Founder Darion Adams spent the day sharing stories, screening films, and encouraging young people to see the power in their own narratives.
Cape Town, South Africa (11 December 2025) – Founded in 2023, the AIM Society, which is short for Arts in Manenberg, has steadily grown into a creative force dedicated to transforming the cultural life of Manenberg and the surrounding communities. The organisation focuses on producing artistic spaces that expose, educate and engage the public, using art as a powerful medium for advocacy.
Their work has already made a visible impact. AIM Society visited the Bartosch Foundation for a youth-focused outreach. Founder Darion Adams led the session, spending the day speaking openly about their life, their beginnings in the arts, and the journey that shaped their commitment to community work. By sharing personal stories of resilience, creativity and growth, Darion offered the young people a model of what it means to use art not only as expression, but also as healing and empowerment.
The visit included a screening of Darion’s dance films, followed by a conversation circle where the attendees reflected on their lives, asked questions and shared their own perspectives.
Moments like these also reaffirm the organisation’s belief that storytelling is more than entertainment. It is a bridge and a way for young people to recognise themselves, to imagine futures they may never have seen before, and to understand that their own experiences carry value, power and potential.
That same spirit of change was carried into one of their most loved initiatives, a small open-air cinema project in Cape Town, where every second Saturday a quiet street is transformed into a movie space for children.
In an area often associated with gang activity and violence, these screenings have become a symbol of possibility.
For AIM Society, community-building is about showing up, listening, and holding space.
And through efforts like the Masiphumelele outreach and open air cinema, the organisation moves one step closer to helping young people see that they belong and are able to create stories worth sharing.
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