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Verena Berger leads festival creative writing workshop

The creative writing section of the Cariboo Festival wrapped up last week with a workshop given for high-school students.
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Student Naomi Lomavatu (left) talks about her writing in a Cariboo Festival creative writing workshop led by lakecity writer Verena Berger

Michelle Earlandson

Special to The Tribune

The creative writing section of the Cariboo Festival wrapped up last week with a workshop given for high-school students. 

A local writer, Verena Berger, who has attended many workshops and courses herself, is passionate about writing. 

I am glad for this passion. I think we all enjoy a good author and, being an eye-witness to the workshop, I can see better how this discipline requires time and practice to develop.

One thing that really struck me during my visits to the various disciplines promoted by the festival is how many from the community benefit from those who study the arts. 

Do we not love a good read, finely crafted music or going to a concert where a person, comfortable with public speaking, can put the audience at ease so we can settle in and enjoy the evening? 

We all reap benefits from the arts in our community so please mark your calendars for two concerts to celebrate our local artists. 

These concerts are April 30 and May 7, at 7 p.m. at the Cariboo Bethel Church. 

The final section of the festival began April 18. 

The vocal and choral director is Sharon Hoffman, a recently retired school teacher who has been very active with singing all her life. 

Hoffman came from a singing family and is involved in many singing groups in the community including Quintet Plus (above).

She is a long-time member of the Williams Lake Studio Theatre and is quick to be auditioning if the group works on a musical. 

She also just recently directed the choral music for the musical  Just So. 

Sharon will be participating in the vocal and choral sections of this year’s festival.