The Billet Article - Editorial

Editorial

It’s 7.15pm on the 20th December as I sit here typing this editorial. I have just finished my last childrens magic show before Christmas, at least the Christmas Party magic show I still have a birthday party tomorrow. I always think that having a birthday at this time of the year must be pretty rotten. You probably end up with only one set of presents. I know Pam says so. Her birthday is today, so she was very much a Christmas child. However, that’s not what this editorial is about. It’s about the death of the Christmas Party. Years ago I did Christmas Parties for factories, firms, churches, groups. Over the years these have tailed off one by one. I don’t think it’s because they have got fed up of me – although that’s always a possibility! No, I think it’s because Christmas Parties in this shape are dying, or have even died. I did one this year for an amateur operatic group. They said they used to have around 30 children at the party. This year it was down to about 18. They have decided that next year they will take the children to the panto as it will be cheaper and take less work to organise. And this is just one example. Nowadays almost all my bookings at Christmas are from schools and playgroups during the week. I get very little bookings at the weekend from Christmas Parties. Why is that? Thinking about it I have come to the conclusion that parties are nothing special for most children these days. They go to many parties during the year. Years ago most parties were in a house with a few games and, perhaps, a magician. Now most parties are in church or village halls with a magician or bouncy castle (sometimes both) and games and food. A Christmas Party is no different to these parties, so why bother going along. Particularly when there is usually a wide age range at the Christmas Parties, meaning that it is difficult for the organisers to arrange activities that suit all age ranges all the time. And we all know what children are like today, they soon get bored. So when next year’s Christmas Party comes around little Ryan or little Kylie doesn’t want to go. They would rather stay at home and play on the latest playstation.

Is my summing up reasonable, or do you other childrens magicians have different experiences. Let me know.