Sharemagic Makes a Magical Impact in Ukraine
By Joshua Jay
Mattia “Flip” Bidoli is a conflict-zone magician and dazzles an audience of Ukrainian students.
Sharemagic is a non-profit organization whose aim is to advance the art of magic and to improve communities through performance, and we’re pleased to share our latest mission with you: providing relief to wounded soldiers and displaced families in Ukraine.
Sharemagic sent a delegation of magicians to the capital city of Kyiv. Mattia “Flip” Bidoli was our headline performer. He specializes in humanitarian work and performing magic in conflict zones, which made him the ideal partner for this mission. Joshua Jay, Jeff Kowalk, and George Luck also volunteered their time and magic skills.
Since the start of the war, live performance has all but dried up in war-torn Ukraine. Most foreign entertainers are reluctant to visit the country because of the near-daily airstrikes on the capital, Kyiv. Some Ukrainian magicians don’t dare perform publicly for fear of being conscripted to the front lines. Most occasions for magic simply don’t exist in a time of war.
Board member Joshua Jay mid-trick during a fundraising show in Kiev.
At Sharemagic, we recognize the enormous mental health benefits of magic. It’s a form of escape and a necessary relief from the stresses of living in a conflict zone. Ukrainian children, in particular, are deprived of most of the essential diversions that all kids have a right to enjoy. We believe magic is medicine.
With this in mind, Sharemagic sponsored Flip so that he could spread his magic to audiences who need it most. The group endured air raids, bomb shelters, and two days of nonstop travel to get to the Ukrainian capital.
Then the real work began:
They performed at a center called Dachu that houses displaced families who are receiving cancer treatment
They performed a large show for displaced children, titled "Save Ukraine".
They performed at a fundraiser for the 2402 Foundation, which provides hostile environment training to journalists.
They performed at the Principal Medical Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, a hospital for wounded soldiers.
They performed for the Ukrainian magic community at the Kyiv Academy of Circus and Variety Arts.
They performed at the Danish Ukrainian Youth House, a community center for young people with developmental disorders.
Sharemagic also provided funding for Flip to continue his work in Ukraine after our delegation left, doing shows along the perilous Eastern front. His magic unites people–kids especially–and teaches them valuable lessons about avoiding land mines and remaining safe in a place shrouded in danger.
While in Ukraine, we were repeatedly reminded that everyone has a role to play. Artists, musicians, soldiers, doctors, factory workers, ambulance drivers, train conductors, engineers, hoteliers, taxi drivers, journalists–all critical roles to improve a dire situation. What we can offer is magic, and we were fortunate enough to be one small but meaningful cog in this remarkable wartime effort.
Board member Jeff Kowalk dazzles a fundraiser for journalists in Ukraine.
