The first rule of Magic Club, is that you tell EVERYONE about Magic Club. I’m lecturing my Out Foxed lecture and Magic Directs lecture Dem around the UK at present. We always learn something new on projects like this and my lesson that I have learned this time is …… There are some tiny magic clubs around . I’ve lectured to over thirty clubs, some had over 50 members turn out for the lecture…..great. However one particular club I had traveled over 150 miles to get to had 11 members turn up. As I set up my equipment I was thinking to myself “This is embarrassing, what a turn out, was it something I said”? With that, The secretary of the club excitedly came over and said to me, ” Wow you’ve got a full house tonight Wayne, these guys have been really looking forward to meeting you”. Feeling a bit rubbish, I said ” Are you making fun of me” (words to that affect), however I was surprised at his response. “No, No Wayne, we’ve only got 9 members, you’ve even pulled in two visitors, we really appreciate it”. I laughed (inwardly) the night ended up being great fun and I received a wonderfully warm welcome from a really enthusiastic small group of people, very humbling.
But why was the club so small? it was in a big town on the outskirts of a big city, in a residential area, primed to be busy. Visiting so many clubs in a short time I’ve come across, what I think, may be why the clubs are dwindling. Firstly some of them were very small that it was almost like a group of friends getting together for a chat once a week about what magic they had seen on tv. Secondly the website had no history section about the club and no events section, thirdly they were all of roughly the same age. Now this would be ok if this is how they wanted the club to run, however they were all saying how their clubs had gone ‘downhill’ and that they were losing members and they wanted it to be like it was years ago.
When I compared these smaller clubs to the bigger ones, there was a complete difference in the way they were promoting themselves, firstly there was a realistic age restriction. One of the small clubs that I lectured at unbelievably had an age restriction of over 21s only. Now if they were happy with member levels then we have to accept their rules but they were one of the clubs who complained about lack of interest !!! 21!! People usually show an interest in magic in their childhood, this is why they must be fed the knowledge of magic at the young age, leaving to join a magic club until 21 is sometimes, far too late for a flourishing magic club.
My point here is that some of these clubs have been running for over 60 years, the rules and eduction on promotion need to get brought forward if we want them to stay productive.
I was a kid who learnt about magic from TV and books, later I joined a magic club which is the reason magic is playing the part it is in my life. Every fortnight we would all get together, from 16 years to pensioners, we all shared our common interest. We would swap notes and better ourselves from each others knowledge. I remember there were a couple of pro performers who were our treasure chest of information. Postman, police officers, accountants, students, car mechanics they were all members .These clubs are the ROOT of our craft, it’s a time for social activity, a chance to make friends and a chance to make magic come alive.
So, have you got a local club in your area? If not, why not? It doesn’t have to cost anything at all sometimes. For example, a club I know have a meet twice a month in a social club in their area. Their arrangement is that they use the back room on a quiet day of the week when it is not expected to be hired for the evening. They don’t get charged for this, however, the deal is that once every three months they put on a small Close-up show in the bar and do a charity Christmas party for them. What a brilliant deal, a chance to showcase your own magic and in return you get to advertise your club.
The other more obvious way of starting your own club is to hire the local community centre but you need the members to pay subs to start it. So firstly get a group of like minded eager to learn magi, to meet at the local pub or club for drinks and a chat. Let the situation grow and make sure you all tell your friends, perhaps put a ‘shout out’ on one of the social networking sites that you have a club meeting. It won’t be long before you have enough people to get your own room to perform in. If you already know of a magic club in the next town, organise a ‘club visit’. This is an evening where one club entertains the other club and two months time they come to visit you to repay the complement. This can be excellent fun and makes both clubs stronger as its been heard that a small club has joined a bigger club to make a massive club.
Don’t leave it to the Internet and YouTube, we will become recluse magicians to shy to perform……… That ain’t gonna help no one !!!!!
Go on, take the first step, make a stand and start a Magic Club, make a noise, let people know about your club and that you welcome EVERYONE from all walks of life, no matter what their age is, no matter what their job is, no matter whether they even have a job.
After all when we walk through that door
We are ‘one’ we are ‘equal’.
Why Not have a look at Wayne Fox’s Lecture DVD OutFoxed