Established in 1984, the ACDC was Francis' response to the 1976 youth uprisings. As an artist, he wanted to find a sincere and meaningful way to address the crisis of life and death in South Africa. He chose to harness the emotional, often impetuous energy of the youth, directing it into a programme that would offer them creative choices to find solutions to the crisis they found themselves in.
The centre treaded the often turbulent path to democracy developing cultural, artistic, educational and vocational programmes with the ethos of educating through the arts. During this time the ACC sought to establish a permanent residence in the cultural hub of Newtown, but over the years, came up against insurmountable obstacles.
At the same time Francis was also becoming aware of the remarkable transformative power of film on the young people he was taking to international youth film festivals. "I realised that young people simply need to be given the structure and they will start to blossom, and what I mean by structure is moving away from bricks and mortar to a structure within one's life, a framework for living."
Partnering internationally with the Association of Danish Film Clubs for children and young people (DaBUF), Francis developed the idea of a vibrant, voluntary cultural movement that would engage young people using the medium of film as a vehicle for understanding and change. Furthermore it would be inclusionary of the youth it sought to embrace. Through the self development of the organisational framework of a club, it would empower the participants with skills that would give their own lives structure and develop their vocational and entrepreneurial abilities.
Thus the ACC devolved into the ACDC, with nine film clubs from the Greater Johannesburg area taking part. Each club is a separate legal entity with its own constitution and affiliated with the ACC. The centre can now serve the needs of the youth in these clubs on numerous levels.
By embracing the notion of film for development, age appropriate films would offer the participants an opportunity to see how other young people are dealing with their situation and the universal issues affecting the youth. The centre boasts an excellent library of both local and international current, relevant and thought provoking films.
"We are extending their world view and their understanding of their part and place in our world. As South Africans, we tend to look at things in a very isolated way. This is a way for young people to take up the challenges of transforming their world," says Francis.
Using workshops, mentorship and support, the programme also offers the participating members training in project development, management and event organisation. Through the club's constitutional framework that mirrors that of the country, the members also gain an understanding of democracy, their place within that democracy and the responsibility of understanding one's rights and accountability.
