Following a grant from The Granada Foundation, the RNCM is delighted to announce that its newly refurbished Lecture Theatre will be renamed the Forman Lecture Theatre after the late Sir Denis Forman.
Sir Denis (1917-2013) was born in Scotland and educated at Loretto and Pembroke College, Cambridge. After service in the Second World War he was appointed Director of the British Film Institute and in 1955 was recruited by Sidney Bernstein to help set up Granada Television in Manchester, later becoming Managing Director, and Chairman until 1987. He was instrumental in bringing The Jewel in the Crown to television and received a BAFTA Fellowship in 1977.
During his years at Granada, Sir Denis was also a member of the RNCM’s Council (1977-84), Chairman of the BFI, Deputy Chairman of the Royal Opera House and chaired a number of major television industry committees. In addition he wrote several books, including Mozart’s Concerto Form and The Good Opera Guide.
The RNCM has a strong connection with The Granada Foundation. Lady Renna Manduell, former Head of the School of Keyboard Studies and wife of founding Principal, Sir John Manduell, and former governor Philip Ramsbottom are both trustees, and Kathy Arundale, Sir Denis’ assistant for many years, is a life member of the RNCM Friends.
The Lecture Theatre redevelopment is part of a larger £7.1 million project which has seen the RNCM transform its 40-year-old Concert Hall into a state-of-the-art venue and reconfigure backstage areas to support increased student numbers and provide a professional learning environment at industry standard. The project reaches its conclusion later this month, with all spaces reopening in November.
