Charity Partner – Sydney Spectaculars

Sydney Lights Up The World

A brilliant light bulb illuminated Sydney Harbour last night as huge crowds gathered around the foreshore to welcome in 2015, while millions more watched around the world.

Celebrating the International Year of Light, the 12-storey-high Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect was the centrepiece of the Midnight Fireworks display – one of the largest and most technologically advanced fireworks displays in the world.

Sydney New Year's Eve 2014 - 'Inspire' - 9pm Family Fireworks Photograph: Jennifer Polixenni Brankin - First Light Photography — Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ – 9pm Family Fireworks
Photograph: Jennifer Polixenni Brankin – First Light Photography

The light bulb design, which remained top-secret until midnight, followed an animated image of the New Holland Seahorse, which appeared on the Bridge during the 9PM Family Fireworks.

The New Holland Seahorse – commonly known as the Sydney Seahorse – is native to Sydney Harbour.

Sydney New Year's Eve 2014 - 'Inspire' - 'New Holland Seahorse' Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect Photograph: David Clare - First Light Photography — Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ – ‘New Holland Seahorse’ Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect
Photograph: David Clare – First Light Photography

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said Sydney’s world-famous fireworks displays provided the perfect welcome to the New Year.

“Sydney is known as the New Year’s Eve Capital of the World and last night’s celebrations were no exception,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Spectacular images from the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays have already been shared around the world – on television, online and via social media – shining a spotlight on our magnificent harbour and inspiring audiences worldwide to visit Sydney.”

“Our New Year’s Eve celebrations have allowed us to showcase our fantastic city to the rest of the world, reinforcing that Sydney is and always will be a welcoming, inclusive, harmonious and multicultural community.”

Sydney NYE2014 - 'Inspire' Producer Aneurin Coffey, Sydney NYE2014 - 'Inspire' Creative Ambassador Jack Thompson and Sydney NYE2014 - 'Inspire' Fireworks Director Fortunato Foti discussing fireworks at White Bay. Photograph: City Of Sydney — Sydney NYE2014 – ‘Inspire’ Producer Aneurin Coffey, Sydney NYE2014 – ‘Inspire’ Creative Ambassador Jack Thompson and Sydney NYE2014 – ‘Inspire’ Fireworks Director Fortunato Foti discussing fireworks at White Bay.
Photograph: City Of Sydney

Master pyrotechnician Fortunato Foti of Foti International Fireworks was responsible for the fireworks displays for the 14th consecutive year.

The displays used approximately 7 tonnes of fireworks, including 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects.

Sydney New Year's Eve 2014 - 'Inspire' - Midnight Fireworks Photograph: Karl Bayer - First Light Photography — Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ – Midnight Fireworks
Photograph: Karl Bayer – First Light Photography

The Lord Mayor praised the City of Sydney crews who worked throughout the night to ensure Sydney was sparkling this morning.

“With huge crowds gathering around the harbour foreshore and at vantage points across Sydney, the clean-up of New Year’s Eve is an enormous task,” the Lord Mayor said.

“A fantastic team of 350 City staff worked tirelessly throughout the night, collecting between 48-50 tonnes of waste.”

“Within hours, our staff had transformed the City’s streets and parks, clearing truckloads of rubbish to reveal a pristine setting in time for sunrise.”

The $290,000 clean-up operation involved the use of 60 trucks, sweepers and compactors and 600 mobile garbage bins to support the City’s 720 street litter bins, which were filled with plastic bottles, food containers and food scraps.

90% of the waste collected will be recycled courtesy of SITA Australia.

Crowds at the Campbell's Cove Vantage Point for Sydney New Year's Eve 2014 - 'Inspire' Photograph: Yie Sandison - First Light Photography — Crowds at the Campbell’s Cove Vantage Point for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’
Photograph: Yie Sandison – First Light Photography

The Lord Mayor also thanked everyone who made the event possible, including the City’s Sydney New Year’s Eve team and Creative Ambassador Jack Thompson.

“After more than 15 months of planning, it was wonderful to see Sydney at its best last night, as the 1st major global city in the world to ring in 2015,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Thank you to everyone who worked throughout the year – and all those who dedicated their time last night – to ensure the celebrations ran smoothly.”

“Sydneysiders have gone through a period of trauma and mourning over the past weeks, and last night we all spared a thought for the families of the Martin Place siege victims.”

