24th January 2026

My name is Lucinda Armour, and I am a drama specialist with the Captivate Arts Unit at Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese, Sydney - a position I came to after decades of working in the industry as an actor, producer, casting director and writer.

Aleksandar Waesch first joined the Captivate Drama Hub School program as a Year 7 student at St Patrick's Catholic College, Dundas in 2020. Aleks, from the outset, stood apart from his cohort as a student with commitment, high intelligence and creative capacity. In his first year with Captivate, he secured an Australian Theatre for Young People scholarship - one of three ATYP scholarship programs he participated in over his time with us.

In 2021, he joined the Captivate Secondary After School Ensemble, which meets weekly at the Parramatta Marist Campus - bringing together dozens of students from multiple secondary schools across the diocese. Aleks continued his commitment to the Ensemble right through to graduation at the end of 2025.

Over those 5 years Aleks was a major contributor to the Ensemble.

Some of his achievements include:

• 2022 - ATYP Intersection Festival performance of new Australian Play - Ballad of Pak Craig  -  Rebel Theatre, Walsh Bay

• 2023 - Captivate Immersion Program performance of The Sighting - Q Theatre, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre

• 2023 - Sport for Jove Shakespeare Carnival Regional Finalist - performing A Midsummer Nights Dream

• 2023 - MC role at the ATYP Intersection Festival representing Captivate - Rebel Theatre, Walsh Bay

• 2024 - ATYP Intersection Festival performance of new Australian Play - I Really Like You - Rebel Theatre, Walsh Bay

• 2024 - Captivate Immersion Program performance of Right Here/Right Now  - Q Theatre, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre

• 2025 - ATYP Intersection Festival performance of new Australian Play - Milk Bottle Challenge - Rebel Theatre, Walsh Bay

• 2025 -  Captivate Immersion Program performance of The Emu Wars  - Q Theatre, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre

The Captivate Immersion Programs are multidisciplinary projects - incorporating music, dance and drama. Aleks contributed to all performances through his guitar and trumpet playing skills alongside major acting roles in all pieces.

Over his years with Captivate, Aleks has participated in programs on improvisation, play building, script work and analysis, short film making, acting for the camera, physical theatre, Shakespeare, group performance, voice, movement and individual performance, including audition technique. Alongside the Captivate team he has worked with specialist tutors including Sandie Eldridge, Chris Tomkinson, Adrian Norman and Michael Cullen.

He has regularly attended our Theatre Club opportunities - visiting a variety of professional theatres across Sydney to see quality work. The ATYP used Aleks as the online face of student experience in promotional media for the 2026 Intersection Festival.

Aleks’s mature and focused approach has always placed him as a leader in our work - hard working and articulate, his work is achieved with collaboration and humour. He is much admired by his fellow Ensemble members. Aleks is a self-starter - resilient and achievement-focused.

Aleks would add great value to any program he was part of. I can not recommend him more highly. We will greatly miss working with him this coming year.

Kind regards

Lucinda Armour

Captivate - CSPD

larmour1@parra.catholic.edu.au