New Performing Arts Centre hailed as major boost for creative industry

By Staff Writer
The opening of the National Performing Arts Centre today marks a significant milestone for Antigua and Barbuda’s creative industry, according to Ambassador Elizabeth Makhoul, chairperson of the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission, which will manage the facility.
“This Centre gives our artists a place to aspire to, our young people a space to discover their abilities and our nation a platform to share its stories with the world. Its true legacy will be measured not only by the performances it hosts but also by the opportunities it creates and the generations of creatives it inspires,” Makhoul said.
The centre is also expected to strengthen performing arts education, foster collaboration and expand the creative sector’s contribution to employment, business and economic development.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne described the centre as both a cultural investment and an economic opportunity, saying it could empower creatives and enhance the country’s tourism offering.
empower creatives and strengthen the country’s tourism offering.
“With the opening of the National Performing Arts Centre, we are giving our artists a stage, our young people a platform to hone their skills and our creative arts a home,” Browne said.
Browne also highlighted the transformation of the former Deluxe Cinema into a national facility for music, dance, theatre and storytelling. He said the centre would help preserve the nation’s cultural heritage while nurturing future generations of creatives.
Located at the corner of High and Cross Streets, the centre is the country’s first state-owned performing arts theatre and has seating for approximately 850 people. Its theme is “Bring Our Culture. Shape Our Identity.”