AWARDS

The Academy of Magic & Science awards are given to the individuals who deserve to be honoured for their contribution to science, education, communication, the art of magic as well as creating bridges of collaborations and innovation across disciplines turning somehow the impossible into possible.

OUTSTANDING IMPACT

This award is given to the individuals, teams or institutions, which through their research, inventions, breakthrough or actions marked a positive change in the course of history.

Professor Sir John Gurdon

Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
The pioneering research of Prof John Gurdon in nuclear transplantation and cloning, as well as the discovery that mature cells can be converted to stem cells, noted outstanding advancements in developmental biology. The godfather of cloning, through his research gifted to the world of science the reprogramming of mature cells to become pluripotent cells, a finding with great potential in the fields of biology, medicine and humanity as a whole. Professor Gurdon’s Outstanding Impact award was celebrated with a conjuring effect dedicated in process of cloning, performed by Alexis Arts, in the Gurdon Institute of the University of Cambridge

INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTION

This prize recognises and rewards the outstanding contribution toward the wider community socially, culturally, educationally or academically. The artwork is designed and shaped by sculptor Yanni Souvatzoglou, who crafted awards for the Athens2004 Olympics.

Domenico Dante

FISM World President
The Federation Internationale des Societes Magiques is the international body bringing together the world’s leading magic societies. Federation was created in 1948 and today consists of more than 97 magic societies, both national and international, as well as national Federations which represent over 70,000 magicians from 49 countries. Domenico Dante, Peter Din and Gerrit Brengman lead FISM, unifying magic societies from all over the world, developing, elevating and promoting the art of magic, coordinating the activities of member societies, as well as fighting against exposure and copies of original acts and inventions and organising the World Championships of Magic. The recognition for International Contribution was awarded to Domenico Dante in the prestigious debate chamber of the Cambridge Union in February 2015

INSPIRATION

The extraordinary qualities, hard work and creative impulse that craft positive role models and can inspire generations across disciplines, cultural and educational backgrounds receive the Award of Inspiration.

Toby Churchill

Entrepreneur
Toby Churchill FRSA is an inspirational and highly awarded British entrepreneur, who created a miracle - being disabled and unable to speak, he designed and manufactured communication aids. At the age of 21 he contracted encephalitis while swimming in a polluted river and became disabled and lost his speech. Dissatisfied with the rudimentary communication aids then available for people who cannot speak, he designed the first Lightwriter for his own use and, after meeting other people with similar needs, started to manufacture them. He set up Toby Churchill Limited in 1973 to manufacture portable text-based communication aids. The company won a number of awards including a British Design Award, a Department of Trade and Industry Languages for Export Award, the Queen's Award for Export and more. Toby is a true inspiration for everyone aiming to innovate, create, solve problems to help the society and fight through the impossible to create miracles!

Patrick Hughes

Artist - Creator of Reverspective
Patrick Hughes is a British artist working in London. He is the creator of "reverspective", an optical illusion on a three-dimensional surface where the parts of the picture which seem farthest away are actually physically the nearest. Reverspectives are three-dimensional paintings that when viewed from the front initially give the impression of viewing a painted flat surface that shows a perspective view. However as soon as the viewer moves their head even slightly the three dimensional surface that supports the perspective view accentuates the depth of the image and accelerates the shifting perspective far more than the brain normally allows. This provides a powerful and often disorienting impression of depth and movement. The illusion is made possible by painting the view in reverse to the relief of the surface, that is, the bits that stick farthest out from the painting are painted with the most distant part of the scene.

SLYDINI’S FLAME

This award is given in the honour of Tony Slydini, a world renowned magician, whose innovations in close up artistry earned him a legendary reputation across the globe. The flame award, inspired by the mythology of the three flames of Slydini’s hometown in Italy, designed by the native Pasquale Peppe, symbolises the power of excellence as well as the passing of the flame of inspiration from a talented individual to the wider society.

Gabriella Christiani

Oscar Prize winner
The Italian Academy Award Winner Editor with about thirty feature film credits, including masterpieces such as The Last Emperor (1987), Teleios (2017) and Last Tango in Paris (1972) is a technical innovator, who first used digital technologies for the “nonlinear” editing of the film. The Slydini’s Flame passed in her hands in December 2017 in the hometown that nurtured her, as well as Slydini’s talent, until she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her art and career.

