Broken wand: Steve Dickson

Updated March 30th to add a link to Steve's obituary:

• From the Vancouver Sun:
  It is with overwhelming sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Steve Dickson. Steve was an amazing man, husband, father, friend and magician who enriched the lives of all who had the opportunity to meet him. Friends and family will celebrate Steve's life at a later date.
  
  Read more.

Steve Dickson passed away on Wednesday March 25th.  Our sincere condolences to his friends and family.



From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook March 26th post:

Yesterday, a friend I have known for nearly three decades, had a sudden heart attack and passed. Steve Dickson was a pillar of the magic community, a brilliant teacher, mentor and performer of magic. At one time he owned a magic shop in New Westminster where everyone went to hang, learn and tell stories. So many of our community started their magic lessons with Steve and he was always the guy to help the young magician as well. For years we worked together at the Old Country Inn doing close up, later he helped me create what has become the Cabaret of Wonders. He was a wickedly great at Photoshop and a wiz with computers and never hesitated to help anyone who needed promotional material. He and I didn't agree on everything, which is a good thing, as many times he changed my mind or attitude. He will be truly missed in our community and my heart goes out to Paddy, his wife, who suffers the greatest loss of us all... the love of her life as I know she was his greatest joy.

As we face the coming days, tell those you love how you feel because you truly never know when your time will end.

Greg Frewin: Magicians helping animals

From the Greg Frewin Theatre Facebook post:

Join us next Wednesday for a live youtube magic show..FREE. Some of my good friends are going to help me entertain you and your family. Any donations to the SPCA will be great in helping animals in these tough times.
@jondorenbos @kevinjamesmagic @imagicianlive @charles.bach @ryanjoycemagic @spcaniagara @rickwilcox @chrisstolz @leonardobruno #magic #freeliveshow #spca ~ Greg Frewin

Women seen as worse magicians

From the March 7th article "Women seen as worse magicians despite identical skills" from Neuroscience News:

Study participants were shown close-up videos of 14 magic tricks. Only the hands and arms of the magician presenting the tricks were visible. The figure wore white gloves and long sleeves which prevented participants identifying cues about whether they were male or female.

The performer was introduced to half the participants as ‘Nathalie’ and to half the participants as a ‘Nicolas’. Those who believed they were seeing tricks performed by ‘Nathalie’ rated them more negatively, and less impressive, than those who believed they were watching tricks performed by ‘Nicolas’.

Read more.

Breaking news: Allan Slaight Relief Fund for Professional Magicians

With tremendous thanks to the Slaight Family Foundation for their generosity!


From Magicana:

And just like that, the Canadian magic industry has vanished.

In response to difficult and devastating times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for magicians who work in the gig economy, the Slaight Family Foundation has pledged to help.

Allan Slaight Relief Fund 

To contribute during these trying times, the Foundation has established the Allan Slaight Relief Fund of $150,000 to help defray cost-of-living expenses incurred by professional Canadian magicians. The Slaight Family Foundation has partnered with Magicana to administer the payment of funds to applicants who meet eligibility.

The relief fund was initiated to help with monthly costs, such as groceries, utilities, phone and Internet bills, up to a maximum of $500 per application. Because of the uncertainty of how long we must maintain strict social distancing, applicants can reapply for assistance thirty days after receiving a prior payment, until the fund is depleted.

If you are a Canadian citizen, living in Canada, working as a full-time professional in magic with at least three years of experience, you are eligible for funding assistance. We understand that many magicians are semi-professionals. We would, however, ask that applications at this time be reserved for those who rely on magic as their sole source of income.

Read more to learn about the application process.

Walter Blaney documentary series

Visit WalterZaneyBlaney.com to learn more about the Walter Blaney documentary series.  The site is curated by Timothy Drake.

Sleightly Sketchy: Ghost light

To keep you safe upon your return.





