Spic Macay culture camp goes online, opens on June 1

SPIC MACAY’s annual Anubhav programme, a weeklong cultural immersion experience for children, will be held from June 1 to 7.

The previous editions allowed youngsters to connect with eminent artistes in an ashram-like setting. The event sees performances, workshops and talks around classical music and dance, theatre, cinema, folk arts and crafts, among others.

This year, while the format of the event remains unchanged, it has moved to the online space. 25 different workshops, including meditation sessions, will be conducted every morning. Afternoon sessions will focus on folk music and dance, classic cinema screenings and discussion with the director, followed by concerts every evening. Apart from the daily programmes, an all-night classical music baithak will be held from June 6, 8 pm to June 7, 6 am.

“The event is not just for learning the art form but also their discipline, submission to the system, the dedication to their art,” says Supriti, senior volunteer.

“We were planning to cancel the annual convention, but at that point, we already had around 1,500 registrations,” she says.

They have had 10,000 registrations so far. “We have registrations from across the state, but ultimately it will only be those children who have a computer, a good internet connection, the ability to buy additional data and have access to the system from 4 am to 10 pm who will be able to take part,” says Supriti.

Many senior artistes are not tech-savvy and need help. While those with children or students can manage, volunteers have had to spend a considerable amount of time coaching others.

An orientation for parents will be conducted on May 30. “We have designed a well-thought-out schedule and menu that will help the kids achieve inner upliftment through art during this time,” she explains.

About 100 renowned artistes expected to participate such as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Teejan Bai, M T Vasudevan Nair, L Subramanium, T N Krishnan, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Shahid Parvez, Wasifuddin Dagar and Bhajan Sopori among others.

Registration is free. Log on to www.spicmacay.org for more details. It will be streamed live on their YouTube channel.