Everyone can be infected or affected by HIV/AIDS “we are all the same” those are the words of Nkosi Johnson. Dick Scanian is an American citizen who established artsINSIDEOUT, a non-profit organization that is reaching out to HIV/AIDS victims all over the world through the work of arts. Just like any other person Dick was touched by the story of Nkosi Johnson who bravely address the nation during the 2000 International AIDS held at Durban.
Also being affected by HIV/AIDS Dick and his colleagues decided to start this exceptional organization which its mission is to travel all over around the globe visiting areas that have been hit hard by this epidemic disease, working with young people who have been similarly impacted by HIV/AIDS. Through acting, singing, dancing, story telling techniques and visual arts, artsINSIDEOUT inspires its students to unleash their creative energy and communicate their own experience.
Their first visit to South Africa came in 2011, when they visited Nkosi’ haven to spend two weeks with our residents mostly the kids empowering them to believe in themselves and believe that they can make it in life irrespective of their HIV status. They are currently on their third visit to our organization and its always nice having them over here.
This year’s program is slightly different from the past two as they have aimed on expanding it to reach out to more people with the inclusion of more artists than before artsINSIDEOUT hope that they will manage to make a different more children than before. On the 4 of July 2013 it will be the last day of the this year program and we will be witnessing performance from all groups that took part in this program showing off what they have learn is the past couple days. artsINSIDEOUT hopes to expand within other regions around the world mostly African in the in the future.
