The Mumbai chapter of SPIC MACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth) has tied up with a range of performing artistes for this yearly event, titled Virasat, to be inaugurated by Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt at the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai. As the non-profit organisation aims at sensitising the youth to India's cultural heritage, entry for the performances is free. However, all the programmes will be held exclusively at educational institutions, as therein lies the rasika of tomorrow. While IIT, Powai is the venue for four programmes, SPIC MACAY has also chosen city schools like Arya Vidya Mandir (Juhu), where a Manipuri danceprogramme will be held on December 6 and Cathedral John Connon school, which will stage a kathak performance by Birju Maharaj.

Vidya Venkatesan, a member of the organisation's Mumbai Chapter, said the festival intends to assemble the youth for a face-to-face encounter with the artistes of today. ``The educational curriculum of our country does not provide for any interaction between the youth and performing artistes. We organise a series of baithaks/lecture-demonstrations by different artistes in order to acquaint young minds with the cultural traditions of India,'' she told Express Newsline. The Mumbai chapter was revived in June this year, after which SPIC MACAY held many such sessions with maestros like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and younger artistes like Shaunak Abhisheki.

As part of its millennium plans, the Mumbai chapter has also decided to hold cultural events in municipal schools of the city. ``We will need to take permission from each of the schools, which inturn will have to ask for permission from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. However, once the network has been set up, the cultural events will follow,'' said one of the members.