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| Magic Me | |
|---|---|
| Name | Magic Me |
| Formation | 1984 |
| Type | Charity |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Leader title | Director |
Magic Me
Magic Me is a London-based arts charity focused on intergenerational arts projects that bring older and younger people together through participatory performance, visual arts, and digital media. Founded in the 1980s, the organisation develops residency programmes, community-led workshops, and public exhibitions that intersect with social care, cultural venues, and educational institutions. Its work has engaged audiences across boroughs such as Tower Hamlets, Hackney, and Southwark, collaborating with theatres, museums, and health providers to respond to social isolation, cultural access, and lifelong creativity.
Magic Me was established in 1984 during a period of expansion in UK community arts alongside initiatives such as Community Arts Network-era projects and local authority cultural strategies. Early activity connected with outreach models practiced by organisations like Arts Council England-funded ensembles and community theatre companies working in East London, drawing influence from practitioners in participatory dance and visual arts linked to venues such as Barbican Centre and Rich Mix. During the 1990s the organisation expanded residency work in care settings, aligning temporally with public health debates in the National Health Service and social policy shifts introduced by legislation like the Care Act 2014 precursor discourses. In the 2000s and 2010s Magic Me consolidated partnerships with cultural institutions including National Theatre, Southbank Centre, and borough arts services, while contributing to sector conversations at conferences hosted by bodies like Cultural Learning Alliance and London Funders.
Magic Me delivers a portfolio of programmes that bridge older adults in care homes and younger people from schools, youth clubs, and early years settings. Core activities include intergenerational workshops in music, storytelling, textile arts, and digital storytelling, delivered as short residencies or long-term projects co-created with partners such as Museum of London, Tate Modern, and local family hubs. The charity runs outreach strands tailored to care home contexts informed by practice from organisations like Alzheimer's Society and arts-in-health frameworks advocated by Arts Council England. Educational collaborations draw on curriculum links promoted by Department for Education policy and engage teachers from state-funded academies, local authority schools, and independent schools across boroughs including Lewisham and Islington. Programmes also include public-facing performances at community festivals alongside participatory installations in venues such as Tricycle Theatre and Greenwich Theatre.
Impact evaluation for Magic Me's projects has employed mixed methods including participant observation, qualitative interviews with residents and youth participants, and outcome measures adapted from health-evidence frameworks used by NHS England and social care researchers at universities like University College London and King's College London. Evaluations report outcomes in reduced social isolation, increased confidence among children and older adults, and cross-generational knowledge exchange, echoing findings in sector reports by Age UK and research published through What Works Centre for Wellbeing. The organisation has presented evaluation findings at conferences organized by International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies and in partnership workshops with public health bodies in City of London boroughs. Case studies highlight sustained relationships with individual care homes and schools, demonstrating longitudinal benefits comparable to studies conducted by researchers at University of the Arts London.
Operational funding for Magic Me has combined grants, donations, and earned income from ticketed events and commissioned projects, mirroring funding mixes common among arts charities supported by Arts Council England, local authority cultural funds, and charitable trusts such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. Governance is provided by a board of trustees drawn from the cultural, social care, and academic sectors, reflecting governance practice recommended by Charity Commission for England and Wales. Financial oversight has been aligned with reporting standards used by leading UK arts organisations and audited accounts filed in accordance with regulatory expectations for registered charities.
Magic Me has collaborated with a wide range of institutions in the cultural and care sectors. Notable collaborators include National Theatre, Southbank Centre, Tate Modern, Museum of London Docklands, and health partners such as Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and local clinical commissioning groups. Education sector partners span local authorities and schools, while funders and advocacy networks include Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and London Community Foundation. It has joined sector coalitions and networks alongside organisations like Age UK, Creative Aging UK, and university research centres at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Notable projects have included long-term residences in care homes producing performances and exhibitions in partnership with venues such as Rich Mix and Southbank Centre, co-created intergenerational commissions with Tate Modern educational teams, and community festivals in boroughs including Tower Hamlets and Lewisham. The organisation's achievements have been recognised through sector awards and commendations from bodies linked to cultural participation and community engagement, and project evaluations have been cited in policy briefings by organisations like Cultural Learning Alliance and Age UK. Recipients of project commissions and collaborators have included well-known artists and practitioners from theatre and visual arts networks across London and the wider United Kingdom.
Category:Arts charities based in London