Magicians asked to conjure trick for blind people

Dr Gustav Kuhn said people with visual impairments faced "significant barriers" to experiencing magic

A doctor has launched a competition to find the best magic trick using sound for a blind and partially sighted audience.

The University of Plymouth's Dr Gustav Kuhn set up the contest as part of a research project aiming to make magic more inclusive for people with visual impairments.

The competition challenges magicians to come up with a trick using just sound with minimal to no verbal cues or instructions.

Submissions are open until October with the winner being announced at the Science of Magic Association conference in Las Vegas in November.

'Transformative impact'

Dr Kuhn, who is a member of the Magic Circle, said the challenge would provide an opportunity for blind and partially sighted people to experience magic.

"Individuals who live with blindness and visual impairments often face significant barriers to accessing, and participating in, artistic expression like magic," he said.

"Recognising the importance of creating magic for these individuals is a profound act of inclusivity and compassion that can have a transformative impact on our society."

As part of the competition entrants have been asked to abstain from integrating other sensory elements or engage sensations of touch, pressure, pain, smell, taste, or the necessary movement of body parts.