New arthouse cinema opens in Kensal Rise

Sally Wilton has converted an Edwardian hall in Kensal Rise into a state-of-the-art cinema, profits from which will fund projects in South Africa. Wally Hammond meets her

Citizen Kane famously declared, ‘It would be fun to run a newspaper.’ Businesswoman Sally Wilton, in an interview in Director magazine in 1992, expressed her ambition to open her own cinema. It’s taken her 15 years of searching for a suitable site, until last year she came across a ‘To Let’ sign at the closed, