While you might enjoy bouncing on the sprung dancefloor in the concert hall or a drink and a plate of something in the food hall below, New Century also has a huge educational facility in the basement too.
The dBs Institute covers the whole footprint of the venue, beneath the food hall area, boasting state-of-the-art studios, lecture spaces and recording facilities.
And now, it’s planning to give away a scholarship to study its BSc (Hons) Live Sound degree next year.
One student will be funded for the degree’s full-time, three year course, with all tuition paid, and New Century is seeking applicants who feel they might not otherwise be able to apply to do so due to financial constraints.
Over the three year course, students learn all current mixing technologies, acoustics, modern speaker systems, sound system optimisation techniques, analogue and digital live sound production.
Abby Moore from New Century said: “We’re really excited to be able to partner with dBs Institute to offer this place – the student community located in our basement is a key part of our ecosystem at New Century, and we are thrilled to be working together to ensure that careers in the live industry are for everyone.
“In this milestone year, we’re celebrating all the wonderful ways the building and Manchester has developed and grown in the past 60 years with live music and events still at its heart. This scholarship feels like the perfect way to celebrate the city’s incredible live music history, and look ahead to its exciting future.”
Dom Kane, Head of Centre, dBs Manchester, added: “We’re proud to be collaborating with New Century to offer this exciting opportunity for one student to join us on the Live Sound degree this coming September. dBs is all about challenging conventions and pushing the boundaries in terms of sound, music and digital technology and we’re always excited to hear from passionate individuals. Working in this industry is for everyone.
If you have the drive and enthusiasm to work in live events, we want to hear from you.”
Alongside practical and tech skills, the course also gives students guidance on what it takes to succeed in the music and creative industries, how to set up your own business, working within a team and honing communication skills to maximise chances of employment.
Applications are welcome from anyone, and will require a statement ‘which demonstrates their passion for live sound and their future career aspirations in the industry’.
The deadline for applying is 30th April 2024. You can apply here…
