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Kerala to promote magic tourism
Kochi: Inspired by the success of monsoon tourism, the Government of Kerala has now set its eyes on developing "Magic Tourism" to boost the earning capacity of magicians in the state. Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the State Government would hold a discussion with the Tourism Department and the Magic Academy of Kerala to explore possibilities of promoting magic tourism. ''Muthukad's magic helps root out superstition in society and it is a powerful tool in creating awareness among the public to lead a hygienic and healthy life,'' the minister said. Poet O N V Kurup appreciated Muthukad's magic as magic with a mission to save society from communalism, terrorism and other ills. His magic has also informed society about the legendary past of the state, he said. MLA M A Wahid called upon the Academy authorities to see that MARC would also benefit the street magicians in the state.
According to the academy authorities, MARC has been established with the aim of exploring the unexposed potentials and safeguarding the exposed capacities of magical art. Improving the quality of their performances, providing facilities to watch video and learn the most modern modes of presenting the latest illusions will be the other major objectives. Video CDs of magic shows will be brought out for the purpose. MARC will also produce a set of magic kits containing easy-to-do tricks for satisfying those children who have a burning quest for learning magic. Above all, according to the demand of cinema and television serial directors, there will be provision for conceiving, creating and supplying magic visuals. A dedicated team from MARC will assist the street magicians. Academy authorities have promised to provide ample opportunities for the effective exchange of ideas between street and stage magicians for sustaining some of the valuable tradition of magic routines.
The next project of the academy will be to create an asylum for rehabilitating aged and sick magicians of the country. MARC is the first step towards the realisation of the Magic Academy of Kerala's mammoth project of establishing a sophisticated international magic theatre at the KINFRA Park. Claimed to be the one of its kind in Asia, the MARC set up in 1.40 acre of land would have facilities for research and studies on the intriguing art of magic, Magic Academy Executive Director Gopinath Muthukad told reporters here. He said the Rs 2.5 crore project, which included an International Magic Theatre and an asylum for rehabilitating aged and sick magicians of the country, would be completed in two years. The MARC was established with the aim of exploring the unexposed potentials and safeguarding the already exposed capacities of the magical art. The other major objective of the MARC was to offer the native magician's economic means for improving the quality of their performances, he added.
Besides
this, facilities to watch video and learn about the most modern modes
of presenting the latest illusions would be made available, he said adding
there would also be provisions for conceiving, creating and supplying
of magic visuals according to the demand of cinema and TV serial directors.
The Centre would have a team dedicated to assist those street magicians,
who were forced to face adversitites in the days of soaring urbanisation,
he said and added that ample occassions would be provided for effective
exchange of ideas between street and stage magicians towards sustaining
some of the valuable traditional magic routines. KINFRA managing director
A Suresh Babu, KINFRA Film and Video Park chairman R Harikumar, Kerala
Sangeetha Natak Academy secretary Shrimoolanagaram Mohan, Magic Academy
director M Chandrasenan and other officials were present on the occasion.
-Sept
19, 2006
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