Spotlight on the Arts

Having studied Music and Fine Arts, Joanne Furnari began her teaching career at St John’s Girls’ High School Auburn in 1983.  While raising two young children, she established keyboard and choir programs for local primary schools and initiated an early childhood music program in the Sutherland Shire. For the past 21 years, Joanne has taught Music, Visual Arts and Drama at OLMC Burraneer where she...

Ravilya Sedlar is the music teacher at 2 primary schools Our Lady of the Assumption North Strathfield and St Francis Xavier Ashbury.  Ravilya has experience in the music industry as a performer with the Australian Army Band and choir conductor and accompanist for Sing Australia. She has also been involved in organising virtual concerts during COVID, whole school musicals and conducting choral work...

Georgia has been teaching Drama for 6 years with experience from Kindergarten to Year 12. She has taught in Catholic and private schools and has been teaching Drama to years 9-12 at St Mary’s Cathedral College for the past 3 years. She holds a Master’s degree in secondary teaching and has conducted research on a particular interest of hers which is in developing student autonomy in individual proj...

Gabby was fortunate to be born into a very musical family as one of ten children all of whom are obsessed with music.  She’s been involved in music as a singer, actor, piano player her whole life. For a while she worked as a jazz singer and has continued to perform when the opportunity presented itself.   Gabby has been a teacher for over 30 years, sometime generalist but mostly a primary music sp...

Nicole Sheridan is a kindergarten teacher at Our Lady Star of the Sea Miranda. She is extremely passionate about the Performing Arts with Dance being her area of expertise, she’s  always looking for ways to incorporate it into the life of the school.  Nicole has  been involved in organising flash mobs, inspirational online dance videos during Covid, whole school musicals, school dance ensembles, C...

Lighting up our podcast studio is our next alumnus Joseph Panuccio, a Sydney based entertainer and stage performer. Joseph attended Freeman College Bonnyrigg and is an Australian Institute of Music graduate.  Joseph is one of Australia’s most sought after impersonators. He is a multi-talented singer, performer and all round entertainer. Joseph has featured in stage shows across Australia and New Z...

Our next alumnae guest is Holly Summers-Clarke, a Sydney based singer/songwriter. Holly is a Brigidine College Randwick and Australian Institute of Music graduate. Holly has been a consistent presence in Sydney’s Live Music  scene since graduating from the Australian Institute of Music in 2010. A versatile Singer/Performer Holly has made her mark in multiple genres of  music from lead Vocalist at...

Alexander Dilley is an actor, writer & musician from the South beaches of Sydney, graduating from St Patrick’s College, Sutherland and in 2019 Acting graduate from The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.  Since beginning his training in 2017, he has played an electric and dynamic range of characters across Theatre, Film & Opera; most notably, Gabriel Law in When the Rain Stops F...

Today’s alumnae is Jacinta Gulisano, also known as “Sinta” in the professional arena. Jacinta is a triple threat performer who began singing at a very young age, with her determination and passion for performing driving her from the very beginning until now. She is a graduate of Aquinas College Menai and Brent Street Full Time Course. She has appeared on national television shows such as The X Fac...

Our next alumnus is Michael Giglio. Michael is a Freeman Catholic College graduate and studied the many facets of acting training. Michael Giglio was a CaSPA drama ensemble cast member. His recent credits include work both behind and in front of the camera where he has been an assistant director and actor, for The Script of Life ,  assistant director for several episodes of the Award winning web s...

Kirita Emosi began her CaSPA journey in the dance ensemble at the young age of 10 and continued throughout high school. Kirita is a graduate of St Ursula’s College Kingsgrove in 2017 and is currently studying Health Science at University. Kirita returned to the CaSPA Dance team as an assistant choreographer in 2019 preparing students for the CaSPA LiVE experience at the International Convention Ce...

Tony Sergi, is a graduate of Freeman Catholic College, Bonnyrigg Heights. Growing up around the club circuit has certainly been an experience for the 23 year old vocalist who grew up in Sydney’s Western suburbs to Italian/Australian parents. A voice matured well beyond his years, Tony Sergi brings youth, elegance and a fresh new sound blending genres of swing, pop, RnB and rock music to deliver a...

Singer | Actress | Dancer Bridget graduated from Aquinas College at Menai in 2012 and the Australian Institute of Music in 2015 with a Bachelor of Music (Music Theatre).  During her studies she played the role of Smitty in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She also starred in Neil Gooding and Nick Christo’s Pop Stars: The 90’s Musical, playing the role of Charlie.  Since graduating...

