Society for
Promotion of
Indian
Classical
Music
And
Culture
Amongst
Youth
History:
The idea of the SPICMACAY was conceptualized in 1972, at a concert of
Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar at the Brooklyn
Academy of Music in New York. After a few sporadic concerts at Columbia
University, New York, under aegis of the "India Club of Columbia University"
during the period 1972-76, the idea took a definite direction in 1977
in India. In early 1978, MEFORG (Mechanical Engg Final year Operations Research
Group) of IIT Delhi organized a concert by Dagar Bandhu. The concert was failure
in terms of number of people turned up for it. However, in 1979, a two days programme
graced by Ustad Bismillah Khan, Dagar Bandhu and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad
Shahid Parvez saw marginal success. It was at this concert, that the name
SPIC MACAY was suggested.
The first lecture-demonstration series LEC-DEM'79 was also conducted in
the same year, when six Delhi-based artists, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Smt. Sonal
Mansingh, Ustad Asad Ali Khan, Dagar Bandhu and Ustad Munnawar Ali Khan gave
three presentations at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Lady Irwin College
and Miranda House respectively.
The name FEST for annual festival was first used in 1980 for FEST'80
conducted in a number of educational institutions all over Delhi. FEST'81
took SPICMACAY to kharagpur, Calcutta, Mumbai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
1986 saw the introduction of folk arts and crafts into the gamut of
SPICMACAY. The scholarship scheme began in the year 1986 to help students
get a glimpses of the age-old Guru-Shishya tradition. It was also this year
when the first annual convention was held at Hydrabad. In 1988 the first programme
was conducted abroad, at the University of Connecticut at Hartford. The EYE
magazine was first released in 1991 as a thought provoking `written word movement'
for the youth. In 1993, the first school convention was held at the Delhi Public
School, R. K. Puram.
Virasat a festival comprising performances, workshops in folk,
classical arts, literature, theater, cinema, yoga and other areas of our heritage
was launched for the first time in Dehradun, in the year 1995.
The movement caught the imagination of the young and has grown both numerically
and geographically. Today SPICMACAY is spread over India and abroad with 200 centers
conducting about 1000 events per year.
The SPIC MACAY Logo:
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Is the Vertical Eye, representing the Third Eye symbolizing
the inner eye, the eye of perception and enquiry, ever alert
in the pursuit of the Eternal Truth.
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Activities:
Lec-Dems:
Lec-Dems or Lecture and Demonstration is the
most crucial component and is aimed at creating
and audience who will be able to appreciate and
enjoy classical art forms. The programme are informal
and facilitates a closer interaction between the
audience and the artists. The artists demonstrates
his/her art with explanations.
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Fests:
The festival or fest is a series of concerts
featuring the exponents of Indian classical music
and dance. This is a more formal presentation of the
art form. The aim is to demonstrate the stage
presentation of the same. This gives students the
opportunity to observe several young and upcoming
artists perform in separate slots with the senior
artist's.
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Baithaks:
The Baithak is an informal chamber concert, not
held in a proscenium setting. It is geared to create
the traditional "upaasak-rasik" relationship, i.e.
the transmission of creative joy from artists to
the audience.
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Talks:
SPICMACAY organizes inspiring talks by enlightened individuals
from various walks of life. The talks may on anything as varied
as on arts, environment, philosophy, cinema, development,
literature, folk arts, etc.
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Yoga/Holistic Camps:
Yoga, greatly neglected as a form of inner
growth, is fostered in our yoga camps conducted
by authentic yogacharyas.
Holistic Camps, are live-in camps, where
students and others stay for a given period of time,
away from their normal routine to experience another
way of living, focused on simplicity, good health,
and spiritual training.
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Folk Arts and Crafts:
While the SPICMACAY movement lays greater stress
on the classical forms, it simultaneously recognizes
the multitude of folk arts and culture of the country
which is the seed of classical arts. SPICMACAY
encourages programmes through individual events
of Folk Fests and Craft workshops.
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Virasat:
VIRASAT is a festival comprising performances
and workshops in folk and classical arts, literature,
theater, cinema, and yoga held in different educational
institutions. It comprises at least five of the modules
mentioned above. PARAMPARA is similar to the
VIRASAT series, but the number modules ranges from two
to four.
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Conventions:
National: The national convention is a national
gathering of the SPICMACAY family hosted by any chapter.
It is attended by delegates form Centers, Subchapters,
Staff advisors, Patrons, State Co-ordinators, Central
State Co-ordinators, Senior Advisory Groups, and the
SPICMACAY National Advisory Group. The convention
discusses SPICMACAY's own character, growth, directions,
new trends, and the organizational structure. Besides,
it hosts different classical and folk art forms.
State: A State convention event is called for in order
to the Chapter to assess the progress the of the movement
in the state level.
School: School conventions are designed to promote
SPICMACAY activities in schools.
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Scholarships:
The scholarship scheme of the SPICMACAY is an attempt
to offer students an opportunity to go, for a month,
to a Gurus, who have dedicated their lives, outside of
the narrow self-motivation to a larger cause. The scholarship
scheme is scheduled once a year.
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The EYE:
THE EYE is the SPICMACAY magazine, specially created
to fill the void of too much information and too little
inspiration. It looks at `culture' from a broader
perspective. It aims at exploring the best facets of Indian
art and heritage, understand our literature and spiritual traditions,
and examine many issues vital to our living, such as ecology,
education, current role models of development, womens issues,
and so on.
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World Heritage Group:
The aim of this group is to bring the best of world heritage
to the youth in educational institutions.
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Other related activities of SPICMACAY includes workshops, essays,
exhibitions, films, celebration of national/local festivals, environment
and nature care, study, tours to places of cultural importance, quizzes,
debates, panel discussion, and other related activities.
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