Movies under the stars: transforming Thames Walk into a community cinema
The open air cinema in Thames Walk
Image: Supplied
Once known for its high crime levels and tension, Thames Walk in Manenberg is being reimagined, not through policing or politics, but through popcorn, films, and the laughter of children.
Every second Saturday, the street transforms into an open-air cinema where around 90 local children and neighbours gather to enjoy a movie night under the stars.
The initiative, led by 32-year-old Darion Adams, founder of The AIM Society (Arts In Manenberg), has quickly become a beacon of positivity and unity in a community that has long needed both.
Adams described the project as a true community effort, powered entirely by residents.
“We host it in front of my neighbour’s house. The (electricity) lead, sheets, blankets, and mats I get are also from a community member, others are making popcorn,” he said.
“I felt that I needed to do something urgently. I have the equipment from previous screenings. We want to move throughout the street to different homes, transforming our road into a cinema for kids. No wall will be left untouched.”
Adams has since trained Fatima Van Der Lingen, a young woman from the area, to help run the movie nights. Fatima now assists with the screenings and setup ensuring the shows continue when Adams travels internationally for his work as a dancer, choreographer, arts administrator, and project manager.
As the founder of The AIM Society, Adams has spent years building a platform that uses art from dance and film to performance and dialogue to promote creativity, safety, and social change.
“AIM is a company that seeks to contribute to the cultural landscape of Manenberg and surrounding communities by producing art spaces where the community is exposed, engaged and educated by using art as a medium to produce culture and advocacy,” he explained.
The Thames Walk movie nights are part of a wider mission to create safe spaces through art, with a free dance school for local children set to relaunch in 2026.
Adams sees the outdoor cinema as no different to the city’s upmarket open-air film experiences like The Galileo, except this one belongs to the people.
“It’s all about the experience; it’s all about the kids. For me, it takes me back to when I was younger, when my friends always spoke about having this or that, and me not having it. We couldn’t also go to the cinema,” he said.
For Adams, The AIM Society represents more than just art it’s a form of leadership rooted in action and community ownership.
“At The AIM Society, we believe that community is not just an idea. It is a call to action. Unity in community exists when the solution to the problem is actioned and not waited upon. I simply bring the equipment. The community does the rest. I just simply lead without authority.”
He believes art holds the power to unite and uplift people beyond their daily struggles.