Akash writes:

‘My name is Akash and I am a 13 year old magician who has been performing for 6 months.

I have already performed at 2 weddings, a reception, and a youth summer fair. I will be performing on in December at a Children’s party.  I would love to go further in magic and even have a career in magic, but I believe for that to happen I would need sponsorship as a magician.’

We think it’s awesome that you are being so proactive getting out there and performing after just 6 months of learning magic. So many kids learn magic and just show it to their friends and family. This motivation to start performing will really help you gain valuable experience that you could never learn just from magic DVDs and books. Keep it up!

The good news, is that you don’t need sponsorship at all. You really only need two things to be successful as a professional magician:

The commitment to practice and create a good commercial set of routines.
Here’s a magic secret: One of the best things about learning magic, is that it’s all about your time, not your pocket. You can’t buy yourself into being a great magician. Yes, there are magic shops full of the latest magic tricks, and some of these can be very expensive. But you don’t need any of them to be brilliant. You can create a stunning professional magic act with just a few everyday objects around your house. In fact, as Max Maven demonstrated in his excellent mentalism tutorial Nothing, you don’t need anything at all, just your voice

Now that’s not to say that learning magic is cheap, it’s actually very expensive in another way..

 

Your time!

Learning to master your magic takes time, and lots of it. You need to commit to regular practice every day. For you, times not as much of a problem.  Compared to older magicians, you have years ahead of you to practice and perform, and you will still be younger than most magicians who have yet to take their first jump into performing for the public.

Once you get going with an act that doesn’t use expensive props and gimmicks, you will be bringing in a fee for your performances that you can spend on introducing a few more pricey props into the mix.

The ambition to market your magic directly.

This one is far harder to master than being limited by your income. But Akash, you are already there! Just the fact that you have contacted a business to ask for sponsorship as a magician, is more than most of the people, that are practicing magic, will ever do.

The bit that’s missing from most magic trick instructions, is how to find an audience for the magic trick you are learning. It’s crazy in a way, as that’s just as important as the method of the trick. So many people are learning with no audience, or a plan on how to get one.

But you sir, are doing it right!

You understand that you need to get out there and ask for sponsorship and work. Not from magic shops, but from local companies and organisations that may book you.

In the history of the world,  it’s never been easier for anyone to contact companies and get their message to the people that make the decisions. There really isn’t anything stopping you from sending out your details to a few companies EVERY DAY.

Contact some entertainment agent’s and introduce yourself. They may use you for some events where you fit the brief the client is looking for. More importantly, you start a relationship with them, they have you on file, and in the future, you can remind them that you approached them when you were 13. That’s enough to make them take the time to watch your show reel, if anything, just to see how you have come on since then.

 

Don’t worry about your age working against you. 

Yes, it’s a disadvantage in some ways, but not a permanent one, I can assure you sadly. But you also have an amazing advantage. If your magic is good and your presentation professional, you are good PR for a company to give you sponsorship as a magician. Having you perform at their event, is a great topic for press releases and a story angle for the journalists covering the event. Make sure you point that out subtly when you pitch to them for work. When you do your charity gig, make sure you look for any reporting that has taken place that mentions you. Cuttings like this can show a prospective company, how your magic is not only entertaining, but also has human interest of an up and coming magician.

 

Don’t forget to study
You know you want to succeed as a magician, but remember that it’s vital that you focus on your school studies too. You need to keep as many doors open in your future as  you possibly can, so magic study is no replacement to school work.

Keep it up Akash, as your attitude makes us think you will definitely be one to watch in the future!

Go you have any advice for performers hoping to get sponsorship as a magician? Please leave a comment below.