Magic in the Maritimes

What started 40 years ago as a basement club called Conjurers Court has now taken shape as the Halifax Magic Festival. 

The one-day festival took place on Sept. 19 at the Sanctuary Arts Centre in Dartmouth, N.S., inviting magicians and artists from all over Atlantic Canada to showcase their work through live performances. 

Bill Wood, the festival’s organizer and magician, says that while the TV show Penn & Teller: Fool Us and TikTok magicians are popular, he believes that in-person is the best way to see magic tricks.

“You’ve got to be in the room. You’ve got to literally be blown away by a deck of cards right in front of you, by three objects that you can literally touch with your own hands,” he says. “There’s nothing like live magic.” 

Wood created the festival to give performers a platform to perform magic in a local space, choosing magicians who bring diverse magical acts to the festival. 

The festival is said to have “the finest magic on the East Coast of Canada,” says Wood. 

Robin Sheikh, a mentalist and mind-reader, gave chocolate readings to festival-goers. After a participant took a bite out of a piece of chocolate of their choosing, she’d evaluate them and tell them true things about their current, past and present life. 

Sheikh says she got into mentalism because she connects with people on an interpersonal level. Her husband, Tabraze Sheikh, also performed at the festival alongside her.

Originally from Saint John, N.B., the couple formed their magic duo after realizing they had a shared love for performance.

“We were high school sweethearts, and he walked into my classroom and was performing magic, and I was like, ‘I like that. I want to do that with him,’” says Robin.

Tabraze says the couple is best known for their second-sight act where a blindfolded Robin can tell what objects audience members are holding in their hands, followed by a bit about themselves. 

Vincenzo Ravina, a Halifax-based wizard who performed at the festival, says he wants audiences to feel immersed in his shows.

“When people come to one of my shows, I want to bring them into a world where magic is real,” he says. “I love that feeling of mystery, and I wanted to learn how to do it and share that feeling with others.” 

A graduate of the University of King’s College’s journalism program, Ravina wanted to express his love for writing and creativity in a way that isn’t associated with journalism.

“I realized that I could write magic shows, I could tell stories through magic, and I could also do animation and filmmaking, stop motion and put it on a screen in the back during the show,” says Ravina. 

The festival’s activities lasted all day, including an evening show where magicians were spread around the space giving small, intimate performances for audiences to enjoy. 

“There’s a very important place for non-professional performers making the art of magic better every day,” says Wood.