I'd make hardboard and duct tape wings, but like Icarus, I'd never survive the heat of the Phoenix sun... duct tape tends to go all gooey in the heat. Anyway, I'd rather be a pioneer in a Cyber convention because it's the wave of the future. Imagine how many others who can't get to Phonenix by the time she's rising will be able to get there on computers - (cue music:) http://www.jacquedee63.com/bythetimeigettophoenix.html

Some thoughts, besides "By the time I get to Phoenix." Maybe you can use them in your convention:

JK Rowling wrote "The order of the Phoenix"
Phoenix means "rising from the ashes"
Phoenix: A mythical bird. New beginnings. Metamorphosis.

"On mystic wings we travel fast
2000 years in to the past.
The mist doth swirl, the wind doth rise
Illusions to amaze your very eyes.
Watch closely, ladies and gentlemen,
As the Wizards weave their spells again!"

Following on from a topic on this forum about children with disabilities or as we say over here, special needs.

Maybe not immediately but for future conventions do look at magical entertainment for children with special needs and how to go about it. For those in mainstram education and those whose needs are so great they are in special units.

It may not be easy but it is reasonably straight forward.

if I can , I'll copy what I've just posted. I'm not certain how to do this without losing what I've just written so I'll post it separately.

Posted: Dec 19, 2006 6:13am
And this is what I posted on 'they pay me to do this'

I've specialised for years in Special Needs as it's known over here. Some children are integrated into mainstream schools. Others are in special units. There's no easily assumed distinction. Children integrated can have more profound problems than some of those in special units. Seems to depend on the local authority.

I'm off to one this afternoon and did a run last week.

There's not much difference between children, believe me. Certainly as an audience you will probably find they take longer to respond verbally, specially if you are asking questions as I do. You will get the answer you're looking for but it may take longer.

They too may take longer to become used to your voice and speech patterns. But essentially there's no massive difference between mainstream and special.

Having said that, material choice is important. Some children aged 12 or 14 will often respond well to material you would normally consider suitable gor 7 to 10 years. And don't get too clever or subtle.

They're much faster with visuals so go for visually good effects and cut lots of talking.

Again, having said all that, they respond well to story telling. So if you have story presentations using props and magic use it for them too. Do make sure (as you should for any child) that's there plenty of action with the props.

As for choosing children, use them one to one rather thant two or three together. keep that part simple and direct. Yes I do use two amd three children together but then I've been doing this a long time. Still I only use more than one child at a time when I know the unit and the children. And they of course know me.

I think, Tony, that discussion on entertaining special needs children sounds an excellent topic for one of the lectures at the convention. I did a show recently where the client told me they were 25 year olds, but had a mental age of 6. What do you do when this is asked, a kids or an adult show?

Hope you've had a good Christmas.

When you're unfamiliar with the potential audience you need material which is suitable for as broad an age range as possible. The sort of material you know you can use for say 4 to 9 years simply by changing the detailed presentation.

We've all got material like that. It's the words which change plus adding/removing subtleties and possibly interpolated gag props keeping the routine very direct and straightforward for younger ages.

In your case, mental age of 6 (regardless of actual age) you have to be guided by the orgabiser. They should know. So you take a children's show made up of material for 5-7 years plus other material such as I've described and you play it by ear.

Keep as much material as you can out of sight in the table or behind it and be ready to cut what you consider less suitable and use the most suitable.

Keep things direct. You'll go through more material than usual because you'll lose many of the details.

And to repaet myself from previously, concentrate on visuals rather than funny words.

Posted: Dec 28, 2006 3:38am
I've lost track. Whereabouts is the proposed location?

Somewhere in Arizona. We are waiting for Roger to scout out a location.

Now this shows how little I understand about America. How does Arizona shape up in January?

is it like Australia and an outdoor sort of place?

Or more like the South of france - you can lunch out with a top coat but you go inside for sitting around?

There are many sites for Phoenix, Arizona.
Here is one
Max
http://www.phoenixcvb.com/

Hey Tony:

Arizona is much more like Australia than the South of France. Highs in January are often in the low 70's - maybe upper 30's or low 40's at night. It is a desert climate where you can spend most of the day outside in short sleeves.

