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scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
Hey guys,
I have had a "just for fun" magic show that is great for all family functions, running for 10 years. I am now wanting to get into the lucrative markets of kindergartens daycares & schools. I'm about to get Doug Scheer's book on educational magic. But for anyone with experience, how important is it to go educational rather than 'just for fun?'
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
Don't know about Australia, but in Ireland it is of zero importance. The question they ask here is are the kids going to be entertained. If the answer is yes, you get the gig.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
Thanks Tony,
These are all the important answers I'm looking for, especially different regions of the workd
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
Schools in the U.S. typically look for something educational. Money is tight, and they need to justify bringing in an entertainer. That's not to say they won't hire someone just to entertain, but it's a harder sell. This comes from a background of 17 years as a public school teacher.
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Sam Sandler Inner circle 2487 Posts |
I would have to ask Donald to search my recent comments on this subject as I can never find them. he is like the crypt keeper of Café posts!
in short- at least here in the states YOU MUST HAVE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT. and not just a comment or two. you must have a real message. gone are the days that you could entertain the kids and throw out a few "read a book" or "eat healthy foods" comments. you need sustainable message that resonates with the schools curriculum. some schools will have what they call a rewards show - for some thing like the kids read 1000 books and they have this special show. some times that show can be more about fun but they still want to have some educational info included. schools are having money issues and harder to get grants. the more educational your show the better chance the school will be able to secure a grant. i have had many schools ask me for a write up about my show DEAFinitely Magic and what the core purpose is so that they can use that to submit with their grant application. most times they have gotten the grant - I remember one not getting it which was a shame. end result is if you want perform fun shows then look into day cares and early learning centers and after school shows or family fun nights at schools. if you want to perform school assemblies I highly recommend you pick a topic and become and expert on the subject and then create a show around that subject. but be sure to include some tricks that are indeed just for fun. don't make the whole show message after message. I usually tell magicians 60/40 fun/educational hope that helps. if you have any specific questions about school shows let me know I would be glad to help out. sam
sam sandler- America's only full-time DEAF Illusionist
http://www.samsandler.com http://www.deafinitelymagic.com |
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scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
Thanks so much, this is golden information. I suspect Australia is close to USA on this one. My teacher friends are telling me to look up the curriculum and work on that.
Here's a tricky question. I found this under the heading "Arts" in our states curriculum: Creating and making exploration of effective ways to use arts elements such as colour, sound or shape to communicate imagined ideas memorisation of expressive movements and/or actions created in response to stimulus material exploration of ways that shapes, colours, images and/or sounds can be repeated to communicate an idea or observation making of visual, sound and/or voice effects to represent ideas in response to stimulus material identification of features of performing and visual arts works they and others have made This is not about anti-bullying, reading, science or maths. I am wondering if doing a magic show AND workshop would tie in with this, performing arts? If my proposal was to get students to discuss their perspectives and reactions in seeing a live magic performance, then giving the kids an opportunity to create & perform magic. Is this idea on the correct path do you think?
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
Http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Workshop-Res......3&sr=1-2
If you can get hold of the above book, by magician and artist Tommy Maloney (great guy) it explains everything you need to do to hold magic/art workshops in schools, which is his niche market.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
Why one OR the other?
Do some cold calling to kindergartens and even daycares ... "Hi, this is scottds80 with the Safety Magic Program. We have a great magic safety lesson..." [mention that it's short enough to keep the kids' attention, teaches whatever (green means go, red means stop0, always hold mommy's hand, etc etc) and it's at a special budget price you vcan get the parents to chip in for] - you'll sell a bunch. |
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Hawkan Elite user Sweden 495 Posts |
At first sight, this looks like a horrible thing. Mixing, and shoehorning education into magic/entertainment. On the other hand, My generation grew up with the TV-show "Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter" = "Five ants are more than four elephants", which still today is being used in schools as a learning tool. I can watch it with my daughter and enjoy it. But, the hosts were top comedians and the show was very well produced and thought through.
