Education Program

Our Chapters around the World

Magicians Without Borders has run The Sorcerer’s Apprentice programs since 2004 in various contexts, experimenting with duration, continuity, curriculum, etc. From this, we have structured a working program  that increases a child’s self-confidence, discipline, focus, and self-esteem. This gives them the opportunity to raise themselves out of poverty and to enthusiastically create a hopeful future.

We implement this program always with the help of local partners who have trust in the local communities. And we also partner with a local magician. 

Magicians Without Borders has implemented The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in the following locations:

  • El Salvador
    • City: Santa Ana. Local partner: Asaprosar. Years active: 2005 – 2010
    • City: San Salvador. Local partner: Glasswing. Years active: 2015 – 2017 *
    • City: Ahuachapán. Local partner: KOIKA. Years active: 2019 – Ongoing
  • Colombia
    • City: Bogotá. Local partner: Fundación Bella Flor. Years active: 2012 – 2018
    • City: Bogotá: Local partner: Fundación Nueva Vida Para Todos. Years active: 2019 – Ongoing *
    • City: Bogotá: Local partner: Findesin. Years active: 2013 – 2014
    • City: Medellín: Local partner: Juguemos en el Bosque. Years active: 2019 – Ongoing
    • City: Barranca de Upía. Local partner: Fundación Guaicaramo. Years active: 2014 (40 hours intensive programme)
  • Costa Rica
    • City: San José. Local Partner: La Cometa. Years active: 2016 – Ongoing
  • Brazil
    • City: Uberlândia. Local Partner: ONG Casa. Years active: 2018 (Year long program)
  • India
    • City: Mumbai. Local Partner: Our Children. Years active: 2009 – 2012
    • City: Mumbai. Local Partner: Our Children. Years active: 2014 – Ongoing *
  • South Africa
    • City: Cape Town. Local Partner: CouldC Training & Development and R-City. Years active: 2019 – Ongoing.

* Indicates program led by a former student of MWB

Give the opportunity of education to kids in the slums of big cities. With your support, we will be able to continue our work that has helped over a hundred children in ten cities in seven countries.

SUPPORT OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM

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Philosophy of the Program

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Program is designed to enable a young magic student to learn the ancient art of magic and in the process, to develop into stronger and more confident young people.

We are very concerned that the young magic student becomes proficient in the art of magic. The student will be taught all of the major aspects of the magic art and will be expected to become an entertaining, engaging, competent magic performer.  But we are equally and perhaps more concerned, to teach magic in a way that enhances the student’s sense of self-confidence, self-esteem, creativity, discipline, and focus. We know from years of experience teaching magic around the world, that the study of magic can enable a young person to become a strong and confident person with a deep sense of personal power.  Knowing magic enhances a young person as a member of a family, as a friend, a student and a potential employee.

Our Education Chapter in Bogotá, Colombia. Led by our Graduated Student Tamara.

The magic lessons are structured and taught in ways that are clearly designed to meet our dual purpose of creating talented, entertaining magicians and confident, mature young people.  One of the ways in which we achieve these two goals is through an emphasis on performance and integrating the fundamentals of theater and acting into every lesson. The student will be expected to learn how to theatrically perform his or her magic at the same time he or she is mastering the mechanics of a trick.  From the first lesson, the student will be learning the fundamentals of acting and performing. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Program believes that doing effective, engaging, entertaining magic is probably 10% mastering the mechanics of a trick and 90% performing it in a creative, dramatic manner.

We also emphasize the development of creativity in our magic students. One of the ways we do this is requiring that the student create a written-out script of a story that will accompany the presentation and performance of their magic effect.  Each student is required to write out these scripts. The scripts will be rewritten and refined through in-class performance and integrating the feed back received from the instructor and other students during critique sessions. Learning how to work and rework a routine will be very much part of the instruction as the student gradually creates his or her own magic show.

We have designed the magic lessons so that a student who faithfully attends the weekly classes, participates actively in the material being taught, and practices outside of class will be able to perform a 30 minute parlor magic show, a solid twenty-minute close-up performance, and learn the ability and creativity to perform impromptu magic with ordinary objects.