Crowds at the West Circular Quay Vantage Point for Sydney New Year's Eve 2014 - 'Inspire' Photograph: Yie Sandison - First Light Photography — Crowds at the West Circular Quay Vantage Point for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’
Photograph: Yie Sandison – First Light Photography

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ acknowledges the support of Leadership Partner – Telstra, Charity Partner – Engineers Without Borders Australia & NSW Government agencies and landholders including the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the Sydney Opera House Trust.

Fireworks Soundtracks To ‘Inspire’ This Sydney New Year’s Eve

One of Australia’s most popular DJ’s, Nina Las Vegas, is serving as musical director for the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ fireworks displays.

Nina, who currently hosts triple j’s Mix Up Exclusives, has created 2 spectacular soundtracks that will be synchronised to the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays.

The 9pm Family Fireworks soundtrack will feature a family-friendly mix of pop songs and tracks from recent children’s films, while the Midnight Fireworks display includes some of Nina’s favourite dance tunes from the past year, along with pop hits and well-known rock anthems.

The soundtracks will be broadcast live on 104.1 2DayFM at 9pm and Midnight.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the Sydney New Year’s Eve soundtracks play a special role in bringing the celebrations to life.

“Sydney Harbour provides a stunning backdrop for the world’s most famous fireworks displays and each year, the fireworks soundtracks makes the celebration even more exciting,” the Lord Mayor said.

“I’m looking forward to hearing the mixes Nina has put together to accompany our spectacular fireworks displays as we welcome in the New Year.”

Nina Las Vegas is known across Australia for her encyclopaedic knowledge of dance music and strong support for the local music scene.

Nina has worked in Australian radio for over a decade, along the way establishing herself as one of Australia’s premier dance music DJ’s.

She has appeared at music festivals including Splendour in the Grass and Stereosonic, and played shows with Pharrell Williams, MIA and Baauer.

“Sydney New Year’s Eve is such an iconic event, so I was thrilled to be asked to be involved. It’s one of those rare moments when the whole city comes together and the eyes of the world are on Sydney,” Nina said.

“In coming up with the fireworks soundtracks, my goal was to find the middle ground between my musical passion – which is to showcase the best local and international dance talent – with what works well with fireworks, and what will appeal to the public at large.”

“The music for the 9PM Family Fireworks will be something that young children and their parents will enjoy equally, and for the Midnight Fireworks, the music is powerful and optimistic.”

“I can’t wait for people to be surprised on the night as they watch the fireworks and hear the fireworks soundtracks I’ve created.”

The fireworks soundtracks include 45 songs by a diverse range of local and international artists, including:

ARIA award-winning electropop artist Sia’s Chandelier, which has been nominated for 4 Grammy Awards;
Sydney producer Flume’s remix of New Zealand singer Lorde’s Tennis Court, which reached number 12 in this year’s triple j’s Hottest 100;
UK dance star Calvin Harris’s Summer, the 2nd single from his international number 1 album Motion;
US sensation Katy Perry’s Roar, which spent 2 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts and went 10 times platinum in Australia; and
Sydney-born boy band 5 Seconds of Summer’s Amnesia, which went platinum on the ARIA charts this year.

12 computers are used to synchronise the fireworks to the fireworks soundtracks and ensure the displays go off together seamlessly.

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com.

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ acknowledges the support of Leadership Partner – Telstra, Charity Partner – Engineers Without Borders Australia, & NSW Government agencies and landholders including the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the Sydney Opera House Trust.

Sydney Skies To Light Up 3 Times In 1 Great Night

Master pyrotechnician Fortunato Foti is preparing to inspire Sydneysiders and visitors with his most colourful fireworks displays yet this Sydney New Year’s Eve.

Fortunato – a 7th-generation pyrotechnician whose family has been making fireworks since 1793 – has created a series of stunning new colours and shapes for this year’s displays, including silver and gold palm trees.

To mark his 15th year involved in the event, multicoloured fireworks and a special red glitter effect will also feature in the displays, which are recognised as one of the largest and most technologically advanced in the world.

A pyrotechnic crew of 45 will launch 7 tonnes of fireworks throughout the night – including 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and over 100,000 individual effects.

A 3rd mini-fireworks display, known as the ‘Inspire Moment’, will also feature at 10:40pm to keep crowds entertained during the countdown to midnight.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said 1.6 million people were expected to gather around the Harbour on Wednesday night to enjoy Sydney’s world-famous fireworks displays.