HSH Prince Albert II

Prince of Monaco
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II is the reigning monarch of the Principality of Monaco and head of the princely house of Grimaldi. Enthroned in 2005, he quickly became a leading advocate for environmental causes. Through his foundation he greatly contributes in the fields of favouring sustainable practices, supporting innovations that challenge threats, conserving species that face extinction and promoting environmental education. The Slydini flame was passed in his hands in November 2018 in the Cambridge Union as expression of recognition for his contributions in education and positive impact, as well as the inspirational mission to leave world a more magical place.

Giovanni Muciaccia

TV host & actor
Giovanni Muciaccia is one of the most insirational figures in art creativities in Italy! He was born in Foggia and went to the Mario Riva Academy and to the Dramatic Arts Academy in Palmi, Calabria. He made his television debut on Rai Uno in 1992 with Disney Club and conducted La banda dello Zecchino on the same channel for the following two years. He took part to the third Nanni Moretti Sacher Festival with a short film entitled Sformat. In 1998– 1999 he became the television conductor of Art Attack, one of the Disney Channel’s flagship programs that acquired such a reputation to be also broadcast on Rai Due. The Slydini flame was passed in his hands in September 2021 in the Slydini Festival in Foggia, Italy, as expression of recognition for his artistic education and positive impact.

THE LEGENDS SCHEME

Prof. Carlos Frenk

Legend of Cold Dark Matter
Professor of Fundamental Physics, cosmologist and one of the originators of the breakthrough Cold Dark Matter theory for the formation of galaxies.

The Academy of Magic & Science presents the the Legends scheme, a short interview series of history changers that we aspire will serve as role models for young students, hopeful future generations of scientists!

Carlos Frenk is a renowned cosmologist, Professor of Fundamental Physics in The University of Durham, and Director of the prestigious Institute for Computational Cosmology. He is one of the originators of the breakthrough Cold Dark Matter theory for the formation of galaxies. His work has earned him numerous awards and honours, making him one of the most cited authors in his field and influential scientific minds of his generation!

In this video of the Legends' Scheme of the Academy of Magic & Science, Professor Frenk discusses the magic of cosmology and narrates the elements that he considers magical!

Benny Dembitzer

Legend of Economics & Peace
British economist who has specialized in the economics of developing countries. Nobel Peace Prize in 1985

The Academy of Magic & Science presents the the Legends scheme, a short interview series of history changers that we aspire will serve as role models for young students, hopeful future generations of scientists!

Benny Dembitzer is a British economist who has specialized in the economics of developing countries, particularly on the continent of Africa. He was a member of the team that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.

In this video of the Legends' Scheme of the Academy of Magic & Science, Benny Dembitzer discusses the magic of his journeys and experiences in Africa during his landmark work of support for the developing countries!

Toni Santagata

Legend of Italian music
Italian folk singer, successful composer, well-known comedian and beloved actor.

The Academy of Magic & Science presents the the Legends scheme, a short interview series of history changers that we aspire will serve as role models for young students, hopeful future generations of scientists!

Tony Santagata, is an Italian folk singer, composer, comedian and actor. In his successful career he recorded some classics of the Apulian tradition and composed several renowned songs. In this video of the Legends' Scheme of the Academy of Magic & Science, Tony Santagata discusses the magic of music and the charm that songs have in human souls!

Silvan

Legend of Magic Performance
Performance master, multi awarded TV illusionist

The Academy of Magic & Science presents the the Legends scheme, a short interview series of history changers that we aspire will serve as role models for young students, hopeful future generations of scientists!

Silvan, the famous italian magician with six decades of experience performing as an illusionist and hosting TV shows themed around magic. He won two Merlin Awards, in 1998 and in 2011, being the first Italian magician to win the award. The Academy of Magical Arts awarded him "Magician of the Year" twice, in 1990 and in 1999. He is also in the “Hall of Fame” of the Society of American Magicians. In 2018 The Magic Circle awarded him The Devant for "Services to International Magic". Silvan has written several books, appeared in some films and has collaborated with a number of publications. He is an honorary member of CICAP, a skeptic scientific organization.

In this video of the Legends' Scheme of the Academy of Magic & Science, Silvan discusses the enchantment of the art of magic!

Shin Lim

Legend of Magic Card
Card Manipulator, World Champion in card magic and sleight of hand

The Academy of Magic & Science presents the the Legends scheme, a short interview series of history changers that we aspire will serve as role models for young students, hopeful future generations of scientists!

Magical Facts about Shin Lim:  Shin Lim is a Canadian-American magician of Han Chinese heritage, recognized for his use of card manipulation and sleight of hand. He is known for elaborate close-up card magic routines, during which he remains silent with the tricks set to music.

