Opera Outreach

The Learning and Participation Department at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is dedicated to expanding access to classical music for diverse audiences. Over the past two years, with the generous support of the Linbury Trust, we have successfully introduced opera to new audiences throughout the Midlands.

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Our Opera Outreach initiatives have included welcoming 1,200 primary school children to the Conservatoire for performances by our students, hosting pop-up performances at New Street Station and across the BCU campus, and conducting educational workshops during school visits.

Another element of our Opera Outreach Programme is the RBC Young Singers, an inspiring and diverse ensemble for talented singers aged 11 to 18, celebrating the joy of music across a wide range of styles. Our sessions foster a vibrant community where young voices from all backgrounds come together to explore their passion for singing.

The training and development of RBC students is a vital part of the programme. All our opera performances for children feature our vocal students, and this year we are also offering placement training opportunities to enhance their experience and professional development. We also provide professional development opportunities for class teachers in school to build their confidence in delivering vocal work.

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RBC Primary School of Music

In 2024, St Benedict’s Primary School in Small Heath, Birmingham, became our first RBC Primary School of Music. The school will be working closely with RBC over the next two years to provide a range of high-quality music opportunities for staff and pupils both within St Benedict’s and at RBC.

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Opera Outreach

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SoundLab

SoundLab BRUM is Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s centre for creative music-making for 11-18 year olds from across the city. Open to instrumentalists & vocalists at any level of ability, SoundLab’s aim is to create a welcoming & nurturing community for young people passionate about creating and performing original music.

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BCU Beats and Voices

BCU Beats and BCU Voices are two free, non-auditioned music sessions for all staff and students from across the University. Funded by the Vice Chancellor of the University, they are a fun and friendly space for you to try out new musical skills, destress at the end of the day and improve your health and wellbeing.

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for love is your
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[Music]
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reward we're very lucky to have had this
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funding over the last two years here at
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world buing conservator for Opera
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Outreach it means that we can encourage
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new people to the art form and be able
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to tell these stories in a new and
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exciting way
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[Music]
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with
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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and that's brought thousands of young
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people into contct some many of them for
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the first time with Opera as an art form
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if you enjoy singing I want to hear you
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all say together after me hey can you do
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that ready after me one 2 3 hey
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[Music]
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[Music]
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some from story Together High voices low
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voices too sound good running around
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everywhere
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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I really liked it because it was like uh
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it was kind of like comedy and like lots
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of genes I liked all of them and it was
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really enjoyable it's important that we
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show that it's it's aged and it's lived
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and it's loved for a reason my entire
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scene it was all in German and they were
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completely engaged just really nice to
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see especially younger people getting
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interested in classical music and Opera
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finally big thank you to all of you for
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being a wonderful audience
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[Music]
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everything my
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way the RO bone conservat young singers
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project has also given young young
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people the opportunity to work directly
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one oneon-one with professional opera
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singers when you have a project taking
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place like this it allows all children
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um from all walks of life to come and
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take part watching them grow in the
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environment that young singers has has
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been amazing everyone here is so nice
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good yeah I enjoy it here it's the most
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professional thing I do it's just nice
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supposed to be here a calm way to like
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just have fun I don't think I'd be as
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progressed in terms of singing as I am
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now being exposed to the different
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genres everyone here likes this thing
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and no one's the other way out or
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anything and that's opened up all sorts
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of different Pathways for them with
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their music
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[Music]
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back to your
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life
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yeah beautiful I auditioned for nymt
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this year and I've got into the 23 24
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cast something extra when he's at school
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and he does the concerts at school me
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know the other kids or the people who
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are going to believe in them and and
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help them home what they love to do and
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have fun her shoulders back more she's
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standing taller and confidence he's got
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it's been a really positive experience
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for her it's it's breathtaking be hon
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with
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you and it's really about inspiring both
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inspiring the young people to want to be
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in the position where our current
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students are and inspiring our students
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to want to encourage the next generation
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of young
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singers Birmingham has got a wonderful
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tradition uh for um bringing Opera to
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communities this limb trust project has
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enabled us to get out and actually reach
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new audiences investing in the young
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people giving them opportunities in an
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age when we're increasingly focused on
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our screens actually you know an art
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form which is en encourage us to look up
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um to join the dots uh to listen and be
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entertained by these wonderful stories
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to be moved that sense of community that
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sense of belonging that sense of coming
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together the connections and the
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friendships and the teaching you don't
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realize what you do for these children
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it it is amazing it really is it's
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funding people's love of singing self
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fulfillment self-confidence something to
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work towards something to be without
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this womaning she would not have been
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able to get as far as she's got we've
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got a fantastic base now um the limur
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has been instrument m in helping us to
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to um lay the foundations for that and
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that's really quite special it feels uh
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like a really exciting place to be doing
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that and to be building on this model
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that we've developed which can be found
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in no other
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conservat and we all go together
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toide Mountain
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Time all around the glooming ever
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[Music]