“For 15 years now, Fortunato Foti and his crew at Foti Fireworks have made Sydney New Year’s Eve a night to remember with their imaginative, innovative fireworks displays,” the Lord Mayor said.

“This year’s celebration promises to be just as spectacular, with new colours, shapes and a special 90-second show at 10:40pm that will build anticipation before the main event at midnight.”

Over the years, Fortunato and his crew have created dozens of original fireworks for Sydney New Year’s Eve, including shells in the shape of hands, musical notes, koalas, bees and birds.

Fortunato said his lifelong passion for fireworks means he is not daunted by the challenge of creating something exciting and new each year.

“We started working on Sydney New Year’s Eve back in 1999, and we quickly learnt what works best – and what doesn’t work so well – for a show of this size and scale,” Fortunato said.

“We’ve reached a point now where each year we walk away thinking ‘that was the best show we’ve ever done’ – and that just spurs us on to do even better the following year.”

“This year we’ve focused on making the displays as colourful as possible – you’ll see a lot of metallics, as well as bright reds, greens, blues and purples – and some fun new shapes, including palm trees with shimmering centres and multicoloured ends.”

“The displays will also have a lot of variety – because they’re synchronised to a specially curated soundtrack, the fireworks change as frequently as the music does, keeping audiences entertained and surprised.”

“For us, fireworks are truly inspirational, so we hope that the displays reflect our love and passion, and that they inspire everyone watching – both around the Harbour and across Australia and worldwide.”

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com.

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ acknowledges the support of Leadership Partner – Telstra, Charity Partner – Engineers Without Borders Australia, & NSW Government agencies and landholders including the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the Sydney Opera House Trust.

Accessibility Initiatives Mean Everyone Can Be Inspired This Sydney New Year’s Eve

A range of City Of Sydney accessibility initiatives will make this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations safer and more inclusive for all.

This year’s event will feature a live audio description broadcast, designated accessible viewing areas and projections of giant hands spelling out Auslan messages on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons.

A dedicated page on the official Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ website will provide accessible transport information and an interactive vantage point map highlighting accessible facilities around the Sydney Harbour foreshore.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City was committed to ensuring everyone can take part in Australia’s largest public event.

“Sydney New Year’s Eve is an event for everyone, so we want to make sure the many Sydneysiders and visitors living with a disability have a safe and enjoyable night,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our accessible route maps and designated accessible viewing areas will make getting to the event easier, so audiences can focus on relaxing with family and friends and welcoming in the New Year.”

A live audio description will be broadcast on radio station 2RPH from 7:45pm on 1224AM, 100.5FM, 2RPH digital and online at 2rph.org.au.

Professional audio describers Emma Bedford and Daryl Colquhoun will bring the full Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ program to life, including the 9PM Family Fireworks, Harbour Of Light Parade and Midnight Fireworks display.

There will be designated accessible viewing areas at the Sydney Opera House, Mrs Macquarie’s Point, the Cahill Expressway & Pirrama Park and Ballarat Park in Pyrmont.

People interested in visiting these areas should check the Sydney New Year’s Eve website for more details.

The website also features maps showing the most accessible routes to some vantage points, accessible public toilets, information booths, transport hubs and other points of interest.

Throughout the night, welcome messages will be projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons in Auslan, the sign language of Australia’s deaf community, as well as the languages of Sydney’s 16 top migrant populations and tourist nationalities.

And for those staying at home, live closed captions will be available for the ABC’s TV broadcast of the celebrations and Telstra’s YouTube Show, while the soundtracks of the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays will be simulcast on 104.1 2DayFM.

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com.

Many Ways To Celebrate This Sydney New Year’s Eve

This New Year’s Eve, the best seat in the house for Sydney’s world famous fireworks displays may well be at home – in front of the TV, next to the radio or by your computer, tablet or phone.

The City of Sydney is teaming up with ABC TV, 104.1 2DayFM and Telstra to give audiences across Australia front row seats to the celebrations without having to leave the house.

The broadcasts will feature performances by some of Australia’s most popular musical acts, exclusive interviews with special guests and, of course, live coverage of the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ broadcasts were a fantastic option for those who want to celebrate in the comfort of their own homes.

