir creates a musical community committed to providing choristers with an excellent choral music education, a love of singing and the opportunity for music and performance to contribute to their all round education for life.
Qantas first approached the two choirs in 1998 about the possibility of working on an advertising campaign for the airline. Filmed in spectacular locations around Australia and the world, the campaign was one of the most popular in Australian advertising history.
In 2000 and again in 2004 the Choirs were invited to appear in new versions of the original campaign. The making of the 2000 campaign was documented in Wandering Spirits, which aired on the Seven Network in Australia.
As a result of the success of the campaign, the choirs were invited to record the 'Spirit of Christmas' CD with a host of high profile Australian recording artists. The CD went platinum and was nominated for an ARIA award.
The choirs regularly perform at Qantas events and functions such as the Qantas Socceroos and Qantas Wallabies matches, the Australian Open and many other corporate events. They also represent Qantas at 'G'Day USA' and 'G'Day NZ' Australia Week Celebrations each year and also performed at World Youth Day in Sydney, of which Qantas was a major supporter.
Three campaigns and many thousands of miles later Qantas is delighted to be associated with the Australian Girls Choir and National Boys Choir of Australia.
Gondwana National Indigenous Children's Choir
Qantas is proud to be a major partner of the Gondwana National Indigenous Children's Choir. Formed in July 2008, by Gondwana Choirs Artistic Director Lyn Williams OAM, the Choir offers talented young Indigenous Australians from across the country the opportunity to come together and sing and share the voice of their generation with Australia and the world through unique education and performance opportunities.
In July 2008, the Choir performed in World Youth Day festivities, welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to Australia with a piece that was written especially for them in the Dharug Indigenous language, English and Latin. In May 2009 the Choir performed at The Dreaming Festival in Woodford Queensland.
The Gondwana National Indigenous Children's Choir program also includes music skills development workshops in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia and regional music camps. The Choir is working to build a repertoire of songs in Indigenous languages and involves the children in creating new works with Australia's Indigenous musicians.
Australian Youth Orchestra
The Australian Youth Orchestra is Australia's leading youth orchestra and has been nurturing the talents of young Australian musicians since 1957. Members of the orchestra, who are up to 25 years old, are selected to work with respected conductors and soloists from Australia and around the world, performing both national and overseas tours.
The Australian Youth Orchestra runs a range of programs designed to gather and nurture the most talented emerging artists in the country, from Young Symphonists to Young Australian Concert Artists. In addition, its National Music Camp is Australia's longest running music program.
Qantas has now been a sponsor of the Australian Youth Orchestra for over 10 years.
Bangarra Dance Theatre
Bangarra Dance Theatre is one of the youngest and oldest of Australia's dance companies. Its living traditions go back at least 40,000 years but it also reflects the lives and attitudes of indigenous people today. This unique company blends traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture with international contemporary dance influences to create a truly Australian dance language.
Under the artistic direction of Stephen Page since 1991, Bangarra has stunned audiences throughout Australia and the world with electric, startling and inherently spiritual dance works of immense theatrical presence.
Bangarra is committed to touring regional Australia every year under the Qantas 'Sharing the Spirit' campaign. Additionally, Bangarra tours to all main cities around Australia and in the past has undertaken international tours to the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, France, China and Japan.
Qantas is proud to partner Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Museum of Contemporary Art
Opened in 1991, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Sydney, is Australia's premier museum dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art from across Australia and around the world.
The MCA presents an engaging program of exhibitions and special events on art and related issues. From major thematic exhibitions and surveys of established artists, solo exhibitions of mid career artists and new work by emerging artists, painting and sculpture to new media, the MCA program covers the range and diversity of contemporary art.
The MCA aims to place the work of Australian artists, indigenous and non-indigenous, within an international context. By presenting their work alongside that of their international peers as well as bringing major international exhibitions of contemporary art to Australia, the MCA seeks to stimulate dialogue between Australia and the rest of the world. The MCA also contributes to the promotion of the work of Australian artists through national and international exhibition touring programs.
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the vibrant identity for Australia's national opera company. Formed in 1956, it has grown to become one of the busiest opera companies in the world. It is a company that bears proud traditions of artistic excellence and popular appeal, that presents opera that excites audiences, and sustains and develops the art form.
As Australia's leading performing arts company, Opera Australia gives employment to more than 1,000 Australians per year. In 2008 Opera Australia gave over 280 performances in its mainstage seasons at the Sydney Opera House and the Arts Centre Melbourne, including seasons in Canberra and Brisbane, seen by more than 415,000 people. A further 22,700 people attended the 'Madame Butterfly' production all around Australia presented by Oz Opera, Opera Australia's regional access and development arm, and Oz Opera's Schools Company gave performances to more than 78,000 primary age children in New South Wales and Victoria.
