Joining Mach5, whether you’re a magician or a non-magician, an individual or a corporate entity, means that you’re each playing your part in an exceptional project to bring magic to the general public.
It means benefiting from the shared aura of a project never before undertaken in France on this scale, aimed at the general public.
You’ll be immersed in a vast artistic revival, with resources and tools never before available to this art form.
It means enriching yourself by enriching others.

Magic « Arts Culture Humanism » 5

“5” is a series of winks.  Skill of hands require a high dexterity. Fingers are originally called “digit”  ( Latin root).
Because mankind has used its fingers to count: “digit” also means “number” by extension. So “5” is a beautiful synthesis of our five fingers and the mystery of numbers.

“MAGIC” has five letters as well as DIGIT. “Magic Arts Culture Humanisme” has twenty-five letters, or 5 x 5. “MACH 5” has five glyphs. MACH 5 will welcome five types of members: / Magicians / Non-Magicians (Muggles) / Companies / Associations – Clubs / Institutions/.

While “Arts” and “Culture” are identical in English and French, “Magic” sounds better than “magie”, where the last syllable is turned off. “Magic” is reminiscent of “Magique”. As for Humanisme, the word can be understood in both languages and the choice was made to end on a French word.

Finally, although the association is French, it aims to be open to the world and already to Europe, so let’s be crazy and mix the beautiful language of Molière with that of today’s global linguistic vehicle.

In France, we can estimate the number of people interested in magic at almost :
– 4,000 regular practitioners (the Fédération Française des Artistes Prestidigitateurs groups together 1/3 of them),
– 40,000 occasional performers (figure based on customers of magic merchants)
– 40 million sympathisers (a figure derived from surveys of a sample of the population to whom a trick is presented), i.e. more than half the French population!
You only have to look at the enthusiasm generated by magic shows to understand the considerable interest people have in this great art form, often called the “Queen of the Arts” because it combines so many disciplines.
The Palais de la Magie is destined to become the essential hub for these 40 million people, and what’s more, it will have a European and even global reach.

Because in each of us lies a child’s soul waiting for the marvellous; for that which has no boundaries or constraints.
Because human genius also expresses itself in incredible tricks whose mysteries are as captivating as their artistic form.
Jean Cocteau captured this so well:

“Men of a thousand hands, I salute you. Aren’t you representative of this time and space that blend together to deceive us and set their countless walls against us? Men of a thousand hands, what you make believe is more real than reality, which is a dream.
For in this game you play the role of fate and mystery. Your lies amaze us more than our poor truth. Men of a thousand hands, I hope that your art will live on, because it addresses the best that the world has to offer: childhood.”
Jean Cocteau

Yes, although we are only at the beginning of the great adventure, the fairies are bending over the cradle. Prepare for Mach5 in the college of associations and clubs:
The Magic Circle in London
The Royal Club of Magicians of Brussels
The Club de Illusionistas Profesionnales (CIP – Madrid)
Assicicio Catalona d’aficionats à l’Il lusianisme (Barcelona)
Associacio Catalana de Mags il.lusionistes professioals i Empresaris (ACMIPE Barcelona)
Associacio la cas Magica ( Gerona)
Associacio XEVI museu de la Magia (Gerona)
Pending confirmation: La Circulo della Magia di Torino (CADM Turin)

In France
Le Cercle Magique de Paris (CMP), the largest club in France
Magic in Hospitals
Magev (Magic for children affected by life)
IPotam Mecamusic

The property development must be at least 2000m² in size. In Paris, the average transaction per m² is around €10,000/m², and much more in upmarket districts. The project will therefore represent a minimum investment of around €20m. To this must be added equipment, collections and working capital requirements during the complex’s ramp-up period.

No. MAGIC FOUNDATION PARIS (MFP) will be primarily responsible for investment in the construction of the “Palais de la Magie”, and the necessary capital will be provided by sponsors.

However, MACH 5 will invest in the equipment, but will be subsidised for this purpose by MFP.

As in any association, membership fees are used to cover the running of the association. Subscriptions are differentiated according to the nature of the members and their willingness to support the association.

Depending on the size of the contributions, they will also be used to finance equipment, collections, research and the creation of shows.

