What We Do
Programs built to
bridge worlds.
Every AJI program is designed with one goal: to create genuine, lasting exchange between young people, teaching artists, and communities across the United States and South Africa.
P.A.C.E.
P.A.C.E. is AJI's flagship program. Since 2023, we have brought teaching artists to Gqeberha every year to work in schools, on stages, and alongside South African artists. What began as a small Jacksonville team has grown into a nationally-recruited cohort from 7 US cities.
P.A.C.E. is not a one-time visit. It is an annual commitment, building relationships, returning to the same schools, and growing something that genuinely belongs to the communities it serves.
2026 P.A.C.E. IV Highlights
- Nationally recruited team, 7 cities across the US
- 6+ partner schools across Nelson Mandela Bay
- 8-province dance workshop at the Eastern Cape Dance Festival
- Nelson Mandela University choir collaboration
- Ubuntu Youth Arts Festival, co-presented at the Mendi Arts Centre
- Voices of Art documentary, in post-production with student editors in Jacksonville
Program Timeline
- 2023, P.A.C.E. Inaugural
- 2024, P.A.C.E. II · Eastern Cape Dance Festival integration
- 2025, P.A.C.E. III · NMU, Nicki Ray Academy, Voices of Art
- 2026, P.A.C.E. IV · National team · 8 provinces
Ubuntu Youth Arts Festival, Gqeberha, South Africa · March 2026
Ubuntu Youth Arts Festival
Co-presented with Qhama Africa at the Mendi Arts Centre in New Brighton, the Ubuntu Youth Arts Festival is a dynamic week-long arts and workshop experience for secondary school through first-year college students.
Ubuntu, "I am because we are," is the spirit that defines every moment of this festival, as students and artists from different continents come together to learn, create, and celebrate.
International Exchange
Foreign Exchange Programs
Beyond P.A.C.E., AJI facilitates arts-centered exchanges with Jacksonville's Sister Cities, bringing students and artists from South Korea, Argentina, and beyond into our community, and sending Jacksonville artists out into the world.
Voices of Art, A Documentary in the Making.
Voices of Art is a documentary currently in post-production, co-created by student editors in Jacksonville and artists in Gqeberha. It captures the human story of P.A.C.E..
