Belgian magician Maxime Mandrake is launching a veritable wizardry academy in Brussels.
Abracadabra! We’ve all said it at some point in our lives, dreaming of becoming a witch or a wizard. The now 26-year-old illusionist Maxime Mandrake, whose real name is Maxime Masset, has partnered up with the Tour & Taxis-based museum World of Mind to teach aspiring magicians ages 10 and up how to perform illusions and sleight of hand.
Mandrake has divided his academy into three different groups depending on the level of the pupils (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and aims to instil in them the “spirit of magic”. In other words, he wants to take his pupils beyond just pulling tricks. They will also learn about spectators’ psychology and how to keep an audience captive.
Did you know that Maxime Mandrake won several medals at the World Performing Arts Championships in Los Angeles in 2023?
