HAWAIʻI CONSERVATORY OF PERFORMING ARTS
“There is no other program on the island where you can receive this kind of top-tier conservatory training…and all at community college prices…this is the best deal imaginable for any person – young or old – who has a serious interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry.”
—Brandon DiPaola
The Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts, nestled among the Koʻolau mountains at Windward Community College, offers aspiring performers of Hawaiʻi the same quality of training as top-tier conservatories the world over with one distinction - their training amplifies local stories and Native Hawaiian content creators with exciting, evocative, original productions by the working artists of our island.
"Above and beyond is the greatest understatement I can use to describe the Windward CC Theatre program. Not only did it change my life, Taurie and Nick revealed a talent in me that I never knew I had. The knowledge, experience, and tireless dedication that they have shared with me, as well as many Native Hawaiian actors like me, allowed me to land professional speaking roles in both theatre and film."
—Stuart Kalehua Featheran, The Wind and The Reckoning
If the arts are truly for all people, then a career in the arts must be possible for any person who has the talent and tenacity to pursue one. Equal representation on stage and screen is only achievable if aspiring performers from all backgrounds and populations have access to the infrastructure and skills crucial for booking paying jobs in productions.
HCPA creates productions for their students, to serve their stories, give them voices, and offer opportunities to hone their professional skills with work that speaks to them directly from their kūpuna.
HCPA's visiting guest artists and educators come to our islands from the most prestigious companies and conservatories on the continent, and abroad, to engage in rigorous sharing of art and culture. We offer our students a comprehensive approach to their training and careers that begins in the islands and extends across the globe through the visiting artists we connect them with, as well as through unique programs like our UK Footholds Shakespeare Experience Study Abroad in London and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Our graduates encounter the world and the entertainment industry on their own terms, with their own stories in their hearts, and endowed with the skills, confidence and passion to share them with aloha.
The Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts is auditioning now for first cohort of a new one-year intensive professional preparation program, the premiere Foundation in Acting, which will begin their course of study in Fall of 2023. Any applicant who auditions successfully for a spot on the cohort will have their tuition completely covered by scholarships for this 1-year program.
Find our more about auditions here: https://conservatory.windward.hawaii.edu/auditions/
In an age when audiences and the industry are desperate for untold stories brought to life by performers representative of our diverse people, Hawaiʻi should be a wellspring of new talent to fill these roles. The only thing missing is the infrastructure from which this next generation of artists can reach for the stars. The Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts, the first professional conservatory in the islands, rises to meet this moment, and offers the artists of these islands the support and training to thrive as working professionals.