Street Art is Magic
For over 12 years I have co-produced a night of Magic for the public. It’s called Midweek Magic and it takes place on the second Wednesday of every month in The Black Box in Belfast. I say co-produced because this is about my co-producer Adam Turkington and his amazing company Seedhead Arts.
Adam is brilliant. A cool guy and cares passionately about his home city of Belfast. He cares greatly for performers and artists and in creating meaningful, positive change in society. As Adam says ‘We want to help change Belfast, NI and the world through Street Art, Cabaret, Magic, Philosophy, Politics, Training, shouting about stuff & whatever else creative stuff you got.’
On Sunday past I went on Seedhead Arts Street Art Walking Tour. You should go, yes…YOU! The tour brings the streets alive in an almost magical way. I can’t and won’t walk or drive past the Art now without noticing. Noticing the hard work, the world class skill, the coolness and the beauty of it all. It feels like Belfast city is actually alive and breathing to me now, I see it and hear it and feel it.
From a Magic point of view I came away with a sense of how these artists are not only unafraid of change and moving forward, they are constantly moving forward. Adapting, evolving and creating something new. This is what Magic needs and I think that all the best magicians focus on moving forward and adapting. Magic, like some other fringe forms of entertainment can still hold on to the past, and protect it jealously, out of fear, it seems to me. Perhaps fear of losing something special. However, if the world of Magic embraces change while carrying the spirit of the past along with it, then it can only be a good thing.
I love how good Magic can be a reminder of how to see the world in a different light, to experience the strange and even the weird and different and ultimately to experience wonder. I left the street art tour with a feeling of a wonder and even awe. You must go. It’s a great way to spend 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon.
Check out Seedhead Arts and book your tickets, you won’t regret it.
-Caolan x