Ron

Thanks, Boppies2 (are there really two of you?), but what we need is for someone to walk into one of these potential convention sites and check it out in person to make sure it is just what we need. I think we already decided that the official Phoenix Convention Center is much too big for our needs. We're not interested in a huge theater setting either, because the magicians we are attracting (hopefully) are not grand illusionists, but party show working folks. We want a big banquet hall (300 or so capacity) for dealers and a final banquet show, but then smaller rooms for lectures, workshops and maybe a largish room for demonstration shows to audiences consisting mostly of kids. The place should have good access to and from the airport and bus lines, plenty of parking space, and anything else you think a bunch of magicians would want in the way of amenities (bar, restaurants, and the like). Once you have found a good spot, you can turn it over to the convention committee, or you can join the convention committee and keep working on finding out how much it's going to cost in January of 2008, etc. Aren't you sorry you asked? You can easily talk yourself into a job that way!

There's something to be said for a small room. So many of us work small private parties at home to audiences of 12 - 24.

A small room is just what is needed. A tv relay to screens elaewhere would allow people to see what is happening and prevents that audience reaction from influencing the presentation and affecting the children watching..

There is a balloon convention happening here in about a week. They're having it at a Holidy Inn Convention Center in Mesa which is a suburb of Phoenix. It might be worth checking out.

I think the twisters convention is http://www.diamondjam.com

Ron

There seem to be two Holiday Inns in Phoenix, both suited to our needs.
The one called Phoenix-West
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/PHXAZ/welcome

and the one called Phoenix Mesa/Chandler
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en......d=687368

Anyone have a preference? I have a feeling that we should contact this clown group and work something out with them, perhaps combining our two events since they seem to be partial to the Martin Luther King weekend this year (2007) and may want to do it again next year. Are any of our Phoenix magicians (Roger, Ron Reid, or boppies2) familiar with anyone in the Clown Convention group?

Interesting, Spellbinder. Any idea how big is the clown group?

Would one or other of the groups dominate?

If one of the groups tried to dominate the other, we could settle it on the field of honor- out in the parking lot with balloon swords. I think they would win because as yet, WE don't even have a "group." I know a hot phone number I can call for "groupies," however.

Since being a kids entertainer involves so much more than just finger flickin... stuff on clowning, balloooning etc sure would be a welcome additon.


Some times the most magical things are not even magic at all.... they just are good old humour... For example I do a colour deception routine that is enhanced by mis-calling the colours.

And a piece I really love, my interaction with my daughter as she does a duet with me and "Her" magic" colouring book....

I know it's detail but another agenda item for the future. Magic for children outdoors.

It's something many of us avoid where possible. Not that you can't do it but that outside is more limiting.You've got to be careful of table items. Even a light breeze can disturb lots of otherwise stable props.

And for children table items engender interest. What's that thing on the table going to do? Also they can make an interesting background and be brought into use later. And are wonderful for concealing.

With an hour show you need these things to add variety. An 'all in the hands' selection lacks variety.

I remember reading a series in a mag back in the 60s specially about this style of working and the clever additions and weighting ideas to make table based props practical and maintain the interest mix.

------------------------------

I've remembered who wrote the thing. Johnny Geddes.

A Scotsman who worked the parks around Glasgow I think it was. Really knew his business and what worked well outside.

perhaps more important, what didn't. Not individual tricks, but types and styles. magicians get so bogged down with tricks, tricks and more tricks.

it's finding the right types which matters most, not always the material trick itself.

DiamondJam is held at the second one. Phoenix is the "major" city, with Mesa and Chandler consdiered "suburbs", although they are certainly major cities in their own right.



If you're referring to the DiamondJam crowd as the "Clown Convention group", you're a bit off the mark. They are balloon twisters of various levels of experience, almost all entertainers and quite a few not clowns at all. (See photos at [url]http://www.balloonhq.com/photos/diamondjam2006/[url].) I attended DiamondJam two years ago - the location was great and the convention very well run. Contact Ed Chee directly at info@DiamondStorm.com or balloonartist@balloonhq.com for more info - but you might want to wait until _after_ DiamondJam!

Ed (not Chee!)

It just occured to me. No one your side ever appears to mention the Lucky Dip Box. great way to control noisy children. Perhaps you might consider someone to do a short presentation on the possibilities.

Works for adults too.

I believe that Ed Chee started his Diamond Jam in 2003 in conjunction with two local clown groups in Phoenix. It is my understading that the last two or three years he operated this event on his own. Not all atendees are clowns.
Max


nS