“This year, we’re giving Sydneysiders the opportunity to be part of the world’s biggest and best New Year’s Eve experience with their family and friends, without having to leave the house,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our live TV, radio and online broadcasts will feature hours of free entertainment and provide a box seat for Sydney’s spectacular fireworks displays.”

“These are great choices for those who can’t make it into the city or who would rather avoid the queues and crowds.”

The live TV broadcast will kick off at 8:30pm on ABC, hosted by Julia Zemiro from RocKwiz and Toby Truslove from Utopia.

The 4-hour program will feature a Pub Quiz hosted by Lawrence Mooney, a special edition of The Agony of New Year’s Eve, and a review of the year’s biggest stories in news, sport and music.

The broadcast will also feature an exclusive interview with Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ Creative Ambassador Jack Thompson, live performances by Suze DeMarchi, Kasey Chambers and The Tap Dogs, and live crosses from roving reporters across Australia and in New Zealand. For more information, visit abc.net.au/tv/programs/new-years-eve/.

The official radio broadcast on 104.1 2DayFM will feature the live soundtracks to the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays, which have been curated by renowned Australian DJ Nina Las Vegas.

The broadcast, which starts at 6pm, will also feature live crosses and exclusive coverage from around Sydney Harbour. For more information, visit 2dayfm.com.au/city-of-sydney-nye-hub/.

The Sydney NYE Telstra YouTube Show will live stream all the action from different vantage points around the harbour for 4 hours from 8:30pm through Telstra’s Sydney NYE app, on YouTube and via T-Box (Channel 919).

The Show, which will be hosted by Luke Jacobz from The X Factor Australia and comedian Em Rusciano, will feature exclusive New Year’s Eve content, interviews and live performances by The Temper Trap and Art vs Science. For more information, visit telstra.com/nye

As part of its’ efforts to make Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ inclusive and accessible for all, a live audio description of the celebrations will also be broadcast on radio 2RPH from 7:45pm on 1224AM, 100.5FM, 2RPH digital and online.

Professional audio describers Emma Bedford and Daryl Colquhoun will bring the full program of events to life, including the 9PM Family Fireworks, Harbour of Light Parade and Midnight Fireworks displays. For more information, visit 2rph.org.au.

For the full program, visit sydneynewyearseve.com.

See Your Tweets Light Up The Bridge!

This Sydney New Year’s Eve, for the 1st time, the world’s most famous bridge will be lit up with tweets from Sydneysiders and visitors about how the harbour city will inspire them in 2015.

In the lead up to the world-renowned Midnight Fireworks display, audiences gathered around Sydney Harbour – along with those watching at home – will be encouraged to use the hashtag #SydNYE to tweet New Year messages that tie into this year’s theme, Inspire.

The tweets will appear live on the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons throughout the night, and will be broadcast around Australia and the world in coverage of the 1st major city to ring in the New Year.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said Sydney was known as the ‘New Year’s Eve Capital Of The World’ for good reason, and this year’s event would not disappoint.

“Each year, more than 1.6 million people gather around the Harbour foreshore, and millions more around Australia watch at home, as Sydney rings in the New Year with the most spectacular fireworks display in the world,” the Lord Mayor said.

“This year, for the 1st time in Sydney New Year’s Eve history, our audience will become part of the celebration as their New Year tweets are displayed on the Harbour Bridge pylons throughout the night.”

‘Tweet the Bridge’ is just 1 exciting new element of this year’s $7.2 million Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations.

During the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays, 7 tonnes of fireworks – including 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and more than 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects – will be launched from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and barges on Sydney Harbour.

A 3rd mini-fireworks display, known as the ‘Inspire Moment’, will also feature at 10.40pm to keep crowds entertained during the countdown to midnight.

As in previous years, the crowning glory will be the top-secret Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect. This will form the centrepiece of the fireworks displays, featuring 13 kilometres of LED rope light and reaching 12 storeys high.

“With an exciting Pre-Show Entertainment program, 3 fireworks displays and the dazzling Bridge Effect, this Sydney New Year’s Eve promises to be a truly unforgettable evening,” the Lord Mayor said.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Troy Grant, said more than a billion people worldwide watch as Sydney Harbour shines behind the backdrop of one of the largest and most technologically advanced fireworks displays in the world.

“I can’t think of a better way to start each year, than Sydney and NSW in the global spotlight with hundreds of images beamed around the world of our magnificent Harbour,” Mr Grant said.

