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Speech festival an opportunity for growth

Entry deadline Sept. 26
festival
Adjudication at Birdtail River Fine Arts Festival in Miniota, spring session of 2018.

Fine arts festivals are a tremendous opportunity for personal growth – for youth to memorize, and get on stage. It’s an experience that is useful for everyone at one time or another. Birdtail River Fine Arts Festival, held in recent years in Miniota, will be hosted in Hamiota for the next two years, beginning with the fall program in November.

Speech Arts sessions will take place Nov. 6 and 7 (see classifieds). With the entry deadline coming right up, an information session is set for Sept. 26, where entries can also be submitted.

Parents and kids, plus those interested in speech arts competition such as teachers, grandparents and 4H leaders are invited to that meeting Wednesday evening in Hamiota Elementary School at 6:30 p.m.

Books with approved speech arts choices – poetry, readings and choir work – will be available there for student choices. Linda Clark, who has given direction to the festival for many years, can assist students to find competition pieces.

Co-Chairs Linda Clark and Kyla Wilson plus Committee members Helena Davison and Anne Davison will be on hand to help with entries.

Readers’ theatre, duets, choirs and mini skits as well as public speaking presentations went over well last year both at the Virden Music & Arts Festival and at Birdtail River festival.

As well as providing a super opportunity for youth to gain confidence in public presentations, competition at this local festival opens the door for provincial competition.

Adjudicators are certified by the Association of Manitoba Arts Festival (AMAF) and students will receive critiques from highly skilled professionals, as well as valuable performing opportunities.

Last year’s local winners

Several local students excelled last year in festival work at Birdtail River and Virden. They were recommended to the 2018 Provincial Music and Arts Festival. Several students placed:

Poetry and Prose Grades 4-6, 3rd Place - Teagan Harkness (Virden) – Virden Music & Arts Festival

Public Speaking Grades 4-6, 2nd Place - Mae Fulton (Birtle) – Birdtail River Fine Arts Festival

Poetry and Prose Grades 7-9, 2nd Place - Sara Podobni (Oak Lake) – Virden Music & Arts Festival

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