CaSPA | Sydney Catholic Schools

CaSPA alumna debut single

CaSPA Sydney alumna Julia Ivory debut single, ‘To the Bone’, explores the under discussed topic of anorexia nervosa.

The song eloquently addresses the artist’s personal struggles over the past few years, and of “feeling locked in my own mind”.

“I found myself turning to my music in my darkest times,” Julia explained.

“I wrote this song in the middle of the night at my piano to calm down, and it all poured out.

“My recovery is a part of who I am, and I am not doing my job if I can’t shed light on what I’ve experienced” – Julia Ivory

“I want people to know there is a way out of it (anorexia nervosa) and you can recover,” Julia said.

The road to stardom

The talented 2019 St Ursula’s College Kingsgrove graduate co-wrote and co-produced the single with her mentor and former CaSPA tutor, Philippe-Marc Anquetil.

“CaSPA gave me my first recording experience in the recording studio at Southern Cross Catholic College Burwood, and got me looking at the production side as well” – Julia Ivory

Philippe-Marc said Julia joined the CaSPA family in 2013 as an 11 year old, performing an incredibly mature rendition of ‘The Prayer’ in its Have You Got Talent event.

“She continued on as a regular cast member of the CaSPA vocal ensemble, singer-songwriter ensemble and the Youth Ministry Band,” he said.

“It has been a privilege to watch her grow and develop her talent with integrity and honesty” – Philippe-Marc Anquetil

“We cannot wait to continue to follow her rise,” Philippe-Marc said.

Creative from the get-go

Julia’s musical journey began in Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Primary School Kingsgrove, when her Year 1 teacher recognised her incredible singing ability and spoke to her parents about it.

“As a little girl, I sang in the choir a lot, which helped me learn to harmonise; this experience …

Isabell PetrinicNovember 3, 2021|

St Pat’s sibling stars shine in The Voice finals 2021

Sian and Jordan Fuller have continued to take reality singing show The Voice by storm.

The next two episodes of the popular Australian singing competition TV show see the talented siblings – a current and former student at St Patrick’s College Sutherland – vie for a place in the top 2, an exciting step closer to the competition grand final.

Jordan, who graduated from the college in 2019, and Sian, who is in Year 12, turned all four judges’ chairs during the show’s blind auditions and have become social media darlings since.

Their musical journey began well before they joined Team Guy Sebastian (Jordan) and Team Rita Ora (Sian) on The Voice.

“Music was always a hobby. This is exposing them to the possibility that it could be much bigger” – Mum

Jordan and Sian are alumni of Sydney Catholic Schools’ creative and performing arts program CaSPA, which they joined while in Year 5 at St John Bosco Catholic Primary School Engadine.

The duo were members of both school’s bands, and have written music together. Both have performed in local musical theatre productions.

Sydney Catholic Schools’ alumnus Jordan Fuller.

Sian plays guitar and violin. Jordan plays and teaches clarinet at primary schools.

“One of the things they both came back and said was that all of that experience, starting so young in Year 5, made it natural for them – especially the recording aspect,” said their mum, Danielle Fuller, a music education officer at Sydney Catholic Schools.

“After they were born, I directed musicals and taught music every day and they would come with me.

“They often talk about how they didn’t really have a choice; this is just innate in them.

“It’s nice for me, as a …

Isabell PetrinicAugust 27, 2021|

World premiere: Interactive dance film Triskelion

The public is invited to choose their own adventure in a ground-breaking interactive dance film premiering today and produced especially for COVID-19, to ensure the show could go on.

Triskelion Dance Wars fuses an animated video-game format with live dance sequences performed by students in Years 6 to 11 from Sydney Catholic Schools Performing Arts’ (CaSPA) dance ensemble.

“The scope of the work was phenomenal” – Iris McGill

The CaSPA dancers worked with professional choreographers Neale Whittaker and Juliette Verne to master 24 dance sequences after just 10 hours of instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, while performance restrictions were in place.

The dance sequences form a series of storyline options for Triskelion Dance Wars.

This story was filmed over two days at Sydney Catholic Schools’ first dedicated performing arts college, Southern Cross Catholic College Burwood.

