Magic For Smiles
Jamie Jibberish
Humanitarian Magician
COVID 19 update:
Due to COVID-19, for the safety of all concerned, we have paused our live shows and tuition and are currently focusing on online tuition and virtual shows.
Bring smiles to refugee children – through magic!
Donate to Magic for Smiles:
What a brilliant idea – Jamie uses magic to both entertain and support children who’ve lived through the most difficult times. I thoroughly enjoyed his show when I saw it recently. I loved his magic but even more I loved his mission – he deserves our support.
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, former UK Home Secretary and Member of Parliament.
Magic for Smiles occupies a unique niche in the magic community. In the context of refugees and other deprived children in the Middle East Jamie as a humanitarian magician is right to focus on how these often traumatised children can benefit from the new experience of magic shows and tuition to improve their lives. I very much welcome the progress and support of this wonderful initiative.
Oliver Tabor, President-Elect, International Brotherhood of Magicians
From an academic perspective, Magic for Smiles (MFS) is a highly unusual and exciting initiative for psychosocial support and therefore enhanced wellbeing. The focus on vulnerable children, mostly refugees in the Middle East, provides a further added value. We look forward to seeing how we can work with MFS to further our understanding of the relationship between magic and wellbeing.
Dr Gustav Kuhn, Magic Lab, Goldsmiths University, UK
Announcements
Quiznight 1930 UK time 17 June – for UK Refugee Week
All welcome only 1 ticket per household – even if like me you are hopeless at quizzes, it promises to be a fun night. Interrupt the Routine have kindly volunteered to host the event and drum up the diverse lot of questions. This is part of UK Refugee Week 14-20 June.
Magic Shows for
Children Of War
Watch the 60 second documentary
Book Magic For Smiles
Magic For Smiles
Spreading happiness and wellbeing for refugees and other vulnerable children in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and beyond.
The purpose of Magic for Smiles (MFS) is to establish and support magic as a tool to enhance the wellbeing of vulnerable children. To this end, MFS offers magic performance and tuition. We work with Jamie Jibberish, a humanitarian magician. He performs and teaches magic for and with refugee and other vulnerable children in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and elsewhere. In addition, he does some private shows and talks designed to fundraise to subsidize the humanitarian work. Please use Magic for Smiles services to help spread smiles, happiness and wellbeing among these children.
Latest News
Magic Activities
Humanitarian Shows
Magic for Smiles is an initiative for refugees and other vulnerable children in Lebanon and neighbouring refugee-hosting countries like Jordan and Turkey. Primarily it is about spreading smiles, happiness and wellbeing by making short or longer-term impact on the lives of vulnerable and traumatised children. The project as a whole promotes the use of magic for psychosocial support as well as entertainment.
Magic Tuition
Select children of 11-13 years who are keen to learn and perform, and who would benefit especially from improved self-esteem and self-confidence through performing fun magic. They would possess something unique to themselves! Numbers have to be limited to groups of 12 and normally two staff members from the partner organisation are also pre-trained to help with training and follow up.
“By focusing on the beneficial aspects of magic – including tuition – Magic for Smiles through Jamie Jibberish offers exciting improvement in the lives of refugee and other vulnerable children in the Middle East” says Gary James, Headmaster of Edinburgh Magic School, Scotland.
Fundraising – Private Parties & Public Events
Host a fundraising event or hire Jamie Jibberish for a private or public magic show. Great fun for everyone of all ages. Please contact us with your requirements.
Recent Reviews
Humanitarian Shows
City of Sanctuary UK
Magic for Smiles brought a real sense of warmth and entertainment to City of Sanctuary’s Funday Friday, an online support group for people seeking sanctuary and others who are isolated during the Covid pandemic. The show came across really well and Zoom was no barrier. Jamie’s show is very engaging and included the kids in some of the tricks which left them feeling special and honored. It is an all-inclusive, easy to watch and requires no particular language skill to participate. The feedback from the families was really positive, with key members bringing others along for the second show we had knowing how good the first was! We will definitively be inviting Jamie back for some more magic!
