The world-renowned College of Magic, Cape Town’s only magical arts organisation, welcomed a record number of 64 new students to its introductory Course One and Course Magic and Showmanship classes at its incredible Victorian manor base on Saturday 3 February 2018!

Bright-eyed youngsters from all over the Mother City, keen to start their enchanting magical education, were treated to a special assembly with David Gore, the College of Magic’s founder and director, and a whirlwind tour of the organisation’s mysterious building which is home to Africa’s largest magical museum, the continent’s premier magic shop and the wondrous Imagination Centre where the College’s popular festivals and events are held.

With the strike of the College of Magic’s enchanting gong to signal the start of lessons, it was time for the new recruits’ very first magic lesson. In their inaugural peek behind the wizard’s curtain, the new students learnt an introductory magical effect, received their first wands and joined in a recital of the Magician’s Code - a promise to never ‘spoil the wonder’ by revealing the secrets of magic to the public.

In 2018, the College of Magic, the only organisation of its kind in the world, celebrates 38 years of  teaching the theatrical performing art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children.The organisation is thrilled with the fantastic sign-up for the first day of lessons:

“It’s been incredible to see how eager Cape Town’s youngsters are to learn the art of magic! In nearly 40 years, this is one of the largest intakes we’ve been privileged to have and we are excited to lead our new students on this educational journey of wonder!”, says Gore.

Registration for the second intake of Course One for the year will open in July 2018. For more information about the College of Magic, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call +27(0)21 683 5480.

The world famous College of Magic is set to welcome a new generation of would-be magicians to its mysterious Victorian manor base in Claremont in 2018.Registration for its entry levels courses, which commence on Saturday 3 February 2018, is now open.

Cape Town’s eager young learners are invited to come and learn the thrilling art of magic at the College of Magic, the only magical organisation of its kind in the world, through its beginner programmes:

• Course One, a 15-week introductory tour through the world of magic for budding young magicians from age 10 to 13.
• Magic and Showmanship course, an intensive 30 lesson programme providing high school students with a solid introduction to magic.

The ever-popular lessons will be held on Saturdays at the College ‘s enchanting century-old building, where, in addition to commencing their magical studies, new students will also have access to Africa's largest magic museum, a multi-purpose Imagination Centre, a magical library, the Magic Shop and more

In 2018, the College of Magic celebrates 38 years of teaching the theatrical performing art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults. The organisation is excited to welcome its new recruits:

“Magic provides a wonderful new way of learning for students, imbuing them with confidence, the ability to perform and captivate an audience and hope to realise their dreams. We look forward to sharing these positive effects with our aspiring magicians and we cannot wait to share the wonder of magic with all of you! ”, says David Gore, director of the College of Magic.

Learn the art of magic:

The Course One and Magic and Showmanship courses will commence on Saturday 3 February 2018 and will run at the College of Magic (215 Imam Haron Road, Claremont). Fees for Course One (half year course) are R520 per month or R2 850 for full payment, and for the Magic and Showmanship course (full-year course) fees are R520 per month or R5 210 for the entire course. Fees include lessons, notes, magical equipment and allied arts such as puppetry, juggling and mime and clowning sessions.

To register, please call +27(0)21 683 5480 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information please visit www.collegeofmagic.com.

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.

In the spirit of continuing Women’s Month celebrations, a group of female magicians, from Claremont’s College of Magic, donated their time, skills and 34 care packages to young children at the St George’s Home for Girls in Wynberg on Saturday 2 September 2017.

Nine of the College of Magic’s students and graduates spent an afternoon treating the Home’s wards, aged between 3 and 15 years old, to card tricks, balloon modelling, rope magic effects and stories about how studying magic has changed their lives, before doing an official handover of the care packages to the Home’s manager Graeme Cairns.

The care packages, filled with treats and female necessities, were lovingly and creatively decorated at the College of Magic’s Ladies of Magic event, an annual celebration held for the organisation’s female magicians, in August 2017. 

St George’s Home for Girls, a non-profit organisation providing nurturing care and a home for young girls, was delighted and thankful for the College of Magic’s support:

“We aim to provide our girls with the best care and help them to know that there are people out in the community who care about them. We thank these ladies of magic for spreading a little bit of joy and putting a smile back onto our girls’ faces ”, says Cairns. For more information about the Home, please visit www.st-georges.org.za.

