Play it Safe

About the Work Since 1973, the Sydney Opera House has stood as a monument to the power of brave, crazy, beautiful ideas. So, to mark its 50th anniversary, we created a film that celebrated the House’s creative spirit and reminded Australia that the best things only happen when you refuse to play it safe. This wasn’t just an opportunity to pay tribute to the House’s legacy. With Australia’s once defiant creative culture being stifled by an increasingly conservative social and political climate, the House’s anniversary would also be a clarion call for artistic bravery. The project also sought to undo the elitist connotations that had come to be attached to this global icon, with the message that the Opera House – like art itself – belongs to everyone. The result was Play It Safe: an original song written in collaboration with actor/playwright Tim Minchin, with a rousing music video directed by Kim Gehrig. Celebrating both the House’s heritage and its future, the video sets archival footage of the House’s construction alongside vibrant performances from the Australian artists who call it home – making the architecture a star cast member in its own right. Dance sequences are also used to tell the story of the unbridled creativity that made the Opera House a reality to begin with. The music video was released online and quickly shared around the world, reaching 1.8 billion people with 662 pieces of media coverage. The track was also released by Tim Minchin on Spotify, where it has received over 100,000 plays to date. From Australia to the other side of the world, its message resounded: if we silence the little voice in our heads that tells us to ‘play it safe’ and do the opposite – there’s no limit to what we can achieve.