CARE Jordan – tuition sessions
Magic for Smiles sessions were conducted to children groups [in Jordan] from Amman, Irbid, Mafraq, Zarqa and Azraq via Zoom, each group consisted of 20 children, and each group received 2 sessions for one hour and half long to learn 8 tricks. The sessions were interactive as the trainer implemented each trick in detail so children learn how to do the tricks and asked each child to do the trick themselves and provided them with feedback and support. The kids enjoyed the tricks very much and they sent their photos and videos while doing the magic tricks. The following are some quotes received by the kids:
“I participated in magic sessions. I was always curious about learning magic after the sessions I learned how magic works and now I myself do magic tricks to my friends. I am so glad and pleased to get to know magic and I thank the trainer and Care organization for this opportunity”. Jafar, 11 years old boy lives in Azraq city.
“I used to see people on TV do magic tricks and I was always amazed and curious to learn how they do it. Till I participated in magic sessions and it is so satisfying to do the tricks that I learned and I still would like to learn more”. Hamza 12 years old boy from Azraq city.
Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees
Bridges for Communities
Jamie put on a great show which was watched by around 20 families from Arabic speaking backgrounds. It was great that he was able to use both English and Arabic, making it more accessible for the families who were new to Bristol and didn’t have much English. He kept it engaging and interactive, the kids loved the music and dancing in between the tricks! It’s great that families could watch together, and parents interact with their kids as they watch. A real treat, thank you Jamie! We hope to meet you in person one day!
Joint Christian Committee, Sabra, Lebanon
We have the pleasure to thank you for your show (for Syrian kids 5-12 years in age) and want to say that either online or live it brings smiles to our children. They were very impressed with the show especially the cards, grapefruit and needle through balloon. They were surprised seeing the show as it was the first time they saw magic and a magician. They also liked how they participated in the tricks. We want to say thank you for your effort and we appreciate your show because it makes our children feel happy.
Hen party Oxfordshire
What a wonderful live magic show! I had no idea how an online magic show would work, but everything was clearly live and in front of our eyes. We were captivated and surprised by the tricks and turns, and we were able to participate in the tricks. Jamie turned the mirrored screen movements into part of the humour of the trick and made us laugh. Really cheered me up during these dark lockdown evenings. Thank you so much. Highly recommended. (Comment 1)
Great show for a virtual Hen do! Really enjoyed it. It was a real performance – magic, music, lighthearted and witty. It really made the occasion special. (Comment 2)
Magic Tuition
Lucie Venard – Yalla
Jamie presented 3 magic shows for the children of Yalla! Pour les Enfants school in Aley and students of Aley First public school. He adapted the shows to fit different age groups from 5 to 14 year old and all children were delighted by the fun, great magic! With very simple material he was able to surprise them, make them laugh and cry from excitement.
He also ran two magic teaching sessions separated by age, initiating them to nice tricks with simple materials. Thank you Jamie for these wonderful moments you offered the children!
Fundraising - Private Parties & Public Events
Great show for a virtual Hen do!
Great show for a virtual Hen do! Really enjoyed it. It was a real performance – magic, music, lighthearted and witty. It really made the occasion special.
Hen party Oxfordshire
What a wonderful live magic show! I had no idea how an online magic show would work, but everything was clearly live and in front of our eyes. We were captivated and surprised by the tricks and turns, and we were able to participate in the tricks. Jamie turned the mirrored screen movements into part of the humour of the trick and made us laugh. Really cheered me up during these dark lockdown evenings. Thank you so much. Highly recommended. (Comment 1)
Great show for a virtual Hen do! Really enjoyed it. It was a real performance – magic, music, lighthearted and witty. It really made the occasion special. (Comment 2)
Nada Safsouf – MAGICAL
MAGICAL offers a variety of packages for all your events including Birthdays parties, gatherings, Halloween parties and themed events. Last week there were a birthday and Jamie came and did a magic show and the children (about 20 kids) liked the show so much.
Martin Lauder – parent
A crowd of very excited 4 year-olds were spellbound for the entire half hour, and all clamouring to participate in the act. The show was thought provoking for the kids and Jamie was great at getting them involved. A wholehearted recommendation to other parents.
William Dobson – Aaliya’s Books
Jamie did a wonderful show at Aaliya’s Books in Beirut. A great range of tricks with fun and memorable presentation for both children and adults alike. Highly recommended
Badaro Festival organiser
The first time I saw Him, i thought, he’s too serious to be a magician. Then, I checked his Facebook page and saw some beautiful photos showing kids reactions. BUT, seeing his live show at Badaro Magical Christmas…. that was amazing! Behind that serious look, there’s a wonderful personality that catches the attention of all ages audience. Jamie … the Humanitarian Magician.
Bookings & Enquiries
For all enquiries, please contact us at hello@magicforsmiles.com. Thank you.