Yes, as the association is in the public interest, it can receive grants. It will receive balancing subsidies from MFP. It may apply for grants from local authorities (Municipality / Department / Region / Ministry of Culture-DRAC / Europe) like all associations involved in performing arts and artistic creation.

Yes, as the association is in the public interest, it will issue CERFA receipts enabling members to claim back 66% of their contributions for tax purposes, up to a limit of 20% of their income.

No. Neither the members of an association nor its governing bodies (directors grouped together in the “Bureau”) are liable for the association’s debts. For the governing bodies of an association to be sued to cover liabilities, they would have to have acted fraudulently or voluntarily given personal guarantees for loans.

This creation is the brainchild of Domi NHO (75 years old, World Magic Champion, four-time FISM world award winner). Domi NHO is also a coach with the Equipe de France de Scène (EdFS) of the FFAM (formerly FFAP), a member of the Royal Club des Magiciens de Bruxelles and a member of the Belgian Magic Federation. Today, a number of magicians have joined him and are involved in a “project team” and in the budding life of the association.

This is the vehicle for raising the capital needed to build the “Palace of Magic”. Generous patrons will help to provide MFP with capital.

MFP can receive manual donations, notarised donations and tax-free legacies, made up of both movable and immovable property.

The search for sponsors is wide-ranging and cross-border. The name might as well be in English, which has become the language of international communication. As for “PARIS”, it clearly indicates its connection with France and its capital, where the Palais de la Magie will be built.

MFP was set up with the assistance of a leading specialist law firm on the initiative of a company incorporated under French law, which made an initial financial contribution and bore the costs of incorporation.

MFP is managed by three directors, all of whom are also corporate officers with business backgrounds.

MFP has no partners; if one day MFP ceased its activities, the funds would revert to the Fondation de France, for example, or to a foundation pursuing aims equivalent to those of MFP.

Extract from MFP’s articles of association

“The purpose of the MFP is to develop and support any work of general interest of a cultural, educational or social nature, and in particular to :

– to contribute, through its actions and the financial support it grants, to the creation of a “Palais de la Magie” in Paris;

– support the activities of non-profit associations whose main purpose is to present magic shows to the public, as well as any non-profit museum activity;

– more broadly, to support any educational, artistic, cultural or social activity of general interest that enables the passion for the magical arts to be passed on to as many people as possible.

Everyone, individuals, companies, local authorities and institutions.

MFP can receive all types of goods, cash, fiduciary money, notarised donations, legacies, but also shares, real estate of all kinds, usufructs of all kinds, collections, libraries, media libraries, etc.

Yes, depending on whether the donor is subject to income tax or corporation tax, the rules that apply are set out in the General Tax Code. To summarise, the tax relief on the value of the donation is 66% for people paying income tax up to a limit of 20% of income, but the balance can be carried forward, and 60% for companies up to a limit of 0.5% of turnover.

Domi NHO has acquired experience already shared with Pathy Bad (director of the French magic team) when it came to financing the FFAP French Magic Team.

We are currently setting up a team dedicated to VIP company directors, asset managers, notaries and a high-level circle of influence. Anyone who feels able to contribute their know-how and interpersonal skills is welcome to join this team.

Domi NHO is fortunate to have had a career in real estate as well as being a magician, and to be able to activate his networks. 25 applications have already been received and examined. 6 have been visited. 2 are ‘possible’ with major constraints to manage. Many more will have to be seen if we are to find the rare pearl. For the record, London’s The Magic Circle searched for a year before selecting a site (a former warehouse in central London that was subsequently converted). Everyone can contribute with information they can find on the site.

If we take into account : One year to find and master a site / One year to: design the modifications, apply for planning permission, obtain it, clear it of any appeals / A minimum of one year to carry out the work / that’s three years. To be on the safe side, we gave ourselves 5 years, hence MACH “5”. It’s a long-term project. We have to be prepared to be long-distance runners. That’s not stopping donations of all kinds from coming in, or from starting MACH 5 activities.

YES

Financial donations
We have the resources to begin work on the project. We just need to keep on collecting.