Salvatore (Sam) began dancing at the age of 7 and has competed in competitions around the country. He joined CaSPA in 2004 until 2010. In 2005 he featured in a documentary “ballroom babies” that aired on Australian television  2010 saw Sam travel to LA with Glee Club Australia and train alongside industry professionals. He is a graduate of Patrician Brothers Fairfield and reconnected with CaSPA as...

Sammy Honeysett  has years of experience in performing and a wide knowledge of many areas of music and songwriting. She studied contemporary music at AIM, graduating in-2020 and was also a graduate of Mount Saint Joseph College Milperra in 2016. Most recently Sammy’s original works, “Jones Street” and “ All I’ll Be” were featured on JJJ’s Unearthed with Jones Street charting at number 2 and All I’...

Olivia Denis is a graduate of Sydney Catholic Schools, she attended Saint Ursula’s College in Kingsgrove, graduating in 2018. Olivia is now in her tertiary years of schooling studying a Bachelor of Arts, Double Major of Political Science and Indigenous Studies at the University of Sydney.  Olivia joined Sydney Catholic Schools Performing Arts, Goodjarga Performance Ensemble as a Year 9 student aft...

Chandler Connell is a young emerging Indigenous Artist from the Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal country.  Chandler is a traditional Guwra dancer and is studying his Diploma at NAISDA dance college while co-devising a new work called “Jurrungu Ngan-ga” with Marrugeku.  Thanks for listening. For more information about Arts HQ, please subscribe linktr.ee/artshq

Stuart is a descendant from the Dharug and Waka Waka people. Stuart has spent the last 13 years traveling and learning traditional song & dance from various mobs throughout Australia. Stuart has taken part in many traditional corroborees and performed right throughout Australia and overseas on many occasions. Stuart is the owner and principal song man of Minning Minni Kaiwarrine (Night No More...

Students are encouraged to imagine, design, create and respond using their knowledge, understanding and skills to represent meaning associated with personal and global views through communication technologies such as television, film, video, newspapers, radio, video games, the internet and mobile media. Students learn about the role of the artist and designer, their contribution to society, and th...

Jason Reyes is an experienced secondary teacher, from Good Samaritan Catholic College Hinchinbrook.  Jason has immersed himself in Media Arts Education and has pioneered and encouraged many students to join the Media Arts team at his school.  Over the last 8 years, under  Jason’s leadership, Good Samaritan have taken out the winning title of CaSPA’s short film competition across Sydney Catholic Sc...

Serena Siow is a Bethany College Hurstville and Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) graduate. Serena is an exemplary model of positive educational/ industry opportunities to advance her craft and passion.  Serena Siow is a multidisciplinary artist specialising in cinematography, editing and choreographing through narrative and documentary. After graduating from AFTRS last year, Ser...

Ryan is an award-winning filmmaker and editor. As an editor, his body of work comprises of commercials, promos, reality television programs (primarily for the Seven Network, including House Rules and My Kitchen Rules ), feature films, short films and online content. In 2014, he was nominated by the Australian Screen Editors (ASE) for “Best Editing in a Commercial” for Steadfast Brisbane Roar . Fol...

Today’s guest is Year 10 Marist College Eastwood student, Will Emerson. Will began dancing at the age of 5 at a local dance studio. His journey with Sydney Catholic Schools Performing Arts | CaSPA started 4 years ago when Will entered secondary education. He recently auditioned for the VIVA Dance program at Southern Cross Catholic College which will allow him the opportunity to follow his passion...

Eva Spata is a passionate advocate for the Creative & Performing Arts within schools and beyond. She is the CSNSW representative for the National Arts Committee for ACARA, as well as a member of cross-sectoral CaPA groups who contribute valuable discussion for the formation of the new curriculum. She has delivered professional learning in Music Curriculum across many dioceses in NSW, and is an...

Tony Patton, Principal of Southern Cross Catholic College (SCCC) and Manager of Applied Learning Vocational Education and Training and Performing Arts, addresses the vision for SCCC and Performing Arts as a Centre of Excellence for Sydney Catholic Schools Performing Arts.  Tony discusses the philosophy underpinning a Creative Arts education and its importance for students. Thanks for listening. Fo...