The Ipswich Magical Society Convention 2007


Details

When	Sunday October 21st 2007
Where	The Corn Exchange, Ipswich, see map
How Much	£25 (Includes free ticket to the Gala Show)
Gala Show	Additional Gala Show tickets are £10 Adults, £5 Children
Details	During the day the doors will be open to magicians only who will be able to browse the many dealer tables, see the arranged lectures and watched the close up sessions. The evening show is open to the general public, and looking at the line up it promises to be even more successful than last years sell out show.
Where to Eat	There will be numerous restaurants, fast food havens and sandwhich bars open on the day in the immediate vicinity of the convention. To name a few there is the Mizu noodle bar (highly recommended), Burger king and MacDonalds, plus Marks and Spencers which will be selling sadwiches.
Where to Park	Like any big town nowadays parking in the town centre can be a real headache. Which is why we have made a deal with the local authorities, and have a number of cheap (£1 all day) parking vouchers available. All you need to do when you book, is to specify you want a voucher, and let me know if your vehicle is over 2m high.
Contact	Registration Officer. Simon Shaw 3 Kingshall Street, Rougham, Bury St Edmunds, IP30 9LH Phone: 01359 270876 Mobile: 0794 9907 426 email: imsconvention @ bananafish.org.uk
Poster	Click Here to see the Advertsing Poster


The Day

	Doors Open	09:45
	Official Opening	10:00-10:15
	Lecture: Dave Allen (Little People, Big Business)	10.30-11:30
	Star Lecture: Juliana Chen	12:00-13:00
	Lunch	13.00-14:15
	Close up Sessions	14.15-15:15
	Lecture: Chris Power	16.00-17:15
	Last Chance with the Dealers	17:15-17:30
	Evening Show. Curtain Up	19:15


The Close Up Session (14:00-15:00)

	Matthew J. Dowden (Party Animal)
	Chris Power
	Michael J. Fitch
	TBA


The Evening Show

	Peter Holloway, Compere
	Magic Dave (Dave Allen)
	Oliver Tabor (Dove Act)
	The Incredible Crisco
	Juliana Chen
	Interval
	Michael J. Fitch (as Freaky Magic's Chav character)
	Graham P. Jolley
	Chris North's Rock Magic


The Dealers

	Alakazam
	Camtryx
	The Card Collection
	Big Blind Media
	The Magicians Cave
	The Magic Attic
	Barrie's Magic
	Zane
	World Magic Shop


	More dealers to be confirmed

Juliana Chen is regarded by many as the first lady of Magic and is the only woman in history to win the World Championship of Magic.

Juliana Chen was born and raised in the Hunan Province of the People's Republic of China. Her parents were proud when, at 10 years of age, she was selected for specialized training at the Hunan Academy for the Performing Arts.

At first she was trained in ballet, then later she moved on to acrobatics and juggling. As a teenager, she toured internationally with the famous Gungzhou Acrobatic Troupe. After a couple of accidents which injured the same leg, she was advised by doctors to give up foot juggling. The Gungzhou's troupe manager encouraged Juliana to develop as a magician. Secretly, she began practising her skill with cards and ping-pong balls, the easiest props for her to find at the time. Her physician told her she'd be in wheel chair before she turned 30 years old if she had carried on with the foot juggling. The choice must have been easy for here.

The ambidexterous Juliana had the ability, ambition and determination to succeed. Some four years later in 1986, she was recognized as the best magician in China when she won the All-China Best Magician competition.

In 1988, she left China for Vancouver, Canada. Two years later Juliana met a friend who introduced her to the local magic stores and The Vancouver Magic Circle, the largest magical society in Canada. Two years later, after winning a major international award in Salt Lake City, Juliana sold her graphics business to concentrate on her career as a magician.

Over the next four years, she won numerous magic competitions in Europe. Then in 1997, Juliana won the world title for Manipulation (sleight-of-hand) at The World Congress of Magicians in Dresden, Germany. Juliana became the first woman, and first magician of Chinese heritage, to a world title for a solo act in the 50-year history of The World Congress of Magicians. She was now The World's First Lady of Magic.

On her return to North America, she was featured on the cover of MAGIC magazine and included in The World's Greatest Magic IV, an NBC-TV special which is still seen in different countries around the world, A year later, Canada's leading TV current affairs program, The Fifth Estate, featured Juliana in a 12-minute profile. They called her "The hottest new magician around." That same year, ABC Television featured Juliana in a special called Champions of Magic hosted by Princess Stephanie of Monaco.

At the request of NHK Television, Japan's public broadcaster, Juliana was invited back to the 2000 World Congress of Magic in Lisbon as a guest performer. Two days later in Buffalo, New York, eleven hundred magicians gave her a standing ovation at the annual convention of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

In the fall of 2002, Juliana moved to Las Vegas to take her career to the next level. That October, she was awarded the Chavez Memorial Cup. She was recognized for her professional excellence by the Chavez Committee of the Society of American Magicians' Hall of Fame and Museum in Hollywood. The award was established in the memory of Ben and Marion Chavez founders of the world-famous Chavez Studio of Magic which trained some of the world's leading magicians.

In the Spring of 2003, Juliana was nominated for Stage Magician Of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood. That summer Juliana was the subject of a four-page cover story in Saturday Night, Canada's oldest-established magazine. She became the first Canadian magician to be featured on the cover of a national magazine since the late Doug Henning in the mid-seventies.

Since winning the world championship, Juliana's career has blossomed around the world particularly in Europe, Asia and the USA. She has played traditional variety theatres like the London Palladium and the Princess Grace Theatre in Monte Carlo, Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Tiger Palast in Frankfurt, NHK theatre in Japan, and the Berlin Wintergarten.

www.julianachen.com/

Graham P. Jolley is an extremely engaging mind-reader, psychologist, entertainer, cabaret artiste and conference speaker with a stream of TV credits and a flair for keeping audiences enthralled.

