A Meeting Place for Ideas

The Sydney Opera House is regularly transformed into a public forum for some of the most fascinating, disruptive and provocative conversations cropping up around the world.

By Sydney Opera House

Economist Joseph Stiglitz by Prudence UptonSydney Opera House

Throughout the year, the Sydney Opera House’s Talks & Ideas program hosts a diverse range of extraordinary speakers and thinkers, provocateurs and wits, conversations and debates, including the annual Festival of Dangerous Ideas, For Thought and All About Women series.

Economist Joseph Stiglitz (pictured), author and activist Naomi Klein, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, former Prime Minister Paul Keating, author and philosopher Alain de Botton, Russian punk protest collective Pussy Riot, cognitive scientist Steven Pinker, journalist and filmmaker Jon Ronson, humorist and memoirist David Sedaris, actor and comedian Jennifer Saunders, economist Paul Krugman and celebrity chef Nigella Lawson are a few of the speakers gathered in this exhibit.

Alain de Botton.

Philosopher and author Alain de Botton, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Author and activist Naomi Klein, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Author and activist Naomi Klein: Capitalism and the climate, Sydney Opera House, 2015, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Journalist and humorist Jon Ronson: Shame culture, Sydney Opera House, 2016, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Economist Paul Krugman in conversation with Andrew Charlton, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Economist Paul Krugman, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Stephen Hawking on One Direction (2015) by Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House

Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking by Prudence UptonSydney Opera House

Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Psychologist Steven Pinker by Daniel BoudSydney Opera House

Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating in conversation with veteran journalist Kerry O'Brien (2016) by Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House

Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating talks to writer and journalist Kerry O'Brien.

The World Is Not Ready For Women In Power' – with Anne Summers, Arlie Russell Hochschild, Vandana Shiva, Hanna Rosin and Julia Baird at Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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All About Women, Leymah Gbowee, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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All About Women, Leymah Gbowee, Prudence Upton, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Author Salman Rushdie, Daniel Boud, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Author Salman Rushdie, Daniel Boud, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Sydney Opera House, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Russian punk protest collective Pussy Riot, Daniel Boud, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Russian punk protest outfits Pussy Riot's Zona Prava: In conversation with Masha Gessen, Sydney Opera House, 2015, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Russian punk protest collective Pussy Riot, Daniel Boud, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Russian punk protest collective Pussy Riot, Daniel Boud, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver by Prudence UptonSydney Opera House

Jennifer Saunders - Bonkers: My Life in Laughs.

Multimedia artist and activist Yoko Ono, Sydney Opera House, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Multimedia artist and activist Yoko Ono, Sydney Opera House, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Patricia Edgar - 'Old Age is Not a Burden', Prudence Upton, 2013, From the collection of: Sydney Opera House

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Creator and producer of TV drama series The Wire, David Simon by Prudence UptonSydney Opera House

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson by Ken LeanforeSydney Opera House

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson in conversation with Annabel Crabb (2016) by Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House

Credits: Story

Created by Sam Doust and the
Sydney Opera House GCI Team

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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