Hi all,

I've been asked to give a short presentation to my local Ring about volunteering in a few weeks and wanted to ask this group for your thoughts. I perform close-up exclusively as a volunteer in a hospital and several museums. They're very different shows, as you might imagine. The hospital gig is walk-around for staff and patients (mostly adults), short, and includes balloon twisting. The museum gigs are focused on environmental conservation and can last up to about 25 minutes for each visitor. I'm usually in the museum for 3-4 hours. Audiences there range from kids to retirees, and I may perform for upwards of 150 people or more on a really busy day.

All told, I'm performing over 60 shows a year as a volunteer. I never had an interest in the business side of having to advertise, etc. I do exactly the kind of tricks I want on a flexible schedule, which is important given the needs of my full-time profession. And I never developed the skill to do platform or stage shows. I volunteer because I like how magic can help patients and hospital staff and inspire wonder in our world, and we all know the personal rush we get from watching our audiences really have that "Wow!" moment. I support these two causes for different reasons and am happy contributing to them without the need to get paid.

So, question, are you a long-time volunteer? Where and why?

And do you have any good tips? I'll offer one for anyone interested in performing close-up in museums: Unless you're performing at a special event, forget walk-around. People are busy and have a list of their must-sees. Plus they probably have five other museums they want to visit. Some people will be interested when you approach them, but most won't. Instead, get a table and set it up where people can walk around you, but you're still in the middle of the gallery so you have foot traffic and visibility. Many museums have activity carts for docents and staff; use one. Anyone who stops by your space is subconsciously giving you their time. You'll be able to tell pretty quickly based on your opener if they have the interest in staying or if they want to continue on. And keep the focus on the museum's messages. The table also gives you more space to hold props and work from.

Thanks in advance for all of your ideas!

This sounds crazy to me. They aren't there to see a magic show, you are just a little something extra. 25 minutes? Crazy. I can belive the museum is fine with that?

The museum has been fine with it for the past 18 years, yes. The important thing is to keep visitors focused on the museum's messages and walking away with a memorable and positive experience. I hit those marks, and the museum is happy.

To clarify for others who might be interested in this kind of museum theater, I don't perform that long for everyone. I have to gauge how interested visitors are and how anxious they are to move on to the T. Rex. I share one of two short openers that give me a good idea of their enthusiasm level, and I have one short closer. The rest depends on them. For special events with a lot of activities happening around the museum, I keep my set to about 10 minutes to ensure people can visit everything.