HÃ¥kan |
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TheMightyRicardo Loyal user 225 Posts |
I thought of my Magic Show as purely entertainment, but a parent said she liked the educational part of it "You recycled newspaper to money and showed that only by working together could we bend a coin". Since then I've changed patter and tricks to appear more educational.
Richard |
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
Many things come into play. The Daycare market differs from Kindergarden in many ways, especially if the daycare center is privately run. Lumping them together is a mistake. Every geographical market is different with respect to competition, so your need to address all the needs of the client will also vary. The price you charge will also determine what budget they pull from, and by extension whether or not they need to "justify" the expenditure as educational.
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Sam Sandler Inner circle 2487 Posts |
As for your question about the performing arts side of this.
keep in mind you have 35-40 minutes for your assembly. ( I happen to have a 50 minute show but make it clear to the schools why we are longer then most assemblies) but my point is to perform and teach and then let kids perform you are now moving away from a school assembly and into some thing more like an after school program where kids can sign up and pay a fee that includes the props. i ran a performing arts camp for 15 years as well as many after school programs in many school districts. its a lot more work then a school assembly. that being said I do think you can tie in performing arts into your school assembly by performing effects that go beyond magic. such as tricks that affect the senses like the spiral wheel trick, or math magic such as the number square, or a science effect that looks like magic. you could build a whole show around the "did you see that" or can you believe that. idea. now you have multiple educational aspects as well as the LIVE SHOW feature. the core of the show can be to show how magic or the arts can go beyond entertaining and educate others. hope that helps sam
sam sandler- America's only full-time DEAF Illusionist
http://www.samsandler.com http://www.deafinitelymagic.com |
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scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
This all does help very much, thankyou for your thoughts to everyone. Time to script my show accordingly!
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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arthur stead Inner circle When I played soccer, I hit 1773 Posts |
Hi Scott,
There is a magician near you (in New Zealand) called Elgregoe, who sells a DVD of his educational school show entitled You've Got The Power. Well worth checking out. If you're interested in putting together an effective reading program, a terrific resource is our PDF book "Create A Profitable Reading Program ... On A Shoe-String Budget." Visit our website for details. |
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themagiciansapprentice Inner circle Essex, UK 1381 Posts |
Look for David Ginn's books and dvds, he's done 30 years of themed kids shows including one about Australia
aim to have five or six teaching points all around the same theme - eg recycling is really popular
Have wand will travel! Performing children's magic in the UK for Winter 2014 and Spring 2015.
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scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
Thanks Arthur, just purchased your ebook as described. Thanks everyone, I'll look into all those magicians resources!
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
There was a thread a while back in The Little Darlings about Weekday Bookings that covered the point about having educational content. It resurfaced here recently. What seems to consistently come from these threads is that there are differing perceptions on what how one defines these markets.
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scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
Perhaps offer a fun only show, and educational ones. Then you have the best of both worlds. I see a few doing this.
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10585 Posts |
I disagree. I think those professionals that truly do work the school market do just this. Let's not confuse the issue of "doing a few school shows a year" and "truly working the school market." They are two different things. When you truly do work the school market (at least here in the US) this entire issue becomes quite clear.
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
Quote:
On Jul 4, 2015, Mindpro wrote: I find this to be so true. Just doing shows at schools is very different than what full time pros would consider the school market. I do a number of shows for assembly's at the end of the school year, a few throughout the year, and some fire safety shows throughout the year. By contrast, when I was in grade school a magician came to my school every year and performed a dairy/nutritional themed show that was sponsored by the local dairy farmers association. He has been doing this for many years. He works the school market all day every weekday. While I do not know his fee, I am certain it is well in excess of what I charge. There is a lot that goes into his success beyond just throwing in a few lines about anti bullying or other things many think suffice to be considered an educational show. Even with my fire safety show, I draw upon my role as a volunteer fire fighter to present things that are unique and separate me from any others that attempt to cover this topic. There are many good examples of performers who work the school market here on TMC. One common thread I find, is that those who appear to be most successful seem to offer a unique program. |
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