Michelle Gore and Linesri Thaver, graduates of the College of Magic and organisers of the Ladies of Magic event and donation drive, are passionate about spreading love and magic to girls and women in disadvantaged communities:

“The Ladies of Magic event began as a means of empowering young women and fostering a sisterhood in an otherwise male-dominated performance art.Over the past four years, we’ve seen how magical and important that sisterhood and support for our girls has become and we wanted to share that with others. The St George’s Home for Girls was the perfect fit for us. We thank them for welcoming us and allowing us to share the wonder of magic with them”, says the enthusiastic duo.

Celebrating its 37th year of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults in 2017, the College of Magic is a non-profit organisation and the only one of its kind in the world.For more information about the College of Magic and its social outreach initiatives, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com.

Ten young magicians vie for provincial champion titles and top honours

The ultimate provincial magical teen battle of the year, the 2017 Western Cape Junior Magician Championships, returns to Cape Town’s Bergvliet High School on Saturday 23 September 2017.

Hosted annually by the College of Magic, Cape Town’s only magical arts organisation, the Championships will see ten of the province’s most promising young wizards go wand to wand in two thrilling contests for the Western Cape Junior Magician title and the opportunity to attend international magical events.

It is every teenage wunderkind for his or herself as they prepare to wow a judging panel of entertainment veterans and the audience with their competing acts in the dexterous art of Close-Up magic and stunning illusions of Stage magic.

While the judges deliberate about winners for the Close-Up and Stage magic events at 4pm and 7pm, audience members can enjoy the not-to-be-missed Street Magic Contest. The contest sees mischievous buskers perform their marvellous coin magic, card tricks and balloon modeling up close for fans who can then vote, via ballot paper, for their 2017 Street Magic Champion.

Celebrating its 37th year of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults in 2017, the College of Magic, a non-profit organisation and the only one of its kind in the world, has proudly hosted the Championships for more than three decades:

“It is an incredible honour to host the Championships, one of the most highly anticipated magical events of the year, once again. A family- friendly event of this nature not only prepares our contestants for competing in the professional magical world but it also gives magic fanatics a taste of astonishing entertainment they won’t soon forget!”, says David Gore, director of the College of Magic.

Be a spectator at the ultimate teenage magical battle of the year:

An entertaining afternoon/evening of magical showmanship awaits spectators at the Western Cape Junior Magician Championships at Bergvliet High School on Saturday 23 September 2017! Tickets for the Championships start from R100 and are available at www.collegeofmagic.com/tickets. Book yours TODAY!

For more information about the Championships and the College of Magic, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call +27(0)21 683 5480.

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.

Cape Town’s families are invited to escape from the blistering cold into a fantastical world of magic as the College of Magic once again proudly presents its popular winter school holiday event, the 2017 Traditional Children’s Magic Festival from Wednesday 5 to Saturday 8 July 2017.

The four-day enchanting Festival programme will see more than 50 beguiling jugglers, clowns, mimes, escapologists, magicians, stilt walkers and more cast an entertaining spell on the young and the young at heart with magical workshops, thrilling magic shows and so much more!

The College of Magic’s warm Victorian manor in Claremont provides the perfect venue for this unique journey into a world of fantasy where untold surprises and mysteries await in every room. From amazing performances by special guest artists to hands-on interactive workshops where aspirant wizards can learn how to perform their own tricks and not-to-be-missed photo opportunities with our resident magical bunny, the affordable Festival experience is non-stop charming fun for the whole family.

Now in its 37th year of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults, the College of Magic is thrilled to be hosting this must-attend winter family experience:

“The Children’s Magic Festival has been a highlight on the magical calendar for both our performers and the public since 1994, attracting magic fanatics from all over Cape Town. This year, we’re excited to once again welcome all of you and encourage you to dress up to the Festival theme – a World of Fantasy! Fairies, magicians, princesses and superheroes, we want to see you all at our incredible event this winter school holiday!” says David Gore, director of the College of Magic.

The Festival will be held at the College of Magic, 215 Imam Haron Road in Claremont, with the 90-minute show programme running daily at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

Book your tickets and join us in our World of Fantasy at the 2017 Traditional Children’s Magic Festival:

Tickets for the 2017 Traditional Children’s Magic Festival are available from R80 with a discount for family bookings. Book yours TODAY at www.collegeofmagic.com/tickets.For more information about the festival and the College of Magic, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call +27(0)21 683 5480.

First two shows sold out in record time, third performance tickets vanishing fast!

For Immediate Release

In a feat more magical than pulling a rabbit out of a top hat, the College of Magic’s must-see winter extravaganza, the Imagine! Family Magic Spectacular‘s first two shows have sold out in record time. Now, due to overwhelming popular demand, a third amazing performance will be staged at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town on Saturday 3 June, 2017 at 5pm!

