Together We Are Changing Lives Through the Arts
AJI is a Jacksonville-based nonprofit building genuine, lasting cultural bridges between the United States and South Africa through education, exchange, and the transformative power of performing arts.
We put art in action, and we'd love for you to join our efforts.
How We Work
Four pillars of lasting exchange.
Every AJI program operates through one of four pillars, each designed to create real, measurable impact in the communities we serve together.
Performance & Cultural Exchange
P.A.C.E. brings Jacksonville teaching artists to Gqeberha, South Africa every year, working in schools, on stages, and alongside local artists. Now in its 4th year with a nationally recruited team from 7 US cities.
Ubuntu Youth Arts Festival
A week-long youth arts and workshop experience in Gqeberha, co-presented with Qhama Africa at the Mendi Arts Centre, open to secondary school and first-year college students from across the Eastern Cape.
Reverse Exchange, South Africa to Jacksonville
The first reverse exchange: Qhama Africa travels to Jacksonville in Summer 2026 to co-produce The Lion King Jr. alongside North Florida School of Special Education (NFSSE) and Greenlight Theatre Company.
Sister Cities & Global Exchange
Beyond South Africa, AJI leads arts workshops and exchanges with Jacksonville's Sister Cities, including South Korean and Argentine student delegations, weaving arts into diplomacy and community connection.
Featured
Voices of Art, AJI Promo
See the P.A.C.E. exchange in action. Our promo film captures the human story of what happens when teaching artists from the United States step into schools, stages, and communities in Gqeberha, South Africa.
Get Started
How can we connect?
Find your place in this work.
Donate
Be part of the impact. Every gift directly funds teaching artist travel, school programs, and the Ubuntu Youth Arts Festival.
Make a GiftApply as a Teaching Artist
AJI recruits performing arts professionals annually for the P.A.C.E. exchange to South Africa. Dance, theatre, music, visual arts. All disciplines welcome.
Apply NowExplore Programs
From P.A.C.E. to the Ubuntu Festival to the first reverse exchange. Learn what AJI is building on both sides of the Atlantic.
See All ProgramsPartner With Us
Schools and institutions in South Africa and the US can join AJI's network. We're growing, and there's room for your organization.
Become a PartnerView the Gallery
Fifty-plus photos from P.A.C.E., the Ubuntu Festival, school visits, and the Democracy Celebration Parade, the exchange in pictures.
Open GalleryOur Story
Learn how AJI grew from a single Jacksonville team to a nationally-recruited exchange spanning 3 continents and 8 South African provinces.
Learn MoreOur Partners
Built on trust, collaboration, and shared purpose.
Contact Us