“Major events such as the world-famous Sydney New Year’s Eve are why Sydney is regarded as Australia’s global city, and help drive visitation and contribute to the NSW Government’s goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020.”

The Creative Ambassador for this year’s event is Australian screen legend and storyteller Jack Thompson.

Mr Thompson has been working with the City of Sydney and Sydney New Year’s Eve creative agency Imagination Australia on plans for the event since early this year, including writing his own poem describing how Sydney inspires him – ‘I Am Sydney’.

“It is such an honour to be able to represent my home town – one of the world’s truly great cities – as the Creative Ambassador of 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve,” Mr Thompson said.

“Sydney is filled with stories that inspire, from the ancient engravings of the Gadigal people in the sandstone of the headlands to the unique architecture of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.”

“As we prepare to celebrate the year that’s passed and look to the future at what lies ahead, I encourage Sydneysiders and visitors alike to join with us and share their own inspirational stories of Sydney.”

This year’s official Sydney New Year’s Eve charity partner is Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB). The non-profit organisation works with communities worldwide to provide clean water and sanitation, energy, basic infrastructure, waste systems, communication technologies and engineering education.

CEO of EWB, Lizzie Brown, said: “EWB is very proud to be the charity partner for the Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations for a 2nd consecutive year.”

“This is a unique opportunity for our organisation to celebrate the inspiring contribution that the Australian engineering sector makes towards creating lasting social change in Australia and around the world.”

People coming into the city on New Year’s Eve will have access to a range of tools to help them plan a safe and enjoyable night, including the official 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve website, which features an interactive vantage point map and live transport and road closure information, and the Sydney NYE Telstra app.

A new printed event guide will also be available for audiences to pick up from Sydney Airport, major transport hubs throughout the city, hotels, tourism information kiosks and the City’s libraries and community centres.

The City is committed to making Sydney New Year’s Eve an inclusive event for the many Sydneysiders and visitors with a disability. A live audio description will be broadcast on 2RPH, and designated accessible viewing areas and accessible route maps will be available online.

Those who would rather stay at home on New Year’s Eve can tune into ABC TV’s broadcast, listen to 104.1 2DayFM’s live fireworks soundtracks, or live stream the Sydney NYE Telstra Show on YouTube.

And for the 2nd year in a row, the City has teamed up with the Royal Australian Mint to develop a souvenir coin celebrating the Inspire theme with colourful images of fireworks.

2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve acknowledges the support of Leadership Partner – Telstra, Charity Partner – Engineers Without Borders Australia, & NSW Government agencies and landholders including the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the Sydney Opera House Trust.

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com

Engineering A Better Sydney New Year’s Eve Event

‘Engineering A Better Sydney NYE’ is a campaign between the City of Sydney and Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) to encourage the community to get creative and suggest ideas to address New Year’s Eve challenges in and around Sydney.

For the 2nd consecutive year, EWB has been chosen as the official charity partner of the 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations. For more information: http://www.sydneynewyearseve.com/about/charity–partner/

Lizzie Brown, CEO of EWB said sustainability, crowds, road closures and access for people with a disability were common problems facing Sydney revellers on New Year’s Eve.

“EWB’s ‘Engineering A Better Sydney NYE’ competition invites the community to come up with innovative ideas to solve these problems,” Ms Brown said.

“Ideas will be judged as to whether they embody the spirit of Sydney NYE, represent socially conscious design, are scalable, utilise business and technology in a meaningful way and embody the values of EWB: community, sustainability, respect, learning and quality.”

The top 5 ideas will receive tickets to an exclusive Sydney New Year’s Eve viewing area and will be announced on 5 December 2014.

Judging the top ideas are a pre–eminent judging panel of: Lizzie Brown, Danny Almagor (Founder of EWB Australia, Co-Founder and CEO Small Giants), Aneurin Coffey (Sydney NYE Producer), Sally Dominguez (award winning designer and creative thinking educator) and Dr Brandon Gien (CEO Good Design Australia).

The competition encourages the community to submit ideas in the following categories:

Crowd management
Access for people with disability
Harbourside sustainable audience engagement
Unattractive event infrastructure.

For more information about the campaign and competition, please visit www.engineeringabetterworld.com.au

To get involved with Engineers Without Borders Australia or for more information, please visit www.ewb.org.au.

