NACAPA

New Nonprofit Launches in Los Angeles to Advance African Performing Arts

Los Angeles-based NACAPA launches with five founding programs, a six-member board, and a mandate to preserve, present, and advance the performing arts of the African continent and its diaspora.

LOS ANGELES, CA — A founding board of six cultural leaders officially established the North American Center for African Performing Arts (NACAPA) as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation in April 2026, launching a new institution dedicated to the preservation, presentation, and advancement of African performing arts traditions.

NACAPA, guided by the motto Preserve. Celebrate. Connect. and the phrase Rooted in Africa, Alive in America, will serve as both a programmatic center and a scholarly resource for the diverse performing traditions of the African continent and its diaspora, from the griot oral poetry of West Africa to the ngoma ceremonial dance of Central and East Africa, the masquerade traditions of the Niger Delta, the court music of Ethiopia and Morocco, and the vibrant contemporary performing scenes of Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Accra.

“African performing arts are among the most sophisticated in the world,” said Dr. Anderson Isiagu, Founding Executive Director. “But in North America, they are routinely underfunded, misclassified, and presented without the cultural specificity they deserve. NACAPA exists to correct that, not as a curatorial project, but as a community institution that is artist-led, research-grounded, and deeply rooted in Los Angeles.”

Los Angeles was chosen as NACAPA’s founding home deliberately. The region is home to substantial African immigrant, African American, and wider Black diasporic communities, and it remains a major global center for entertainment, live performance, and cultural production. NACAPA sees that combination as especially important for building durable connections between African artistic heritage and North American audiences, institutions, and collaborators. 

NACAPA’s founding programs span five areas: an African Performing Arts Institute focused on residencies and training programs; community performance events; an archival documentation initiative; a cultural exchange program connecting North American and African artists; and an educational program designed for schools and community organizations.

ABOUT THE FOUNDING BOARD

Board Chair	Jeremy Hoff
Board Secretary	Ashley L. Douglas
Board Treasurer	Rev. Kenneth C. Ugwu SSJ., Ph.D.
Board Member	Dr. Andrea Roberson
Board Member	Gene Roberson
Board Member	Julia Isiagu
Founding Executive Director/CEO	Dr. Anderson Isiagu

NACAPA has received federal recognition as a tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The organization will host its first public programs in Los Angeles beginning in summer 2026. Community members, artists, cultural organizations, and potential partners are invited to connect at nacapa.org or info@nacapa.org.

About NACAPAThe North American Center for African Performing Arts (NACAPA) is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation founded in 2026, with headquarters in Los Angeles, California. NACAPA’s mission is to preserve, celebrate, and connect African performing arts traditions across North America through programs, performance, research, and cultural exchange. NACAPA is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. EIN: 41-5043697. nacapa.org