50 Anlaby Road, Hull, HU1 2PD   |   Tel: 01482 310690
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NAPA’s vision, mission and values….

The Northern Academy of Performing Arts is a pioneering arts charity providing excellent, affordable training in Hull and the East Riding for all ages.

Our vision is to change lives through performing arts activities in this region.

From our home in the iconic 1904 Art School adjacent to Hull Paragon Station, we provide a wide range of classes to around 650 students each week delivered by a professional teaching staff in the fields of dance, acting and musical theatre.

In addition, NAPA’s innovative educational outreach programme supplies training in primary schools across the region reaching over 2000 pupils, enriching their day to day education. We run a full-time level 3 Performing and Production Arts course in collaboration with Wilberforce College and UAL.

One of our key targets is to give people as many opportunities to develop their skills and confidence through live performance as possible. We stage productions all year round in our own 125 seat NAPA theatre as well as larger scale shows at Hull Truck, Hull New Theatre and Hull City Hall.

Pupils study with us for many different reasons, some just for fun, some to build confidence and some because it is their chosen career path. Each year young people progress from NAPA onto full-time professional training at vocational colleges across the country, and then onto working in the industry.

NAPA is proud of its professional standards and caring ethos, believing and investing in the creativity and confidence of our students. We are about to embark on the next exciting phase of our existence with a large capital project to renovate our base in Hull.

Our values

STUDENT FOCUSED: Students are at the heart of everything we do at NAPA and their training and welfare are the basis of all decisions. We support each other, creating a warm, nurturing environment for students to maximise their potential.

INCLUSIVITY: We celebrate the diversity of all within our community. We aim to create a genuinely inclusive environment where diverse voices are present and active in all aspects of the organisation.

ACCESS: We are committed to equality and access and breaking down all barriers to the arts for young people and through our adult classes. We engage with the wider community through our outreach programme.

EXCELLENCE: NAPA values and challenges the individual so that they may achieve their highest levels of attainment. We maintain the highest standards of excellence in our training and public performances.

INNOVATION: To provide a unique educational approach that has creativity, ambition and innovation at its core.

COLLABORATION: We find greater strength by sharing resources and ideas with others, working in ways which are partnership spirited. We form partnerships which will enhance the opportunities offered to our young people.

Our mission

NAPA is a pioneering youth arts charity. Our mission is to ensure that people in the region have access to affordable, high-quality, professional training in dance, acting and musical theatre regardless of income, background or experience.

We believe in the transformative power of the arts and exist to empower our students by increasing confidence, communication skills, resilience, empathy and social connectivity in a fun, safe environment. This helps people to define their own lives by expanding their horizons, alerting them to their own potentials and increasing the choices available to them.

We will help to showcase the talent of our region and unlock new opportunities for our participants and their families.