The Royal North College of Music in Manchester has announced plans to transform its former Studio Theatre into a state-of-the-art rehearsal and recording area by fitting the world's largest BOXY modular studio system.
The £850,000 project will convert the space, previously used for small-scale productions and concerts, into a designated student area with a particular focus on popular music.
Capture
The work, which is set to be completed by September 2016, will include the installation of a 12m x 11m x 4m BOXY pod incorporating a fully-equipped recording studio.
The refurbishment will then enable RNCM musicians to comfortably create and capture amplified and electronic music.
Professor Linda Merrick, RNCM Principal, told 4BR: "The RNCM has an ongoing commitment to enhance the experience of its students, enabling them to work flexibly within and across different musical genres and to create and capture innovative new work that can drive the art form forward.
We already pride ourselves on offering exceptional performance opportunities to everyone who studies here, and transforming our former Studio Theatre into a high specification performance and recording space is another step to ensure the College remains at the forefront of music education nationally and internationally."
Overhaul
This new plan follows the College's recent £7.1 million redevelopment which overhauled the building's 40-year-old Concert Hall and backstage areas to include new air-conditioning and heating system, new flooring and seating, advanced technical facilities and lighting, and a new balcony and raised floor area to considerably increase capacity.
In September 2015 the RNCM launched the UK's first four-year BMus Degree in Popular Music.
This new plan follows the College's recent £7.1 million redevelopment which overhauled the building's 40-year-old Concert Hall and backstage areas4BR
Degrees
The course, one of only three four-year popular music degrees in the world, provides intensive training for instrumentalists and singers with a high level of performing ability who intend to work as freelance musicians, bands and artists in the popular music industry, or as a preparation for postgraduate study.