Screen Legend Inspires A Cracker Night For Sydney NYE2014

Australian screen legend Jack Thompson is preparing to take on his latest starring role as the Creative Ambassador for 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve.

One of the country’s most accomplished storytellers – both as an award-winning actor and lifelong lover of poetry – Mr Thompson will bring the theme of this year’s celebrations, Inspire, to life with a series of stories inspired by the harbour city.

“It is such an honour to be able to represent my home town – one of the world’s truly great cities – as the Creative Ambassador of 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve,” Mr Thompson said.

“Sydney is filled with stories that inspire, from the ancient engravings of the Gadigal people in the sandstone of the headlands to the unique architecture of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she could not think of a better ambassador for 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve than one of Australia’s best loved cinematic figures.

“From classic Australian films like Breaker Morant to more recent global hits like The Great Gatsby and Australia, Jack Thompson is one of our finest and most accomplished actors,” the Lord Mayor said.

“He also has one of the most famous voices in the country and is known by many for his best-selling recordings of iconic Australian poems, including The Man from Snowy River by Banjo Patterson.”

“As Creative Ambassador for 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve, Jack will share his favourite stories of our beautiful city: its stunning harbour setting, rich Aboriginal heritage, thriving creative scene and, most of all, diverse and friendly people.”

“I look forward to the celebrations and can’t wait to see how Jack inspires us all as we farewell 2014 and welcome the dawning of a new year.”

Mr Thompson, who was born and raised on Sydney’s northern beaches, has appeared in more than 100 films and television shows over the past 45 years.

He has won prestigious Cannes and AFI Awards, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1986 for his accomplishments in the film industry.

More recently, he received a Doctor of Letters from Charles Darwin University for his commitment to indigenous territorians through The Jack Thompson Foundation’s Homelands Building Program.

Mr Thompson has been working with the City of Sydney and Sydney New Year’s Eve creative agency Imagination Australia on plans for the event since early this year.

He is the latest high-profile Australian to take on the role of Creative Ambassador for Sydney New Year’s Eve. Last year’s event was led by artist and musician Reg Mombassa, while pop princess Kylie Minogue featured in 2012 and designer Marc Newson headlined in 2011.

Joining Mr Thompson for this year’s event is the official Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 charity partner, Engineers Without Borders Australia – a non-profit organisation that works with local groups and communities worldwide to provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene, energy, basic infrastructure, waste systems, communication technologies and engineering education.

Sydney New Year’s Eve is Australia’s biggest public event, reaching 1.6 million people on Sydney Harbour, millions across Australia and more than a billion worldwide, and generating an estimated $156 million to the local economy.

Proposed: Sydney NYE 2014 Charity Partner May Be ‘Re-Engineered’

For the first time since 2005, Sydney New Year’s Eve may have the same Charity Partner for 2 consecutive years.

Sydney New Year’s Eve has appointed an annual Charity Partner every year since 2004. Previous Charity Partners are listed in the table below:

Event	Charity Partner
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2004 – ‘Reflections On Australiana’	Oxfam
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2005 – ‘Heart Of The Harbour’	Oxfam
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2006 – ‘A Diamond Night In Emerald City’	Médecins Sans Frontières
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2007 – ‘The Time Of Our Lives’	WWF
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2008 – ‘Creation’	Planet Ark
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2009 – ‘Awaken The Spirit’	Australian Conservation Foundation
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2010 – ‘Make Your Mark’	WWF
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2011 – ‘Time To Dream’	CARE Australia
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2012 – ‘Embrace’	The Fred Hollows Foundation
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’	Engineers Without Borders
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014	?

The Charity Partnership gives the Charity a promotional opportunity as well as a chance for the Sydney New Year’s Eve audience to reflect on the Charity’s cause and thus creating a promising public opinion of the selected Charity Partner and Sydney New Year’s Eve.

The Charity Partner appointed for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’ was Engineers Without Borders Australia: a member-based not-for-profit, community-focused organisation with 10 years’ experience in creating systematic change through humanitarian engineering and education, with a focus on education and community development. Engineers Without Borders engaged strongly with Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’ by providing pop-up interactive sites & a working Lego® wind turbine set at the Lord Mayor’s Picnic 2013 – ‘Sparkle In Space’ for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’. These pop-up interactive sites were the first major installations by a Charity Partner at Sydney New Year’s Eve, providing it with strong visibility within Wynyard & Pirrama Park and at National Australia Bank House.