Originally educated to be a pianist, he took up magic as his career after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Lim won the 2015 Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques in Close-up Card Magic, he appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and won America's Got Talent during its 13th season and on America's Got Talent: The Champions. In this Legends scheme of the @Academy of Magic & Science he shares what magic means to him and how it can empower people of various backgrounds.

Patrick Hughes

Legend of Reversprective
Artist, Creator of "Reversprective" sculptor and painter reversing perspective

The Academy of Magic & Science presents the the Legends scheme, a short interview series of history changers that we aspire will serve as role models for young students, hopeful future generations of scientists!

"When the principles of perspective are reversed and solidified into sculpted paintings something extraordinary happens; the mind is deceived into believing the impossible, that a static painting can move of its own accord." This @Academy of Magic & Science Legend, Patrick Hughes, whose original painted reliefs are concerned with optical and visual illusions, the science of perception and the nature of artistic representation.

Anna Rosling Rönnlund

Legend of the Data Information and Software
Data Imaging Designer, visualizing statical information with interactive software.

The Academy of Magic & Science presents the the Legends scheme, a short interview series of history changers that we aspire will serve as role models for young students, hopeful future generations of scientists!

Magical Facts abour Anna Rosling Rönnlund: - Swedish designer who, with her husband Ola Rosling, developed Trendalyzer, the interactive software for visualizing statistical information. Her work aims to provide better insights to public data through visualisations.

You probably have seen Hans Rosling (Anna’s father in law) video from TED where he delivers publicly available information in a very fresh and intriguing way. Anna has a very magical mission: "to make it easy for everyone to understand the world visually"and is honoured in this Legends' Scheme of the @Academy of Magic & Science

Stephen Fry

Legend of Words
English comedian, celebrated actor, multi awarded author, presenter and activist, listed amongst BBC's Top Living Icons

Stephen Fry, English comedian, celebrated actor, multi awarded author, presenter and activist, listed amongst BBC's Top Living Icons, features in the Legends Scheme of the Academy of Magic & Science!

Magic teaches us an enormous amount about proper human talent. The things that the people do that are magical are always explained by craft, intelligence, skill, whit, insight. All the proper gifts and attributes of a great magician are all proper gifts and attributes of a scientist that have to do with proper understanding.

The excitement of magic is the same as the excitement of science. Arthur C. Clarke said that to any civilisation insignificantly advanced; all technology would appear to be magic when it first comes, whether it’s flight, even just the production of flame from a match. If the civilisation has never seen it, it’s magic. But it’s always explained by things that are very simple and they don’t destroy the magic, they enhance it! And the lesson of science that is the most important is that the more we explain the world and the universe, the more we attempt to understand it, the more exciting it gets, not less exciting. Explanations don’t take away the glass of the mystery, they enhance it and that is true of magic that is true of science

Brian Cox

Legend of the Quantum Universe
Professor or particle physics, science presenter, prolific author, Order of the British Empire medal, Fellow of Royal Society

The Academy of Magic & Science presents the the Legends scheme, a short interview series of history changers that we aspire will serve as role models for young students, hopeful future generations of scientists!

Magical Facts about Brian Cox: - Presenter of BBC’s Wonders of… series, The Science of Doctor Who, Science Britannica and more - Written “Why does E=mc2” and “The quantum Universe” and more than 950 scientific publications - Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (nice medal to put as motion graphics image) - Works on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN

"magic for me is the simple idea that anything exists at all, so once you admit the fact that you have a universe that exists with even a single atom in it, then the rest follows. The most magical thing for me is that anything exists at all and why is it necessary to use magic in this case is to inspire people to go into science, to describe the ideas of science? Well, I think science is one of the necessary foundations of our civilisation!"

Sir John Pendry

Legend of Invisibility
Knighted professor of theoretical solid state physics, Dad David & Kavli Prizes winner, Fellow of the Royal Society

Sir John Pendry is one of the Legends of the Academy of Magic & Science! A knighted professor of theoretical solid state physics with a brilliant research on metamaterials and refractive indices and the creation of the first practical "invisibility cloak"!

Fellow of the Royal Society
2016 Dan David Prize for outstanding achievement
2014 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience

Magic is important to science because it surprises us and it surprises because we don’t understand it and that is the challenge that science provides to us. It is in the first instance magic and the challenge is to make it “not magic” to understand it, but to leave the wonder behind!