First year township magic student makes community proud

Eleven-year-old Anathi Fodo, Gugulethu’s rising young juggling star held parents, students and guests at the College of Magic’s 2017 Annual Graduation ceremony at St Anne’s Primary in Plumstead in thrall with his gravity-defying act on Saturday 25 November 2017.

Now in its 37th year, the College of Magic is the only organisation of its kind in the world and offers a six year on campus diploma that covers all aspects of the magic theatrical performing arts.Each year, the College of Magic, based in Claremont, honours its exemplary students at two graduation ceremonies, one for the junior and one for the senior students.A highlight of these ceremonies is a performance by its most accomplished students in magic and its allied arts, including juggling.

When Fodo enrolled for his first year of magical studies at the College of Magic in January 2017, it was quickly apparent that he had an innate ability for juggling. Over the past year, that extraordinary natural talent, sparked by Sinethemba Bawuti and further nurtured by Michael Barta, the College’s juggling instructor of more than 20 years, has seen this shy but mischievous youth grow from strength to strength.

The impressive Fodo, who can now balance as many as three balls and clubs for long stretches of time, has participated in some of the College’s mega magical events including his amazing juggling and impressive clowning feats the Imagine! Family Magic Spectacular at the Artscape Theatre in June and, together with juggling partner Ayabonga Tshofuti, was awarded the Colin Marshall Memorial Trophy for their clowning and juggling in the Imagine! show.

The youngster was exhilarated after performing and wowing the crowd alongside his fellow jugglers on stage at the junior graduation ceremony:

“Juggling is a difficult performance method to learn but when I am out there, balancing my props in the air, it makes me so happy. I spend most of my time practicing and it is wonderful to be recognised for how hard I work at this art.”

In 2018, the College of Magic will welcome a new generation of would-be magicians. When asked what his advice to new magical recruits hoping to follow in his wondrous juggling and magical footsteps would be, Fodo replied:

“Study magic and its allied arts because you love it and pay close attention to everything you are taught in class. The College of Magic is a wonderful place to learn all of these amazing things.”

In addition to the Junior Graduation, the College of Magic hosted a senior ceremony for its older students who are progressing to the next captivating level of their wizardry training and the 2017 Course Six graduating class.

Learn the art of magic at the College of Magic in 2018!

Registration for the College of Magic’s entry level Course One for budding magicians is now open. Course One will commence on Saturday 3 February 2018 and fees are R520 per month or R2 850 for the entire course (Includes lessons, notes, magical equipment and allied arts such as puppetry, juggling and mime and clowning sessions).

For more information, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call +27(0)21 683 5480.

The bustling town Piketberg in the Western Cape is now the proud hometown of nineteen of the brightest young magic stars who have graduated from the College of Magic’s Juggling and Cards Skills course at the awards ceremony, held at Steynville Primary School on Tuesday 19 September 2017. 

The Juggling and Cards Skills Course, a six-week training programme, which ran from Tuesday 15 August to Tuesday 19 September, forms part of the College of Magic, Cape Town’s only magical arts organisation’s Hope in Flight rural community project, and is funded by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC). 

The thrilling and interactive six-week course has seen the eager-to-learn youngsters, who are all learners at Steynville Primary School. successfully master basic card tricks and the hand to eye coordination necessary for juggling, under the magical tutelage of their course instructors Anele Dyasi and Olwethu Dyantyi.

 Dyantyi, a renowned South African magician and the face of world-famous beverage brand Coca Cola’s global relaunch campaign, is also the proud programme coordinator and is in awe of the new graduates: 

“It has been amazing to see how learning the art of magic has changed these students’ lives in such a short period of time. Their renewed sense of purpose and confidence are a great indication of how necessary the Hope in Flight programme is in rural communities and I hope to continue its success to other areas next year.” 

One student who is on a promising magical studies trajectory is 10-year-old Patricia Links. A studious young girl who impressed her course instructors with her willingness to be the first routine performer in class each week, Links is thrilled with her diploma:

 “I really enjoyed the challenge of learning a new magic effect and performing it for my classmates! I’m so keen to learn more about magic and visit the College of Magic in Cape Town someday”, says the thrilled learner.

The College of Magic, now in its 37th year of teaching the magic theatrical performing arts and its allied arts (including juggling, puppetry, mime and clowning), with a social and life- skills component to children and adults, is a non-profit organisation, based in Cape Town, and the only one of its kind in the world. 

The Juggling and Card Skills course forms part of the College of Magic’s community training programme, the Hope in Flight project, funded with a grant of R500 000 from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) which supports disadvantaged students. The ‘Hope in Flight’ community programme is an extension of the College’s successful Magic in the Community programme, which provides young people from poor communities with the opportunity to participate in an innovative performing arts training and development programme and promote a platform for the understanding and affirmation of South Africa’s cultural diversity. 

