A school where the classwork includes escapology and the big exam is a magic contest sounds like fiction, but it’s real in Cape Town. The College of Magic is Africa’s only school for young stage magicians, and roughly 190 students ages 10 to 18 spend their Saturdays learning magic, juggling, puppetry, mime and escapology. What started in 1980 as an illegal multiracial classroom under apartheid has become a beloved institution that brings together kids from vastly different racial and economic backgrounds. About 80% of students can’t afford the six-year course fee, so private donations help keep them enrolled.
The benefits go well beyond a good card trick. Research shows magic training can boost children’s self-esteem, curiosity, creativity and problem-solving skills, which matters a lot in communities hit hard by crime and inequality. Founder David Gore says the goal is magic that makes people smile and takes the stress away.
The proof is in the students. Eleven-year-old Lubelo Mthenjana recently won first place in his age group at the school’s junior magic contest, with his mom in the crowd cheering him on. Escape tricks aside, nobody’s escaping the confidence those kids are building. Would you have signed up for magic school at ten years old?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.