RNCM Research Forum: Global Music Training

Speakers Dr Robert Gardiner and David Bullock Royal Northern College of Music and Olympias Music Foundation Bryony Simcox and George Webster Broaden About The event will spotlight the Olympias Music Foundation: it will feature a screening of the documentary More Than Music, overviews of a pilot research project and a recently commenced PhD project, and a Q&A with some of the researchers, musicians, and film makers involved in the projects. More Than Music (directed by Bryony Simcox and George Webster) is a documentary about music education. From santoor to cello, classrooms to concert halls, the film follows music charity Olympias across the space of a year. Against the bleak backdrop of dwindling investment in music education and inequality in Britain?s north, Manchester-based Olympias work with bravery and joy. The documentary invites viewers into family homes, a bustling library, a music conservatoire, allotments and city streets asking: what do we lose without diverse, progressive, and sustainable music education? Meet the teachers, musicians, parents, carers, and bunch of avid children leaving convention behind to make so much more than music, and see how Olympias?s commitment to community transforms lives. Evocative and informative in equal measure, this is an honest portrayal of a resilient northern organisation redefining what music education can look like in Britain. Tickets Free admission, no ticket required This event will end at approximately 5.30pm. FREE Wednesday 4 February 2026, 4.15pm