11 September 2009
VENUE: Singapore Press Holdings Auditorium
TIME: 1030 - 1600
 The workshop at Singapore Press Holdings was a huge success. Many thanks go out to the people who made this such an event to remember for the participants - most of them students from the various secondary schools in Singapore. There were a few parents in the crowd as well and they were equally enthralled!
Enrico Varella gave a fantastic presentation and opened the workshop with a bang! He presented a brief history of magic and shared many of his personal life anecdotes with the eager participants. His performance of the Professor's Nightmare was masterful, as was his 'Hanging Coins'.
Bob Chua adopted a more informal approach and entertained questions from the audience about his life as a professional magician. He also gave an impressive performance as he wowed the crowd with his sleight of hand skills during the break.
The student leaders (from St Joseph's Institution, Raffles Junior College and Xin Min Secondary school) chosen to run the workshop each performed a couple of effects on stage - all of them were nothing shy of Aces. It was truly humbling for me: it was almost a fleeting glimpse into the future as I watched the next generation of up and coming magicians at their best. Some of them made mistakes owing to the tremendous pressure and stress (for most, it was the first time that they had to perform under such conditions), but their quick thinking allowed them to extricate themselves out of the unexpected trouble. All carried themselves very well - with dignity and respect for the art and their audience.
Many thanks to SPH for giving us a chance to be a part of this amazing event - I hope we have in our own minor way contributed to the future of magic in this little corner of the world.
[ Enrico Varella and Bob Chua ]
[ Father and Son Team ]
[Students enmasse ]
Zao Bao "Comma" Magic Workshop
* Details *
VENUE: Singapore Press Holdings Auditorium
TIME: 1030 - 1600
COST: $10
(Includes lunch and a goodie bag with 2 effects)
Guest speakers:
 Enrico Varella
Vice President, International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 115, Enrico performs Close-Up Magic, Mind Reading, and Mega-Memory demonstrations. He is much sought after for his high-impact presentations at sales conventions, motivation, and teambuilding seminars.
He was the only local magician to be featured on MONDO MAGIC SINGAPORE, the high-profile AXN series. He dazzled a 'live' audience at Boat Quay with his '3 Silver Pieces' - an act that bagged him 3rd and 2nd places in the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 115 (Singapore) Stand-Up Magic Competition, in 2003 and 2005, respectively.
[ MORE ]
 Bob Chua
Professional Magician for over 30 years, Bob is widely travelled (Centre in the photo with Daryl and his wife) and has made his life in magic truly magical.
Presently a life member of the International Magicians Society, Bob stepped down as Vice-President of the Singapore Chapter in 1999 after two years of service. He was also a council member of the Society of American Magicians (Assembly 90) for the 1991-1993 and 1993-1995 terms. [ MORE ]
Zao Bao Comma is holding a special magic workshop as part of their campaign (in their paper anyway) to reach out to students and encourage them to read the Chinese paper. They have been showcasing different magic effects on their weekly column - mostly contributed by students - each week, usually the writeup includes teaching how the simple effect really works.
Registration can be done through their website (it's closed now I believe) and is eligible for all students. You can check out their website at the following address: [ http://www.zbcomma.sg ]
PROGRAMME:
1000h - 1030h: Registration
1030h - 1100h: Introduction to Magic by Enrico Varella
1100h - 1120h: Magic as a Professional by Bob Chua
Break for 10 mins
1130h - 1230h: Performances by student mentors from RJC/SJI
1230h - 1330h: Lunch
1330h - 1500h: Group Sessions
1500h - 1530h: Students performances
1530h - 1600h: Presentation of tokens of appreciation
1600h: End |
