The Seymour Centre is a multi-purpose performing arts centre within the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

, located in the city of Sydney, Australia. It is located on the corner of City Road and Cleveland Street in Chippendale, south-west of the

city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...

, in the

City of Sydney The City of Sydney is the Local government in Australia, local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament ...

local government area. The building was designed by the architectural firm Allen Jack+Cottier and was opened in 1975. Internal refurbishments were carried out in 2000, designed by Lahz Nimmo Architects. In addition to public performance areas, the building houses facilities for the Department of Music at the University of Sydney.

History

Sydney businessman, Everest York Seymour, died in 1966 and left a significant bequest for ‘...the construction of a building to serve as a centre for the cultivation, education and performance of musical and dramatic arts...'. The University of Sydney became the trustee of this bequest, and Allen Jack+Cottier were commissioned to design a performing arts centre to be known as The Seymour Centre. In July 2021, the University of Sydney was awarded an 40 million grant from the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

's Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund for Australia's creative and entertainment sector. The grant enabled the delivery of 178 performances to 19,000+ audiences through 16 months of multi-genre productions and events.

Performance venues and facilities

The York Theatre

The York is the largest theatre in the centre, with seating for 780 patrons. It has a

Thrust stage In theatre, a thrust stage (a platform stage or open stage) is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the ...

configuration, with seats in a semi-circular, amphitheatre-style arrangement and is used for drama and musical performances, and spoken-word events.

The Everest Theatre

The Everest theatre is an end-stage theatre, seating up to 605, depending on configuration. It was designed for musical performances and includes a variety of acoustic features to manipulate and control sound quality, but is also used for theatrical and dance performances.

The Reginald Theatre

The Reginald Theatre, previously known as the Downstairs Theatre, is a smaller, informal

Studio theatre A black box theater is a performance space, typically a square or rectangular room, with black walls and a black, flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interact ...

, seating up to 200, with a wide variety of uses.

The Sound Lounge

An intimate

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

style venue for up to 120, which serves light meals and refreshments.

Restaurants and Bars

Refreshments are available on each level, including a coffee cart in the main

foyer A lobby is a room in a building used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer, entryway, reception area or entrance hall, it is often a large room or complex of rooms (in a theatre, opera house, concert hall, showroom, cine ...

. A BBQ also operates in the front

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

opposite the main entrance, from one and a half hours prior to selected shows.

Program

Each year, the Centre presents a wide range of

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

productions and events; plays host to a number of festivals; provides an education program; presents children's theatre; and produces dance, theatre and music productions. The University of Sydney Revues are held at the Seymour each year, as well as many end-of-year dance school concerts.

The Wiggles The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. As of 2022, the group members are Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Tsehay Hawkins, Evie Ferris, John Pearce (entertainer), John Pearce, Caterina Mete ...

performed in this centre during their December 1996 concerts, shown on their first concert video, '' Wiggledance!''.

Festival events

Festivals that program events at the Seymour Centre include the

Sydney Festival Sydney Festival is a major arts festival in Australia's largest city, Sydney, that runs for three weeks every January since it was established in 1977. The festival program features over 100 events from local and international artists and inclu ...

, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Sydney Children's Festival, the Sydney Fringe Festival, and the Sydney Comedy Festival.

Seymour Sessions

The Seymour Sessions is an annual series of music events taking place at Seymour Centre. Founded in 2012, they feature emerging local artists and were for years curated by publisher and events organiser

Larry Heath Larry Heath is an Australian publisher, events organiser, and entrepreneur. He is the founder-owner of Heath Media, which publishes online magazine ''The AU Review'' and hosts the National Live Music Awards. Heath is associate producer at So ...

, of Heath Media. Running each Friday from early February (formerly January) through to mid-March each year, the sessions feature free live music, food, and drink. The event is presented in partnership with the

. A special session is run in association with the Sydney Mardi Gras.

References

External links

Seymour Centre Official Website

Allen Jack+Cottier Official Website

Lahz Nimno Architects Official Website

Sydney Festival 2011
{{Theatres in Sydney University of Sydney buildings Music venues in Sydney Theatres in Sydney Chippendale, New South Wales 1975 establishments in Australia Theatres completed in 1975