The resulting Triskelion Dance Wars replaces the CaSPA annual live showcase, giving students’ families, friends and the world a unique window on the incredible choreography they have learnt throughout the school year.

Sydney Catholic Schools’ education officer: creative and performing arts, Iris McGill, said Triskelion Dance Wars was groundbreaking on two fronts.

“Other dance videos are either fully animated gaming, or feature live dancers in a tutorial format or dance video format” – Iris McGill

“Both choreographers were blown away by the calibre and the talent of the students, and the pace at which they worked,” Ms …

Isabell PetrinicAugust 9, 2021|

Music Clip: Faith in the Future

To celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia, 35 of our schools collaborated with Father Rob Galea on a music clip called “Faith in the Future.”

The music clip for the song, composed by Father Galea, was filmed on location at 25 natural, cultural, religious and iconic venues around the Archdiocese of Sydney.

Congratulations to the schools featured in this wonderful clip:

AdminMay 26, 2021|

Why are the arts so important in school?

The importance of the arts in a well-rounded education is sometimes lost on parents. What they may not realise is that while their child is having fun singing, acting and dancing in the classroom, deep inside the unconscious of their minds something magical is happening.

“While taking part in a production or performance can bring its own pleasure, studying the arts can also unlock and develop many of the skills and abilities needed to succeed in life,” said Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) specialist in creative and performing arts, Eva Spata.

“Drama allows students to improve their confidence, explore their creativity, and build ways to retain information and learn about body control.”

SCS’ Eva Spata with award-winning acapella students at Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich.

“Learning about body control is also an important aspect in dancing, where the physicality and coordination of the medium builds students’ cognitive skills and expressions,” Ms Spata said.

“Every year at Sydney Catholic Schools, we see students develop truly awe-inspiring creative pieces, sometimes far beyond their years – and it is not just our artistically-gifted children who are reaping the benefits of artistic participation.

“Our Catholic Schools Performing Arts Program (CaSPA) is open to everyone, from Kindergarten to Year 12, giving students access to professional mentors who can nurture their talents and abilities and help them strive for excellence in their own lives at school and beyond.

“Our auditioned ensembles target students who are gifted and talented in singing, dancing, acting and songwriting, while our Let’s series allows all students to develop and pursue their passion for the performing arts.”

SCS’ student performers steal the spotlight. Photo: Kitty Beale.

SCS’ other performing arts offerings include: …

Isabell PetrinicAugust 3, 2020|

Peer learning boosts popularity of indigenous performance

The students in Sydney Catholic Schools Performing Arts’ (CaSPA) indigenous ensemble drew on a rich tradition of caring for the earth to give their primary school peers a lesson in Aboriginal culture that is relevant today.

The 2019 Murrawadeen Goodjarga ‘Growing in Culture’ tour visited 12 primary schools in four days, with 15 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Years 7 to 12 at Sydney Catholic high schools using storytelling and dance to highlight sources of environmental damage and ways for people to reduce their impact on the land.

The 25-minute narrated performance and Q&A drew audiences’ attention to the 4 billion plastic bags Australians use annually, a source of microplastics that pollute waterways. They spoke of how the ensemble’s props were made of natural materials, including emu feathers and ochre that would not have a negative impact on the land.

Students also learnt that 80 per cent of clothing goes to landfill each year, and e-waste accounts for 70 per cent of the toxic chemicals in landfill.

There’s something real about students delivering the learning.

– Elizabeth Mullane

Bethlehem College Randwick Year 10 students Taryn Little and Allira Johnson were among the ensemble’s performers and are of the Yuin and Kamilaroi nations.

Taryn said teaching the younger students about culture – including a traditional welcome dance – was fulfilling.

“You get a different feeling,” she said. “When you are taught it, you feel ancestors coming around you and supporting you, and when you’re teaching it you feel them going and giving support. It’s a special feeling to know that people are going to absorb this.

“The students ask if they’re allowed to do this stuff, because a lot of children who aren’t indigenous think they can’t do traditional stuff when they can. They all live in …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauNovember 21, 2019|