MUMBAI: At a time when a bulk of the country's students will be enjoying their winter vacations, the 400 school students attending the National School Intensive of SPIC MACAY may experience a life-changing event. These students will spend a week witnessing performances and attending workshops by maestros of Indian classical music and dance, leading folk artists, talks by eminent people from different fields, screening of classic films, craft workshops, yoga, a heritage walk and other events in an ashram atmosphere.

SPIC MACAY now in its 34th year is conducting its National School Intensive from December 25th to 30th at Patna, hosted by Delhi Public School, Patna. It is dedicated to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Sh.Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Mother Teresa and Pt. Mallikarjun Mansoor.

The intensive would be inaugurated by a Carnatic Violin recital of Dr. L. Subramaniam and Kathak by Pt. Birju Maharaj. Other eminent artistes likely to participate in the intensive include Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Ust Abdul Rashid Khan, Vid. T.N. Seshagopalan, Smt Sharada Sinha, Sh.Margi Madhu , Su.Kabita Dwibedi, Pt. Abhay Narain Mallik, and Smt. Nandini Badekar . Besides this there will be talk s by eminent personalities such as Shri Sundar Lal Bahuguna and Sh. Jatin Das and . Delegates will also have the opportunity to learn from leading exponents in various art forms by participating in intensives and workshops. The celebrated figures who are likely to conduct intensives include Sh. Dadi Padumjee (Puppetry), Sh. Gurupa Shetty (Kalamkari), Swami Thyagaraja (Yoga), Smt. Shanti Devi (Madhubani Painting), Su. Sharada Sinha (Folk Music), Su. Saswati Sen(Kathak), Ust.Abdul Rashid Khan (Vocal), Sh. Jatin Das (Painting).

"Today we are so linked up with the outward world through Internet, television and the mobile phone. This week-long 'Retreat' will provide an opportunity to the young person to connect inwardly." asserts its founder Dr. Kiran Seth, Professor at IIT Delhi.

"Students from schools are being selected after screening. We don't just take people at random. We get people up at 4am to do Yoga and other things. Not every body can do it " he adds.

"We are happy to play hosts to the SPIC MACAY Intensive. We have been associated with this cultural movement for long. We hope that students in large numbers will turn up from all parts of the country." says Mr. B. Vinod Principal, DPS, Patna.

The intensive will be a platform for witnessing the performances by maestros and getting an insight into our cultural heritage, its values and ethos. Students will experience a rare opportunity to spend these days with eminent Gurus imbibing from them, values and thought processes which have made them great. The intensive is a humble effort to celebrate our composite heritage.