Magicana

What Magicana does

Magicana is a Toronto-based nonprofit arts organization dedicated to the study, exploration, and advancement of magic as a performing art. The organization operates three integrated pillars: the Screening Room, an online video archive containing hundreds of historic magic performances sourced from rare collections including the William McIlhany, Larry Thornton, Lyons Den, and David Ben collections; the Allan Slaight Awards, an annual international awards program administered on behalf of the Slaight Family Foundation across five categories (Sharing Wonder, Sharing Secrets, International Rising Star, Canadian Rising Star, and Lifetime Achievement), through which $510,000 has been distributed to 53 recipients since 2015; and a publications program producing scholarly books including The Experts at the Card Table, Dai Vernon: A Biography, the 9-volume Rich Cabinet Collection series, and the Magicol periodical. Additional offerings include physical and digital exhibitions on magic history and performers.

The organization's primary audience is professional and amateur magicians globally, supplemented by magic historians, researchers, and enthusiasts. Magicana reaches this community through its website (the central hub for all content), email newsletter, exhibitions, and partnerships with organizations including Tannen's Magic Camp, the Magic LIVE convention, and CBC Radio. The business model combines grant funding (notably from the Slaight Family Foundation) with earned revenue from hardcover book sales distributed through magic retailers and direct fulfillment. Founded in 2000 and led by Artistic Director David Ben — a performer, historian, and Ross Bertram protégé who was appointed to the Order of Canada — Magicana occupies a niche institutional position as one of the few formal arts organizations specifically dedicated to magic as a performing art.

Name

Magicana

Legal name

Magicana

Website

https://magicana.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Magicana is a Toronto-based nonprofit arts organization that preserves magic as a performing art through the Screening Room video archive, the Allan Slaight Awards, scholarly publications, and exhibitions, serving professional and amateur magicians globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Publication and book sales: Magicana publishes books on magic history and theory, including The Experts at the Card Table, Dai Vernon: A Biography, The Rich Cabinet Collection, and How Gamblers Win. These are sold as premium hardcover publications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Magicana produces and curates publications (multi-volume scholarly book series including The Rich Cabinet Collection and standalone titles such as Dai Vernon: A Biography and The Experts at the Card Table), exhibitions (physical and digital shows covering magic history and performers), and archival media centered on the Screening Room, an online video archive of historical magic performances. It also administers the Allan Slaight Awards, a five-category annual recognition program funded by the Slaight Family Foundation.

Product overview

Magicana is a Toronto-based arts organization dedicated to the study, exploration, and advancement of magic as a performing art. The organization offers a unified portfolio centered on three core pillars: The Screening Room (video archive of historical magic performances), Allan Slaight Awards (annual awards program recognizing excellence in magic across five categories), and publications (including The Rich Cabinet Collection multi-volume book series and Magicol periodical). Additional offerings include exhibitions showcasing magic history and performers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Screening Room

Quantifiable outcome

• $510,000 awarded across 53 recipients over 10 years

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tannen's Magic Shop and Magic CampcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTannen's Magic Camp received the 2024 Allan Slaight Sharing Secrets Award. Tannen owner Adam Blumenthal and camp director Terri Cook are acknowledged collaborators in award productions. Tannen Magic Camp was days away from its fifty-first summer as of June 2024.
• CBC RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCBC Radio's program Ideas dedicated a full episode to Harry Houdini's life and career in June 2026, featuring Magicana content and linking to the Magicana website for more information.
• Magic LIVE ConventionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStan Allen and the Magic LIVE convention are acknowledged for their assistance in making Allan Slaight Awards clips possible, including the 2019 International Rising Star award video for Ding Yang.
• College of Magic (South Africa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe College of Magic in South Africa was the first organization to receive the Allan Slaight Sharing Secrets Award in 2018, recognizing their innovative approaches to magic education.
• David BencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Ben is Magicana's founder, artistic director, and primary author. He is a renowned magician, historian, and Ross Bertram's only protégé. He authored Dai Vernon: A Biography and The Experts at the Card Table published through Magicana. He also contributed to The Rich Cabinet Collection.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Magic Castle: Hollywood private club for magicians that hosts performances, preserves magic history, and serves as a community hub. Directly comparable to Magicana's mix of performance celebration, community, and historical preservation.
• Tannen's Magic: Long-running New York magic retailer and magic camp operator. An existing Magicana partner (2024 Sharing Secrets awardee), and directly comparable as a specialty magic retailer, educator, and historical archive.
• Musée de la Magie (House of Magic): Parisian magic museum housed in a historic building, showcasing magic artifacts, automata, and exhibitions. Directly comparable to Magicana's exhibition program and archival preservation focus.
• Genii Magazine: Long-running independent magic periodical covering magic history, performers, and technique. Directly comparable to Magicana's Magicol publication and editorial mission.
• Society of American Magicians: Largest US magic society, publishes The Linking Ring magazine, and administers recognition programs. Comparable to Magicana as a membership and publishing organization dedicated to advancing magic as a performing art.
• The Magic Circle: London-based magic society that, like Magicana, curates a magic library/collection, runs awards programs, hosts events, and preserves magic history. Both organizations act as institutional anchors for magic as a performing art in their respective geographies.
• Conjuring Arts Research Center: New York-based magic history library and research center. Closely parallels Magicana's Screening Room and publishing mission; founder Denis Behr was a 2023 Allan Slaight Sharing Secrets recipient.
• College of Magic (South Africa): Cape Town-based magic education institution. Comparable to Magicana as a formal magic education and community organization; first institutional Sharing Secrets awardee (2018).

Others

• Library of Congress: National cultural archive preserving performance, audio, and visual heritage. Comparable to Magicana's Screening Room function at massive scale, illustrating both the institutional validation of archival work and the structural challenge of competing for visibility and funding.

Broad incumbents

• International Magicians Society: Large international magic membership organization with broader scope and consumer focus. Adjacent incumbent in the same magic-arts category but less focused on archival/scholarly publishing than Magicana.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/magicana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Magicana