The first financial donation was the endowment of MFP when it was created, made by a company.
But it’s not just financial donations.

There are also donations of knowledge, and the first donation of this type was made by Pierre Guédin.
Pierre generously donated the fruit of a long project: “A short introduction to the magical arts for children aged eight to twelve in the form of an educational booklet”, which he developed and tested himself. It’s very important because it’s the first step in teaching.

There are gifts of services
The first donation came from Gabriel Werlen, who invested in the pre-membership database and will continue with MACH 5 memberships, then Alexandre Laigneau invested in the logo and the structure of this site, Frédérique Houzelle in content and its publication and communication, Antoine Leduc, who is responsible for coordinating heritage managers, Pathy Bad, who worked on the documents for the first period of sponsorship for EdF S, Florian Sainvet, who created the illustrations, and of course Domi NHO, who coordinates and promotes the project; You can find out more about the other people involved in the “who’s who” section to be created for this purpose.

Donations of information and contacts
The first donation was from Stuart Scott, General Secretary of The Magic Circle Foundation, who helped us a great deal with his advice, followed by Juan Mayoral, who acted as a link with the Spanish circles, Andrea Rizzolini, who connected us with the Italian circles, and Marco Candela, President of the Royal Magicians’ Club of Brussels.

Outside energies are suggesting that we create a kind of “Think Tank” to help finance the project, encourage dialogue with elected representatives and establish exchanges with corporate VIPs. Eventually, these energies will probably join MACH 5 directly.

Don’t forget that we’ve only just got off the ground… and that’s already a great start! Thank you to all those who support this project and have signed up!

Officially, none at present; but everything is open for both the FFAP and the CFI. If you scroll down the “They’re talking about it” section, you’ll see that two past presidents of the FFAP support the project and that a good half of the magicians are members of the FFAP.

Not at all. MACH 5 does not aim to federate clubs, publish a prestigious magazine, hold an annual national congress or organise French championships.

MACH 5 welcomes members of all kinds: companies, associations, institutions, the 3 M’s = Muggle, Magic Fiend and magicians.

There is no entrance exam and no oath of secrecy.

MACH 5, supported by MFP, will host the Palais de la Magie. This very French venue will nevertheless have at least a pan-European vocation and will therefore also aim to promote cross-border culture. MACH5 is aimed at the general public through its museum and its shows.

The common denominator is the preservation of magical culture and the transmission of knowledge through education.

They vary according to the type of member and the level of support a member can give. They remain very modest and appear on the membership form.

We have an excellent relationship with the “Musée de la Magie” in the rue Saint Paul. Its founder, Georges Proust, is a trailblazer. He is fully aware of our project and is following its progress closely; he encourages MACH 5’s initiative as well as that of the “Palais de la Magie”, especially as he was behind the Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin in Blois. He told us that he would be delighted to lend his collections to our museum if we needed them.

His museum is incredibly charming, housed in the vaulted cellars of the Marais district. The other side of the coin is that the museum is constrained in terms of ERP capacity and space. We will therefore have obvious complementarities, all to the benefit of Magic. The Palais de la Magie will have many other activities, including an auditorium, library, media library and events centre.

It’s fortunate that the Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin in Blois came into being 25 years ago. It has paved the way; when the time comes, we will be able to propose truly beneficial synergies. The population of Blois is distinct from that of the Paris region, which has almost 10 million inhabitants and to which motorways, railways and airports converge. A quality show staged in Blois can come to Paris and vice versa. Exhibitions can also travel from one place to another.

As a magician in his own right, the Director of the Maison de Magie de Blois is a pre-member of MACH 5. Once MACH 5 has been set up, it will be able to make an official request to the town of Blois to join it as an institution.

A lot of good. For nearly thirty years, Dominique Duvivier has been successfully promoting “close-up”, which benefits magic. He has found his niche as a café-théâtre.
Close-up has become a favourite area of expression for the younger generation of magicians. The Palais de la Magie will be able to showcase it to the public’s delight.
There will be intelligent synergies to be found with the “Double Fond”.
Furthermore, the “Double Fond” is a pioneer with the teaching it provides, sanctioned by professional certification. It’s setting an example, and there’s no doubt that it will be followed by others.