“A lot of the nurses talked about the importance of wellbeing and how during COVID they hadn’t been able to gather at all,” says Brincat. “I was interested in who cares for the carers, how they were feeling mentally and the pressures they face.”

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In addition to the stories and research into the precinct, Brincat joined the many nurses who make up the local community choir, all of it helping inform her work When do I breathe?, created with former Sydney Dance Company dancer-turned-choreographer Charmene Yap, musician Evelyn Ida Morris and the University of NSW choral director Sonia Maddock.

The free outdoor performance on April 24 will begin at sunset outside the University of NSW, led by five dancers and accompanied by 20 members of the community choir, including nurses and seven former students from the nearby National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).

Timed for twilight, at the intersection between the end of a working day and the beginning of a working night, it brings together local communities who are often separated by different shifts and daily rhythms.

Following a short performance choreographed by Yap the group will move through the precinct, carrying a 100-metre handwoven cotton soft sculpture Brincat crafted that includes splashes of the colour lavender. She’s also made lavender neckties and fabric telltales the public will be invited to tie onto the gauze as they walk.

“We’re going to gather the community and walk through the streets of Randwick through song and dance and fabric,” Brincat says.

“I think art makes people stop and think differently, and it’s really important to have that moment for people to question how we walk through society. We need as a community to come together and talk about what’s needed for our carers and how to look after each other at night, so maybe this will help people think about that and hopefully, there might be a change in the system.”

When Do I Breathe? takes place at 5pm on April 24 on the University of NSW’s Scientia Lawn, before moving through the streets of Randwick. A permanent light installation by artist Rochelle Haley will be unveiled in Randwick in June.

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