Celebration of New Magic's 20th anniversary

From November 13 to 15, 2026, Châlons-en-Champagne will host a special event to mark the twentieth anniversary of the pioneering New Magic training program at the Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC) during La Nuit du Cirque. The celebration will include an international conference, a historical exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, theatrical performances, and fairground attractions, turning the city into a large experimental stage.

New Magic's artistic vision

The exhibition curator and co-founder of the New Magic movement, Raphaël Navarro, explained that the event aims to reflect on two decades of artistic development and demonstrate how New Magic has evolved into a distinct artistic language. This approach has influenced contemporary theatrical creation across various disciplines.

Origins of New Magic

In 2002, Clément Debailleul, Valentine Losseau, and Raphaël Navarro, members of the Compagnie 14:20, established the theoretical and artistic foundations of the New Magic movement. They sought to move away from traditional magic, which they believed had become stagnant, relying on outdated stereotypes and technical displays without deeper meaning.

Birth of the first New Magic training program

In 2006, Raphaël Navarro and Valentine Losseau launched the first professional training program for New Magic at the CNAC in Châlons-en-Champagne. This program provided formal recognition and academic legitimacy to an evolving art form that had previously lacked structured educational support.

Impact and structure of the program

Over twenty years, the CNAC program has trained more than 300 artists from around the world, including actors, circus performers, dancers, and visual artists. The current curriculum includes two four-week modules: « Magical Writing » and « Magical Creation », which focus on creative processes rather than traditional trick-based instruction.

Philosophy behind the training

Valentine Losseau, an anthropologist and director, emphasized that the program does not teach a fixed set of techniques or tricks. Instead, it encourages a method of inquiry, exploring themes of doubt and perception, and views magic as a dynamic and evolving creative process.