The National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) North is a permanent home for the development of the performing arts in Trinidad and Tobago. The facility is a nexus of cultural activity, which among other things provides a state-of-the-art facility for advancing and celebrating the national musical instrument, the steelpan.
NAPA serves as a performance and teaching academy, as well as an entertainment venue. The building’s design comprises a cluster of domes configured to resemble Trinidad and Tobago’s national flower, the Chaconia, which is identifiable by a fiery burst of red petals that gently taper into a loosely hanging tail. The dome cluster, which at its highest point is 100 feet, features an array of open spaces for performance and entertainment.
The NAPA plays a pivotal role in the government’s multifaceted plan for the development and is central to the promotion of the cultural tourism industry in Trinidad and Tobago. The facility is in excess of 40,000 sq. ft and features a 1,500-seat acoustically designed performance hall, practice rooms, teaching rooms, state- of-the-art lighting and sound features, as well as a hotel for visiting performers and landscaped grounds.