more inclusive and diverse that Vanishing Inc . becomes , the stronger we will be .”

Gladwin added that it ' s important to Vanishing Inc . as a company but it ' s not really about the company , it is the individuals that make it up . “ We feel a responsibility to learn more . But that ’ s not because we have a platform , or because we have an audience , but because we all , individually , need to learn more and understand more .” They made it clear that , in their eyes , the recipients of these grants will essentially be part of the Vanishing Inc . team . That as a company , it ' s not something they care about because they have been told to . “ It ’ s important to us that we don ’ t just jump on these things when social media calls for it — instead , we try to be allies all year round . The end result is that we attract a better , more diverse team , and I hope that helps demonstrate that the whole magic world can be inclusive .”

I want to highlight what the guys said when I asked why they care about inclusion and diversity in magic from a personal perspective . With a simple , but thoughtful response , Gladwin explained “ Because it makes us better . Not just as individuals , and not just as a company , but as a community . Every single day , we see the benefits of a more inclusive magic community …” share what I ’ ve learned , but I ’ m not the gold standard of equality . So when Gladwin said “ I wish I could pretend that we ’ re the experts in this . We ’ re not . But we ’ re trying our best to listen , adapt and help .” I wholeheartedly agree . They want to see the world of magic be more and are inviting others to educate them and their company on how to help that happen .

They are learning and growing and hoping opportunities that they wouldn ’ t have otherwise had , and improve the art of magic … None of these problems can be solved overnight , but we all agree that the most effective and long-lasting change will come from the next generation of magicians . Therefore , if we can create an environment that is as inclusive and diverse as possible when these kids go on to become the thought-leaders of tomorrow . They ’ ll be the greatest champions of inclusivity and diversity because it ’ s all they ’ ve ever known .” ■

Jay explained that he has taken the time to learn and grow , personally , over the last few years . “ We want to be great allies for any magician who may feel unwelcome in magic . The magic world hasn ’ t always been an inclusive place , and we ’ re doing what we can to change that … The biggest lesson that we ’ ve both learned is that you need to listen . The more voices that you listen to , the fuller your understanding of any issue will be .”

I personally live by the motto that I ’ m not an expert in anything other than my own emotions . I strive to learn , educate myself and

12 AUGUST | 2022 to learn more from the grant recipients . To find out when the application opens you should join Vanishing Inc ’ s mailing list , or you can follow them or Squib In The World on social media .

But I think , all in all , it was Luck who explained it best : “ First and foremost , we hope that these grants will inspire magicians to push boundaries . We hope that from these grants , we will see ideas emerge that have the potential to change lives , give individuals