Prathibha's Prahlad heads the Prasiddha Foundation, which has established itself as one of the premier cultural institutions of the country. Through the Prasiddha Foundation, many students have received training in Bharatanatyam and also benefited from many workshops and interactive sessions that have been organized with leading dance gurus and other personalities.
The Prasiddha Foundation was established in 1990 with the purpose of fostering love and appreciation for classical music and dance and to work through the medium of fine arts for the promotion of national and international cultural contact. The Prasiddha Foundation aims to provide education and training in all forms of art by organising seminars, conferences, lectures and exhibitions. The Foundation's main objective is to arrange public performances of artists in various fields and organize festivals of dance and music to facilitate upcoming and established artists to appear on one platform. The Foundation is now counted among the best cultural organisations in India. The Foundation conducts three annual festivals of music and dance which confirms its excellent track record:
Sharad Vaibhava - a three day national festival of classical dance and music in Bangalore. Since 1991 this festival has won popular acclaim and is eagerly looked forward to by the art-loving public.
Eka-Aneka - an all-night dance and music festival is held every year, for the last 14 years, on the Mahashivaratri night. This national level festival gives instant exposure to the young and promising artists who are presented along with more established performers.
Vijayotsav - The Hampi National Tourism Festival - a unique two-day cultural extravaganza is held at the majestic site of the Hampi ruins, the capital of the erstwhile Vijayanagar empire. This festival attracts not only Indians but also international tourists who throng the festival venue in thousands. Vijayotsav can easily be called the flag bearer of cultural tourism in India and has put Karnataka on the international cultural map. It was the first of its kind to be held at the Hampi ruins heralding a cultural and social revival of far reaching significance.
Prathibha's efforts preserves the heritage, avoids the vulgarity of government hand in culture, skirts the trappings of media hype and above all, it seeks to highlight the best of our culture to our audiences. It is a wonder that an accomplished artist could turn herself into a cultural promoter relying on inspiration rather than lucre. For Prathibha the Vijayotsav is an annual labour of love...
The drumbeats rose to a crescendo resounding through the carved pillars, the floodlit rocks, the awning sky itself. And when they stopped, the assembly tried to match the thunder with ecstatic clapping-Fascinating was the experience for the thousands who had gathered at Vijayotsav... an Indian Avignon - may be. Hampi could be the flagbearer in cultural tourism...
The idea of a festival at Hampi which was dropped altogether was picked up again by a committed dancer - Prathibha Prahlad, who realised its potential. With a band of dedicated youngsters, all volunteers helping Prasiddha Foundation, Prathibha has organised Vijayotsav - for three successive years. Her triumph is all the more impressive because she has pulled it off in spite of lack of support from the government...
The most remarkable aspect of the two-day Vijayotsav was featuring of several art forms from different parts of India. Whereas Khajuraho Festival presents only classical dance, the Vijayotsav featured a balanced representation of music and dance...
'Vijayotsav, Hampi' - A unique dance, Music and Drama Festival - The backdrop of the rising, huge rocks, dotted by mandapas, a Nandi heroine from stone and the starlit sky's canopy provided an impressive ambience. A god-given setting for classical dance and music...
Shruti - a thirteen episode tele-serial in Kannada was produced by Prasiddha Foundation for Bangalore Doordarshan. Telecast in 1995, the tele-serial is based on the life of a classical dancer caught in an insensitive marriage. It topped viewership charts. The Foundation was also commissioned by Bangalore Doordarshan to make a documentary on the 50 years of classical dance in Karnataka to be telecast on the occasion of the golden jubilee of India's independence. Natyakriti was telecast in April 1998.
Prathibha's efforts in forging international cultural exchange prompted her to organize performances of visiting international dance troupes from the United States, Japan and Malaysia in Bangalore.
In 1995 the Prasiddha Foundation also organised the 41st Conference of the Asia Pacific League for Freedom and Democracy, for the Taiwan based League in Bangalore. The Decennial celebrations of Sruti, a reputed classical music-dance magazine, were organised by the Foundation in 1994.
The Foundation has also organised innumerable training camps by renowned persons to help the future followers of the art.
The Prasiddha Foundation's singular contribution to the artists' community was to secure railway concession to the tune of 75 per cent in second class and 50 per cent in first class to artists travelling for performances either individually or in groups. This was possible entirely due to the tireless efforts of Prathibha Prahlad.