Text from day_leno_'s Instagram:

In theatre we have a tradition- whenever the theatre is empty we are always sure to leave one light on. Typically on a stand in the center of the stage, this light is known as the ghost light. There are many stories about its origin- but it’s meaning is unmistakable.

It means though the theatre is empty, WE WILL RETURN. So here’s to us. The actors, the technicians, the directors, the carpenters, the designers, the dancers, the teachers, the students, the freelancers, those on tour, those at sea, the electricians, the stitchers, the makers, the stage managers.... THE ARTISTS. Many of us have taken big hits during this virus. Financial and emotional weights have come crashing down as our entire industry is reduced to nothing but a bunch of ghost lights. But those ghost lights are temporary place holders. They are a sign. We might be down now- but our passion, our creativity, our drive is still center stage. We’ll be unplugging those ghost lights in no time. Until then- here’s a ghost light- to let the world know we will be back.

A letter from Alex Zander, IBM International President

From the IBM Facebook page:

*** Letter from the International President ***
I am reaching out to all members of the International Brotherhood of Magicians with important news as we talk #coronavirus, #conventions, and how to #KeepCalmAndPerformMagic

As the worldwide organization of magicians, we have been closely following the coronavirus outbreak, and want to assure that your health and the health of our communities come first. 

The IBM Convention is still months away, not until July 8-11th, 2020, and planning is in full swing. We are continuing to work hard to provide another exceptional gathering of talent and an unforgettable opportunity to learn from the true greats. If the virus continues to present issues in the months ahead, we will surely keep you informed of any changes, as we monitor the medical response in the United States, and will do our part keeping communities safe by respecting official event restrictions. 

We look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh, PA July 8-11, 2020 for the magic convention of the year. For details, visit IBMConvention.com
With regards to Ring meetings, we cannot offer specific guidance about whether you should or should not meet because our Rings are located in diverse countries, states, provinces, regions, and communities. Rather, we urge you to follow the recommendations of your local/state or federal medical authorities and governments. Obviously, everyone’s safety is paramount and we are confident that you will do what is best for all concerned. 

We are here to support you however we can and will help you through this challenging time. We have been hard at work and ramped up our release date to proudly announce three exciting new projects this month:
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- I.B.M. JAM Live- a Two-Week Facebook Live streaming event with new performers daily, featuring lectures/talks/JustAboutMagic sessions with Q&A from world renowned stars, experts, and creative forces in the world of magic like Jessica Jane Peterson,Harrison Greenbaum, Shawn Farquhar, Ryan Pilling, David Kaye, and many MANY more with over 14 world-class acts - all rallying together to spread joy in the face of adversity. See the full talent list, watch the Facebook Live stream and comment on IBM - International Brotherhood of Magicians @ 8:00pm Central Time. EVERYDAY March 22-April 4 2020. Then rewatch in the members-only area at magician.org!

- Free Landing Pages for Rings- this incredible offer is ready to be seized by your Ring to reach magic lovers in your area through local search results. Includes magic keywords and your customized Ring meeting location, contact info, and URL by city!Take a look at the live example sites at MagicInVancouver.now.site, MagicInToronto.now.site, MagicInNYC.now.site and soon to in your city too! Just email royaltie@magician.org for your free Ring landing page, or visit MarketingMagic.now.site for one of the best offers in web design with an I.B.M.-exclusive.

- MyMagicMeeting.com - Free videoconference Ring meetings around the world and across your phone, tablet, or computer. We now provide free access to Rings and magic communities internationally to meet across distance. This can include an I.B.M. Host to facilitate the entire hosting process (no need to learn videoconferencing software!), introduce new performance ideas, workshops, creativity challenges, and bring in special guests and international stars of magic from our worldwide JAM Live sessions right to your local group! Visit today and register your next ring at MyMagicMeeting.com
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We continue to work around the clock to provide world-class benefits to our members and magic community, all at no extra cost, and hope you can join us for these exciting new projects to keep our communities strong at the world’s premier magic organization.
- Alex Zander
International President,
International Brotherhood of Magicians