Flagship Program
P.A.C.E. — Performing Arts
Cultural Exchange
Since 2023, AJI has brought a team of US teaching artists to Gqeberha, South Africa every year to work in schools, on stages, and alongside local artists. P.A.C.E. is not a one-time visit — it is an annual commitment.
What Is P.A.C.E.?
Art that crosses borders.
Relationships that last.
P.A.C.E. stands for Performing Arts Cultural Exchange. Each year, AJI recruits a team of professional teaching artists from across the United States and sends them to Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa for an intensive residency.
Teaching artists work directly in partner schools, lead community workshops, participate in the Ubuntu Youth Arts Festival, and collaborate with South African artists on shared performances. The goal is never a one-directional exchange — it is a genuine partnership built over multiple years.
What started in 2023 as a small team from Jacksonville has grown into a nationally recruited cohort representing 7 cities across the United States — and the exchange is growing every year.
How P.A.C.E. Works
A residency built on depth, not tourism.
National Recruitment
AJI recruits performing arts professionals from across the US in dance, theatre, music theatre, vocal music, and visual arts. Our team is selected for skill, cultural humility, and commitment to the work.
School Residencies
Teaching artists go deep into partner schools across Nelson Mandela Bay — Nicki Ray Academy, Paterson High School, and more — leading workshops, master classes, and rehearsals over multiple days.
Ubuntu Festival
P.A.C.E. culminates at the Ubuntu Youth Arts Festival — a 3-day showcase co-presented with Qhama Africa at the Mendi Arts Centre, where students perform for their communities.
South African Collaboration
P.A.C.E. artists work alongside South African partners — not above them. The Eastern Cape Dance Festival, NMU choir, Qhama Africa, and local teaching artists are integral to every exchange.
Documentary & Media
Voices of Art is AJI's documentary currently in post-production — co-created by student editors in Jacksonville and artists in Gqeberha, capturing the human story of the P.A.C.E. exchange.
The Reverse Exchange
In Summer 2026, Qhama Africa travels to Jacksonville for the first reverse exchange — co-producing The Lion King Jr. with NFSSE and Greenlight Theatre Company alongside Jacksonville students.
P.A.C.E. Through the Years
Four years of growing something real.
Jacksonville Meets Gqeberha
The first P.A.C.E. team travels to South Africa — a small Jacksonville cohort making school visits, workshop sessions, and building the relationships that would define everything that followed.
Expanding Disciplines & Reach
New disciplines added. Eastern Cape Dance Festival integration begins. Partner school network grows. The exchange deepens.
Documentary, NMU, Nicki Ray
NMU choir collaboration. Nicki Ray Academy youth workshops. Voices of Art documentary begins production. The exchange becomes a media story.
7 Cities. 8 Provinces. One Exchange.
Nationally recruited team from 7 US cities. 6+ partner schools. 8-province dance workshop at the Eastern Cape Dance Festival. The Ubuntu Festival. The reverse exchange.
P.A.C.E. IV 2026 — Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa · Nicki Ray Academy · Eastern Cape Dance Festival
Join the Team
Apply to be a P.A.C.E. Teaching Artist.
AJI recruits performing arts professionals annually. We are looking for teaching artists in dance, theatre, music theatre, vocal music, and visual arts who are ready to work cross-culturally and give something of themselves to a community that will give it back tenfold.