On
Artist in Residence Program
The Artist in Residence Program provides an opportunity to engage with professional artists around District hospitals. The artists will share their skills, techniques and concepts with patients, staff and visitors.
Opera Australia Chorus Singers
| Artist: Opera Australia |
| Dates: All month |
| Time: Various |
| Location: Various (see below) |
Arterie at Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Arts & Health Program is delighted to introduce Opera Australia Chorus Singers as District Musicians In Residence for the Sydney Local Health District March Arts Program 2026.
The Opera Australia Chorus is one of the world’s leading full-time operatic ensembles, bringing power, depth, and dramatic intensity to Australia’s largest opera company. This dedicated group of professional singers is central to productions spanning grand opera, contemporary works, and large-scale outdoor events.
Celebrated for vocal brilliance and commanding stage presence, the Chorus delivers everything from sweeping harmonies to vibrant ensembles. With a history of more than 65 years, they have supported many of opera’s greatest voices while maintaining a tradition of excellence. Beyond the mainstage, the Chorus performs at special events and regional venues, sharing opera with audiences nationwide. Many members also take featured and solo roles, with several establishing successful careers in Australia and internationally.
Schedule
| March 3, 10:30–11:50am | Level 3 Atrium, RPA Hospital |
| March 17, 11am–12:20pm | Foyer Entrance, Sydney Dental Hospital |
| March 20, 12–1:30pm | Patient Wards, Balmain Hospital |
| March 25, 12–1:20pm | Atrium, Rusty Priest Building, Concord Hospital |
Norta Barchin, Marks of Kindness
| Artist: Norta Barchin |
| Dates: 9, 10, 11, 12 March 2026 |
| Time: 10am – 3pm |
| Location: Level 5 Foyer, RPA Hospital |
Arterie is pleased to introduce Sydney-based artist, Norta Barchin as an Artist In Residence for the March Arts Program 2026 at RPA Hospital.
Norta’s journey in visual art emanates from her Syrian cultural heritage. Working with a variety of mediums, Norta’s work is a dialogue between the traditional and contemporary, the personal and universal, and acts as a conduit between her heritage and experiences in the multicultural landscape of Australia. Norta holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Damascus University, Syria, majoring in painting (2016). In 2023 she completed a Certificate IV in Arts and Cultural Administration at TAFE NSW. As an experienced Arts and Culture Facilitator, Norta has been involved in the preparation of multiple art exhibitions and workshops hosted by commercial galleries, local councils and charities. In 2018, Norta held her first solo exhibition in Australia, State of Emotion at Peacock Gallery, Auburn. Since then, her work has been shown in group exhibitions, and she has been a finalist in multiple Sydney-based art prizes.
Norta’s Artist in Residence project, Marks of Kindness invites patients, visitors and staff to contribute a word or phrase of kindness within the painted lines of a fingerprint, offering a quiet moment of reflection. Please join Norta in the foyer as she invites the RPA community to learn about her artistic practice and share individual responses to this collaborative work.
Sandra Graham, Sea(E)Scape
| Artist: Sandra Graham |
| Dates: 5, 12, 17, 25, 30 March 2026 |
| Time: 10am–3pm |
| Locations: RPA Kidney Centre Dialysis Units, Level 2, Professor Marie Bashir Centre |
Arterie is pleased to introduce Sydney-based artist, Sandra Graham as an Artist In Residence for the March Arts Program 2026 at RPA Hospital.
Working with a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, printmaking and photography, Sandra combines her creative practice with an interest in serving various communities. As an experienced volunteer with the Arterie Arts & Health Program since 2018, Sandra has positively contributed to the delivery of creative art engagements for patients, carers, visitors and staff at RPA and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. Sandra holds an Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts (2023) from Meadowbank TAFE and a Diploma of Visual Arts (2020) from St George School of Fine Arts TAFE. She has been involved in multiple group exhibitions and was a finalist in the Georges River Art Prize (2023) and Waverley Woollahra 9 x 5 Art Prize (2023, 2024).
Throughout March, Sandra’s Artist in Residence project, Sea (E)Scape will be based at the RPA Kidney Centre Dialysis Units, where she will create a series of small-scale watercolour paintings for display. Inspired by the Romantic artistic movement of the late 18th and early 19th century, notably, the seaside paintings of British artist J. M. W. Turner, Sandra will invite the Dialysis community to engage with her photo album collections of seaside locations taken during various travels. Please join Sandra in a space of conversation and connection as she incorporates the images which hold meaning for the community within her suite of paintings.