The Sydney Opera House ‘talks’ in a brand new podcast for kids

Sydney – Tuesday 14 July, 2020. The Sydney Opera House has today released a brand new season of Arty Farty, a podcast made especially for kids. Released just in time for the school holidays to help keep inquisitive young minds entertained, House Call is the third season of Arty Farty and includes 15 episodes jam-packed full of interesting stories from the people who make magic happen behind-the-scenes at the Sydney Opera House.

In House Call, questions that were submitted by kids to a telephone hotline during May 2020 are answered by Sydney Opera House staff and creative collaborators. The first episodes feature Head of First Nations programming Rhoda Roberts answering “What was there before the Opera House?”, opera singer and physicist Jacqui Dark responds to “How big is the world?” while John Lavery, who’s been a set maker for many years, grapples with “Have you ever had to make huge robot animals that were too big for the stage”? Forthcoming episodes answer a range of quirky questions all about the big white house; including how the Opera House ‘floats’ on the water and who the biggest celebrities are that have visited its soaring sails. The episodes, which are five to seven minutes in length, reverse the spotlight and profile a range of unique creatives and staff who keep the Opera House humming and help bring the magic of performance to life.

Sydney Opera House Head of Children, Families and Creative Learning, Tamara Harrison says: “House Call gives children a direct line to one of the world’s most inspiring and admired buildings. The Sydney Opera House has never been able to ‘speak’ before and within its hallowed halls is an astonishing wealth of knowledge that stretches across the disciplines of science, music, history and culture. Kids also ask the best questions – we’ve been so impressed by the ingenuity and curiosity of their enquiries!”

Designed to help curious young minds learn more about the world behind the curtains at the Opera House, House Call follows Arty Farty’s first season This Kid Life, which puts little thinkers behind the mic to grapple with big ideas like resilience, diversity and education. The second season, Creative Conversations, uncovers how some of the world’s best artists and authors are inspired and turn their thoughts into art.

Every Tuesday, over five weeks, three new episodes of Arty Farty House Call will be released. Listen via iTunes, Spotify or SoundCloud.