Opera Australia continues to take steps on the world stage. Four productions were hired to other companies including Montreal and Houston, and our production of Rigoletto was presented in Macau. In 2009 Opera Australia will present Carmen in Taipei. Opera Australia is proud to recognise Qantas as our Official Airline.
Opera Australia has one primary aim: to enrich Australia's cultural life with exceptional opera and to present this exciting art form to as many people as possible. We need and welcome the ongoing support and endorsement of government and corporate Australia in realising these ambitions. Qantas is one of the longest standing partners of Opera Australia and we gratefully acknowledge its leadership role which supports the ongoing vitality of the national opera company.
Sydney Dance Company
Sydney Dance Company is Australia's premier contemporary dance company. Performing both nationally and internationally each year, the company is an active proponent of Australian culture around the world.
Standing proudly on a strong foundation, emerging from a radiant past, the company is entering a new era. In 2008, the company's troupe of seventeen dancers will premiere the works of three internationally renowned guest choreographers - Meryl Tankard, Rafael Bonachela and Aszure Barton.
Adding to a repertoire acclaimed for its vivid theatricality and inventive choreography, the company will premier its seasons in Sydney at the Theatre Royal and Carriageworks and tour to Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra.
Sydney Dance Company gratefully acknowledges the support of its Official Airline, Qantas, who have been a committed sponsor for the past 29 years.
Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Theatre Company has been Australia's leading force in quality theatre since its establishment in 1978. They perform 52 weeks a year - working across a broad spectrum from the classic repertoire to new commissions, from the very popular to the most challenging, with works appealing to a diverse audience from the keen theatre-goer to the first time attendee.
The Company regularly tours its productions throughout Australia, playing to a total audience of over 300,000 people each year. In 2008 Sydney Theatre Company's annual subscription season features 12 plays including 'The Narcissist' which is proudly presented by Qantas.
Packed to the brim with narcissists of every stripe, withering one liners and wild farce, this production from Brisbane's La Boite Theatre Company was a massive success up in Queensland and promises to roar into the Sydney Opera House on all cylinders.
To book tickets and for further information visit the STC website.
Qantas has been a committed sponsor of Sydney Theatre Company for over 7 years.
The Australian Ballet
Founded in 1962, The Australian Ballet is one of Australia's flagship arts companies, and for over four decades has been the defining face of ballet in Australia.
Each year, it performs works from the classical repertoire as well as contemporary works by major Australian and international choreographers, and new commissions that explore the development and future of this dynamic art form.
One of the busiest ballet companies in the world, The Australian Ballet annually presents approximately 200 performances in cities and regional areas around Australia, in addition to regular international touring. Recent tours include Tokyo, Shanghai, Auckland, Cardiff and a season in London for which the company won the UK Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Company.
Versatility, technical excellence and a warm, friendly style are the trademarks of The Australian Ballet, qualities that have earned it both critical and audience acclaim.
The State Library of NSW
More than any other place, the State Library of New South Wales holds the documentary record of the discovery and development of Australia and the Pacific. It is an internationally renowned collection containing more than 5 million items with a conservative value of $1.9 billion.
Currently, more than 80% of this collection is unavailable on the internet, therefore restricting access of this national asset to millions of Australians and those abroad. The Library's digitisation initiative - Discover Collections was created to digitise unique and significant items and publish them online. Through this innovative project, more and more of the Library's research collection is being made available.
Qantas is working with The State Library of NSW to bring online the fascinating aviation collections. Discover Collections - 'Aviation in Australia' reveals the history of flight in Australia from its infancy through to the twentieth century.
The Walkley Foundation
The Walkley Foundation supports and encourages excellence in Australian journalism through the annual Walkley Awards and a national program of events. Since their launch in 1956, the Walkley Awards have grown from five to 33 categories. Today the Walkleys recognise photography, cartooning, artwork, non-fiction literature and online journalism, as well as all kinds of media. As technology evolves, Australians have access to more information than ever - on the internet, mobile phones and beyond. In times like these it's important to hold high standards for journalism, and to recognise the work Australian reporters do at home and abroad - bearing witness, exposing the truth, and building understanding in an increasingly complex world.
The Walkley Foundation supports journalists around Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific region through networking, emergency support and professional development events. Exhibitions of Walkley-winning photography tour the country each year, watch out for them in your state. Visit www.walkleys.com to learn more about the Walkleys and great Australian journalism, or to order your copy of The Walkley Magazine - Inside the Media.
Qantas is proud to support The Walkley Foundation for excellence in journalism.
