First Thursday: Bringing the Cape Flats to Light

Explore the hidden gem of Cape Town’s Mitchells Plain with RLabs’ First Thursday initiative. This monthly event showcases the local culture with food stalls, art, and live entertainment, offering a safe space for visitors to interact with the community while supporting local businesses. With effective security measures and a focus on community spirit, RLabs is transforming the image of Mitchells Plain and inviting others to partake in its energy and culture.

Discover the hidden gems of Cape Town’s Mitchells Plain with RLabs’ First Thursday initiative. This community-based non-profit organization aims to showcase the local culture by offering a monthly cultural event with food stalls, local art, and live entertainment. With effective security measures, RLabs provides a safe space for visitors to interact with the community while supporting local businesses.

In 2012, in the heart of Cape Town, an innovative concept emerged named First Thursday. The aim was to create a secure environment where people could appreciate art, retail stores, and bars while enjoying a leisurely stroll at dusk. How about transplanting this vibrant idea to the Cape Flats? This was precisely the concept that Reconstructed Living Lab (RLabs) brought to life in Mitchells Plain over the past two years.

The Hidden Gems of Mitchells Plain

Tourism in Cape Town usually evokes visuals of the famous Table Mountain and the breath-taking Winelands. But there is more to Cape Town than meets the eye, according to Chenique Jacobs, the Project Lead for RLabs House. This community-based non-profit organization insists that hidden treasures await discovery in places like Mitchells Plain.

Jacobs states, “When people ponder tourism, Mitchells Plain rarely comes to mind.” She ardently advocates the exploration of these ‘concealed jewels,’ emphasizing that genuine interaction with the local culture can be as rewarding, if not more so.

Transcending Boundaries with RLabs

RLabs has undertaken various initiatives to turn this community into a sought-after tourist attraction, all under the banner of the ‘Westridge Tourism Precinct Project‘. One such initiative is First Thursdays Mitchells Plain. This monthly cultural event held in Westridge offers an absorbing cultural experience. Local vendors and performers from the Cape Flats provide everything from food stalls and art to live entertainment.

Proudly hosting this event, RLabs provides a window into the vibrant local life. From this vantage point, visitors can take in the graffiti-themed walls, interact with artwork displayed at the nearby RLabs house, or partake in live performances at the Mocha Lounge. This event venue, a resident’s garage transformed ingeniously, adds a unique touch to the experience.

The Spirit of Community

The theme of this event accurately reflects the community’s spirit: ‘It’s the small things’. Jacobs emphasizes that the event’s focus is on the ‘underdogs in the community who are often overlooked’. She is passionate about urging the community to appreciate locally available art, music, and entertainment and to patronize local vendors. This underscores the belief that a community’s soul flourishes through its member’s support.

One of the most impressive aspects of this event is that it hosts over thirty vendors. This provides a platform for local businesses to exhibit their services and products. Despite the negative reputation that Mitchells Plain sometimes encounters, Jacobs firmly believes that this image can be changed.

The Change is Here

Jacobs uses the absence of crime at these events, due in part to effective security measures, as a strong indication that a transformation is possible. “The Mitchells Plain First Thursday events are for the community,” Jacobs states. This encapsulates the essence of these events – a local celebration that uplifts the community while inviting others to partake in its energy and culture.

Cape Town’s typical tourist attractions will always hold their appeal. However, initiatives like the ‘Westridge Tourism Precinct Project’ remind us that a place’s true attraction often lies in its hidden corners and unrecognized heroes.

1. What is RLabs’ First Thursday initiative?

RLabs’ First Thursday initiative is a monthly cultural event held in Westridge, Mitchells Plain that aims to showcase the local culture by offering food stalls, local art, and live entertainment.

2. What is the Westridge Tourism Precinct Project?

The Westridge Tourism Precinct Project is an initiative undertaken by RLabs to turn Mitchells Plain into a sought-after tourist attraction by offering absorbing cultural experiences that allow visitors to take in the vibrant local life.

3. What does the First Thursday initiative offer?

The First Thursday initiative offers a safe space for visitors to interact with the community while supporting local businesses. It provides a platform for local businesses to exhibit their services and products and offers visitors the opportunity to partake in local artwork, music, and entertainment.

4. How many vendors does the First Thursday initiative host?

The First Thursday initiative hosts over thirty vendors, providing a platform for local businesses to showcase their products and services.

5. What is the theme of the First Thursday initiative?

The theme of the First Thursday initiative is ‘It’s the small things,’ which reflects the community’s spirit and focuses on the underdogs in the community who are often overlooked.

6. What is the belief behind the First Thursday initiative?

The belief behind the First Thursday initiative is that a community’s soul flourishes through its members’ support, and local celebrations that uplift the community while inviting others to partake in its energy and culture can change a community’s negative reputation.