The last time a Sydney New Year’s Eve Charity Partner received visibility as strong as this was for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2004 – ‘Reflections On Australiana’ when Oxfam and Sydney New Year’s Eve launched an Australian-wide fundraiser during the event to help victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami. But since then, Charity Partners have been less visible. For example, in 2012, The Fred Hollows Foundation installed a photographic exhibition in the Customs House library during the December/January holiday period – this wasn’t officially part of the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2012 – ‘Embrace’ event.

Sydney New Year’s Eve’s Charity Partnership with Engineers Without Borders also aligned with 2 iconic features of construction engineering – the Sydney Opera House (which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2013) and the Sydney Harbour Bridge (a sustained unique symbol for urban community connection and providing an important central point for Sydney New Year’s Eve).

The Charity Partnership with Engineers Without Borders for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’ proved very successful for both parties. Sydney New Year’s Eve have since identified that the appointment of a Charity Partner for 2 consecutive Sydney New Year’s Eve events would be most beneficial. This has occurred previously, with Oxfam being reappointed as Charity Partner for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2005 – ‘Heart Of The Harbour’, following a Partnership with the event in 2004. This would definitely make the best of the opportunities and benefits for both parties; providing the Charity Partner with an extended awareness platform. An Expression of Interest will be publicly advertised every 2 years seeking a potential Charity Partner for Sydney New Year’s Eve.

In recommending the selection of a Charity Partner, Sydney New Year’s Eve considers the following criteria:

(a) The organisation is an official registered Charity;

(b) The Charity is reputable and internationally recognised;

(d) The Charity has no religious affiliation;

(e) The Charity’s operational and organisational focus is compatible with Sydney New Year’s Eve as an event;

(f) The Charity is a member of the Australian Council for International Development; and

(g) The Charity has offices in Australia.

Other than Engineers Without Borders, 2 other organisations have approached Sydney New Year’s Eve to be considered for the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 Charity Partnership; namely, Oxfam and the United Nations (UN) International Day Of Peace Program (2014-2018). Oxfam was Charity Partner for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2004 and 2005 (‘Reflections On Australiana’ and ‘Heart Of The Harbour’) and remains significant with its delivery of much needed international aid. However, Sydney New Year’s Eve does not consider Oxfam to be as strong an alternative as providing a second year to Engineers Without Borders.

The UN International Day Of Peace Program has scheduled a series of events for April-October 2014 to 2018, promoting UN International Day Of Peace on Sunday, 21 September 2014 and commemorating World War 1 (1914-1918). They seek a Charity Partnership with Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 to maximise the effect of the message “working together for peace” to reach the broadest spectrum of the community. The UN is likely to gain significant interest in its International Day Of Peace Program from its own firm publicity platforms. As such, the UN International Day Of Peace Program is not seen by Sydney New Year’s Eve as a suitable appointment for the 2014 Charity Partnership.

Engineers Without Borders though, has associations and partnerships with a range of community organisations including Aboriginal community organisations. In 2014, they will lead the establishment of 2 new, national-scale Reconciliation Initiatives, the planning of which is underway. Engineers Without Borders is currently seeking partners and collaborators for both initiatives across industry, government and the education and community sectors. These are:

(a) Technical Career Pathways Initiative – designed to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with careers in the engineering sector and related technical fields; and

(b) Best Practice Guidance Initiative – designed to build a vibrant and committed community of practice across the Australian engineering sector that shares and leverages resources, learning and successful practices to drive and facilitate best practice engineering and access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Engineers Without Borders will also be able to build on the work done in their first year as Charity Partner and stands to increase national and international awareness from another year of association and incorporation with Sydney New Year’s Eve. Engineers Without Borders has already showed their wish to increase its participation should they be appointed for a 2^nd year; providing more pop-up interactive sites to the benefit of both Engineers Without Borders and Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 attendees.

Accordingly, Sydney New Year’s Eve has recommended that Engineers Without Borders should be re-appointed as Charity Partner for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014. The re-appointment will deliver benefits to Sydney New Year’s Eve and Engineers Without Borders, in particular allowing the new initiatives trialled at Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’ to be developed.

The appointment of the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 Charity Partner should be finalised by 30 May 2014 with an official announcement made possibly sometime in early June.