By Elena Mart
New York has long defined itself as a global capital of culture: where music, media, and ideas converge and move outward into the world. In December 2025, that outward energy found a new point of connection in Bermuda through Two Weeks of Magic, an immersive conference designed to pair international and local talent through collaboration, not just conversation.
What emerged was not simply an event, but a bridge, linking New York’s creative influence with Bermuda’s cultural depth in ways that felt both intentional and inevitable.
A Cultural Bridge Between New York and Bermuda
At the center of that bridge is Damon DeGraff, recipient of The Magic of Bermuda Lifetime Achievement Award. A Bermudian raised in Devonshire Parish and now embedded in New York’s cultural landscape, DeGraff represents a rare kind of connector, one who moves seamlessly between worlds while carrying his origin with him.
“I carry Bermuda with me wherever I go,” he shared. “If you asked 9 out of 10 people in New York if they know someone from Bermuda, they’ll say my name.”
His career, spanning artist development, global music strategy, and cultural curation, has helped shape modern entertainment. At Two Weeks of Magic, his presence marked a full-circle moment where global influence reconnects with local roots.
Sharing the stage was Callahj Simons, The Magic of Bermuda Youth Leadership Award recipient, whose words grounded the moment in the future: “We need recognition like this to not just stop here, but to continue.”
Together, they reflect the continuum that the platform is building, where legacy and next-generation leadership exists side by side.
DeGraff and fellow New York participant Samuel Swanson experienced this connection firsthand while staying at Rosewood Tucker’s Point, immersing themselves in Bermuda’s culture and hospitality.
Collaboration as a System, Not a Moment
If DeGraff represents the bridge, Samuel Swanson represents its expansion. The New York-based artist and founder of OV9 Studios brought his experience in television, casting, and production into direct collaboration with Bermudian creatives.
At The Magic Mastermind Summit, he shared the stage with local artists Aalai and Serilina Fisher, blending performance with mentorship.
“I want to bring opportunities for growth… even small businesses,” he said. “Just by connecting them with a game plan… that can be a huge game changer.”
This is where the model becomes clear: repeatable interactions that turn exposure into opportunity.
The Next Generation of Cross-Border Talent
That philosophy extends into the internship program, where Phoebe Baluyot and Monica Demian collaborated with Bermudian intern Jamie Furtado. During their stay, the interns were based at Coco Reef Resort Bermuda.
What began remotely evolved into a lived exchange.
“We wanted people who don’t know about Bermuda to grasp what’s so beautiful about this island,” said recent Rutgers Business School graduate Monica Demian.
Baluyot captured the deeper shift during her interview on Magic 102.7 FM with Kat Wade: “The ocean is a bridge, not a boundary.”
Their work culminated in a presentation to E. David Burt, Premier of Bermuda, demonstrating how quickly collaboration can move from concept to impact when structured intentionally.
Reframing Global Collaboration
Two Weeks of Magic positions Bermuda as a global hub for collaboration, building on the ideas and energy cultivated in cities like New York.
Founded and engineered by Glenn A. Blakeney and Gianluca Gibbons, the platform pairs international influence with local ingenuity to create something neither could achieve alone.
Blakeney’s own journey reflects this bridge. In the late 1970s, he worked in New York as a promotional coordinator for Jimmy’s Music World in Times Square, later contributing to the broader broadcast landscape during a formative era for radio and entertainment. His time in and around New York’s media scene, alongside globally recognized artists, helped shape a perspective rooted in both cultural storytelling and global connectivity.
Decades later, that perspective informs Two Weeks of Magic. At the Awards Brunch Blakeney underscored its urgency: “All of you… particularly our guests from overseas… it is imperative for you to engage. You are leaders of the diaspora… without you, this would not materialize.”
His message reframed the moment: not as an event, but as a call to participate in something larger, a living bridge between Bermuda, New York, and the wider world.
Looking Ahead
As Two Weeks of Magic prepares for its 2026 return, the New York connection is no longer emerging, it’s established.
For New York’s creatives, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders, the opportunity is clear: not just to attend, but to help shape a model where collaboration is intentional, culture is central, and geography is no longer a limitation.
Because what’s being built isn’t just a conference. It’s a bridge.
Join Two Weeks of Magic™ 2026
For more information, partnership inquiries, or to join the 2026 conference waitlist, visit www.twoweeksofmagic.com and follow @twoweeksofmagic.
For media inquiries, please contact:
business@sydneypalmer.co