The College of Magic is thrilled with the programme’s success: 

“It’s been an exciting year for our organisation as we’ve rolled out the Juggling and Cards Skills course to learners across the Western Cape, with the generous support of the National Lotteries Commission. Seeing the remarkable difference learning the art of magic has made in these youngsters’ lives and giving them hope for a better future has inspired us to double our efforts in continuing the Hope for Flight rural community project in 2018” says David Gore, director of the College of Magic. 

The NLC relies on funds from the proceeds of the National Lottery. The Lotteries Act guides the way in which NLC funding may be allocated. The intention of NLC funding is to make a difference to the lives of all South Africans, especially those more vulnerable and to improve the sustainability of the beneficiary organisations. Available funds are distributed to registered and qualifying non-profit organisations in the fields of charities; arts, culture and national heritage; and sport and recreation. By placing its emphasis on areas of greatest need and potential, the NLC contributes to South Africa’s development. Please visit the National Lotteries Commission website www.nlcsa.org.za to find out about the NLC mandate and other projects they fund. 

Dates for the 2018 Juggling and Cards Skills course will be announced soon. 

For more information about the College of Magic and its social outreach initiatives, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com.

23 graduates for the Imibala Trust and College of Magic’s rural community project, funded by the National Lotteries Commission 

Twenty-three of the Helderberg area’s brightest young learners have earned their first magic honours as they graduated from the College of Magic and Imibala Trust’s Juggling and Cards Skills course at the awards ceremony on Thursday 8 June 2017. 

The Juggling and Cards Skills Course, a six-week training programme which ran from Thursday 4 May to Thursday 8 June 2017 at the Imibala Trust’s charming Bright Street premises in bustling Somerset West , forms part of the College of Magic’s Hope in Flight rural community project, and is funded by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC). 

It’s been six weeks since the aspirant performers first picked up a deck of cards and juggling balls set and already their co-ordination skills have impressed their course instructor and programme coordinator, Olwethu Dyantyi. 

A renowned South African magician and the face of world-famous beverage brand Coca Cola’s global relaunch campaign,Dyantyi is ecstatic with his Helderberg students ‘progress: 

“Teaching juggling and card skills to learners with no previous experience in magic was an exciting challenge for me. To see how far they have come in just six weeks, and the confidence they have in their own skills has been very rewarding. I am so proud to have been a part of their introduction to the world of magic”. 

Two students who have mastered the gravity defying tricks of juggling and quick-fingered dexterity of card magic are Somerset West’s Qhamani Myolelo (11) and Atlehang Maqhanane (11). 

The dynamic duo passed their final evaluation which included performing their favourite card effect that they’d been taught during the course and juggling as many balls as they could, with flying wizardry colours. They proudly accepted their certificates at their graduation ceremony, with their happy family members looking on.  

“We can’t believe how much we’ve learnt in such a short time! We can’t wait to share our cool new tricks with our friends and family. We hope to attend the College of Magic’s weekly classes in Cape Town someday as there is just so much more to learn about magic”, says the excited new graduates. 

The College of Magic, now in its 37th year of teaching the magic theatrical performing arts and its allied arts (including juggling, puppetry, mime and clowning), with a social and life- skills component to children and adults, is a non-profit organisation, based in Cape Town, and the only one of its kind in the world.The Juggling and Card Skills course forms part of the College of Magic’s community training programme, the Hope in Flight project, funded with a grant of R500 000 from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) which supports disadvantaged students. 

The ‘Hope in Flight’ community programme is an extension of the College’s successful Magic in the Community programme, which provides young people from poor communities with the opportunity to participate in an innovative performing arts training and development programme and promote a platform for the understanding and affirmation of South Africa’s cultural diversity. The College of Magic is thrilled with the programme’s success:

“We’ve been incredibly humbled by the enthusiastic response and uptake of the Juggling and Cards Skills course by the Helderberg community and seeing the realisation of dreams for a better future for these youngsters. We are thankful to our project partner The Imibala Trust for providing a safe and accessible venue for our aspirant magicians to train at and hope to continue this magical partnership in the future” says David Gore, director of the College of Magic. 

Noeki Gous of The Imibala Trust concurs:

“It’s been amazing to watch children from all backgrounds learn the art of magic and grow together in our centre, week after week. Our commitment to assisting the College of Magic in promoting diversity and unification through their teaching has been steadfast and we look forward to working with them again in the future” 

The NLC relies on funds from the proceeds of the National Lottery. The Lotteries Act guides the way in which NLC funding may be allocated. The intention of NLC funding is to make a difference to the lives of all South Africans, especially those more vulnerable and to improve the sustainability of the beneficiary organisations. Available funds are distributed to registered and qualifying non-profit organisations in the fields of charities; arts, culture and national heritage; and sport and recreation. By placing its emphasis on areas of greatest need and potential, the NLC contributes to South Africa’s development. Please visit the National Lotteries Commission website www.nlcsa.org.za to find out about the NLC mandate and other projects they fund. 

The next magical outreach course will be held in Piketberg and Franschhoek from Tuesday 15 August to Thursday 21 September 2017.   For more information about the College of Magic and its social outreach initiatives, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com.