Cape Town’s magic fanatics have been clamouring to get their hands on tickets for the family friendly Imagine! Spectacular, South Africa’s biggest magic show. With a cast of more than 50 - top children’s entertainers, illusionists, jugglers, mimes and more on stage and special guest magicienne Lee Cohen from Australia as her Fairy Lee persona dazzling audiences before and after the show, the Imagine! Spectacular is a fantastical event of incredible illusions and dazzling magic not-to-be-missed!

The College of Magic, now in its 37th year of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts, as well as vital life-skills, to children and adults, regularly hosts mega magical events.

A non-profit organisation, and the only one of its kind in the world, the College is astounded at the public’s hunger for the wonder of magic at its Imagine! Spectacular:

“We’ve never seen anything like it in the magical community in Cape Town! To have one year of sold out shows as we did for the Imagine!,Spectacular in 2016 was amazing but a second year running is just unbelievable. We look forward to dazzling families at not just one, but three amazing shows at the Artscape Theatre this June where the impossible is made possible”, says David Gore, director of the College of Magic.

Pick a seat, any seat, and book your Imagine! Family Magic Spectacular tickets TODAY at Computicket. Tickets are available from R160 with discounts for family bookings.

Proceeds from the show will be used in aid of the organisation’s Umlingo Outreach initiative which provides holistic life skills to young people in need.  

For more information about the College of Magic and the Imagine! Family Magic Spectacular, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com, call +27(0)21 683 5480 or follow the College on Facebook – www.facebook.com/collegeofmagic.

-Ends-

Issued by Fazielah Williams on behalf of the College of Magic (Interviews available on request)
Contact: 0839296999
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

First show at Artscape Theatre sold out, second show adde

The Imagine! Family Magic Spectacular, South Africa’s biggest magic show, will feature the enchanting magicienne Lee Cohen from Melbourne, Australia, when it dazzles Capetonian audiences at the Artscape Theatre on Saturday 3 June, 2017.

With tickets for the first show having vanished in the blink of an eye, a must-see second performance of the Imagine! Spectacular, once again presented by the College of Magic, Cape Town’s only magical arts organisation, will be staged at 2h30pm.

A magical extravaganza unlike any other and featuring an amazing cast of more than 50 top children’s entertainers, illusionists, jugglers, mimes and more, the Imagine! Spectacular played to sold-out audiences in 2016. This year’s edition of incredible illusions and dazzling magic is sure to be even more fantastical with the addition of the internationally renowned Cohen performing her special brand of walk-about magic as her enthralling onstage persona, Fairy Lee,

Cohen, a second generation magician and past president of the Australian Institute of Magic, takes her position as one of the few female magicians in the world very seriously.

In her quest to inspire young girls, she discovered parents and children alike perceive magic to be tied to their fascination with fairies and the Fairy Lee character, with an entire show built around this mystical character, was born.

A talented musician, makeup artist and TV presenter who has captivated crowds with her magic in Hong Kong, Korea and  the United States of America; this is the beguiling performer‘s second visit to South Africa.

Spectacular audiences are in for a magical treat as Fairy Lee will be roaming the halls of Artscape before and after the stage show where anything and everything is possible. She’ll charm families with her fairy magic words, fairy dust and a possible special appearance in the foyer by her very special best friend, a beautiful rabbit named Hey Presto.

Cohen is thrilled at the opportunity to share a touch of magic with Capetonian audiences:

“Magic fans around the world seem to love fairies as much as I do and I’m sure the Mother City is no different! I look forward to capturing their imaginations and getting to meet so many new friends at the Imagine! Spectacular. ”

The College of Magic, now in its 37th year of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults, regularly hosts international magicians at their mega magical events.

The College, a  non-profit organisation, and the only one of its kind in the world, is delighted to have Cohen join its Imagine! Spectacular as a special fairy guest at the Artscape this June:

“Each year, we dream up bigger and better ways of making the Imagine! show even more spectacular. What an amazing opportunity for young people to get to meet a real live magical fairy - this year’s show is one not-to-be-missed!”, says David Gore, director of the College of Magic.

Tickets for the second Imagine! Family Magic Spectacular show are disappearing faster than you can say “Abracadabra”! Tickets are available from R160 with discounts for family bookings at Computicket. Book yours TODAY!

Proceeds from the show will be used in aid of the organisation’s Umlingo Outreach initiative which provides holistic life skills to young people in need.

For more information about the College of Magic and the Imagine! Family Magic Spectacular, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com, call +27(0)21 683 5480 or follow the College on Facebook – www.facebook.com/collegeofmagic