As a corporate after dinner speaker, a private party entertainer or in open forum at a conference, his mind-reading ability baffles every audience he meets and gains their instant respect.

Graham P. Jolley is the most outstanding mind reader of his generation. He presents an unforgettable event with no parallel in show business. And what's more he's very funny.

An evening with Graham P Jolley is an exciting demonstration of the power of the mind. He will read your mind, predict your holiday destination and with whom. He will analyse your handwriting, make a wine glass shatter with your mental energy, make a table levitate, and reveal a freely selected name and telephone number in a directory. Throughout the performance the emphasis is on humour and audience participation in the best possible taste.
www.mindreader.co.uk/

This will be the last chance to see the Amazing Chris North and Belinda perform their stunning Rock Illusion Show which has had great reviews whenever it has been performed.

It has been my goal to get Chris and Belinda to perform at one of our conventions for some time now so it really is with great pleasure that they are included in the line up this year.

Also we haven't had an illusion act for some time so as we have moved to a bigger venue it seems right and fitting to see ROCK MAGIC.

www.rockmagic.co.uk

Chris Power is considered by many to be one of the finest sleight of hand magicians performing today.

He has an international reputation as a magician and has worked all over the world, both live and on television, including seasons at the prestigious Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood. His combination of dry humour and magic expertise have earned him many awards including the coveted Close-up Magician of the Year from The Magic Circle in London and he is a winner of the highly regarded International Magic Close-up Award. He is also co-publisher of the cult magic magazine 'Opus'.

www.opusmagazine.co.uk

"When I saw his show this year he was staggeringly entertaining. Chris has a genuine talent for mixing humour with jaw-dropping sleight of hand. "

Simon Singh, Author of Fermat's Last Theorem and The Code Book

"I met Chris Power, he looks like a young Robbie Coltrane. Only better looking. He stands out from the Vegas glitz surrounding us and as we talk I get the feeling that whatever Chris does, he is very good at it. "

Sunday Independent Magazine, Article by Glen David Gold (Author of 'Carter Beats the Devil'

Matthew J. Dowden is a professional Close up Magician who recently through Alakazam brought out his first Magic DVD. Namely Party Animal. Watching Matthew work is a real pleasure and I am sure he will be one of the highlights of the day.

He quickly puts his audience at ease with his charming and everso slightly flirty "Sean Conneryesque" manner.

The Party Animal DVD has been reviewed very highlty by the likes of Doc Eason, Joshua Jay and David Acer (to name just a few).

I suspect we will be seeing a lot more of this brilliant young magician in the future.

Matthew J. Dowden

Dave Allen will be presenting his aclaimed children's lecture "Little People, Big Business" and performing his award winning children's act in the evening gala show.

Some of his many awards include,
United Kingdom's Children's Entertainer Of The Year 2004
W.A.M Stage Magician Of The Year 2005
International Brotherhood of Magicians, Best Magical Comedy Act 2005
W.A.M Children's Entertainer Of The Year 2006/07

Michael is an award winning Magician and Entertainer, who began performing magic at the age of four and has dedicated his life to perfecting the art of illusion. He has performed professionally since his secondary school days and has held audiences spell bound for many years.

His close-up magic has led him to some high profile corporate engagements all over the country as well as abroad. Most recently he was winner of the 2007 UK Children's Entertainer of the Year, and he is the current holder of the Ipswich Magical Society Close up Competition (The Magini Shield).

Michael is also one of the for stars in Channel 4’s Brilliant and innovative “Freaky Magic”. Infact it will be his Chav character from Freaky Magic that we will be entertained by Evening Gala Show.

In short Michael J. Fitch is one of Britain’s most exciting magicians.

Oliver's career started in the worlds oldest family run magic shop, Davenports in London, working as a demonstator.

His magic act combines violins, music and doves, which has taken him to Spain, performing in the House of Illusion, in Salou, appeared for a 10 week season in 'Late Night Magic' at the Jermyn Steet Theatre in Londons West End and touring around various theatres, hotels and cabaret venues around the country.

More recently, he is now performing aboard cruise ships, and currently appearing in 'The Magical World of Variety' at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne.

He also produces his own show 'Magic at the Barn', an annual sell out show, now into its third year which is held during the summer, near Southend in Essex.

Chris Cox, or The Incredible Crisco as he is better known is one of the unsung heroes of Comedy Magic.

He has been a full-time professional comedy entertainer for fifty years, with all the vast experience that that implies. His unique character of the zany old eccentric is timeless and his speed of delivery combined with his talent for genuine ad-libbing, makes this constantly updated act ready for this millennium and beyond!

An experienced comedy entertainer, with his comical Herbert the Duck, artistic balloon sculpting, juggling, zany close-up work etc.

His various stage personas - including Major Worsley, all include a large number of fast visual often original gags and tricks which have no language barriers. Which explains him having worked on every continent. Thirty eight countries in all - he can truly be described as an international act.

With over eighty thousand shows, to every conceivable type of audience at every possible type of venue including television, film, theatre, cruising, cabaret, open air, promotions etc., you name it 'CRISCO' has almost certainly done it.

His fertile mind is constantly thinking of fresh comedy and off-beat situations and ideas which have resulted in numerous newspaper, magazine articles and television shows.

Compere for the evening will be comedian and magician, Peter Holloway

If you are from the East Anglian area then it is likely that you will have seen Peter perform, so you will know what a treat you are in for.

I personally have seen Peter perform on several occasions, in his capacity as both a magician and a comedian and I can honestly say he is one of the most entertaining men I know.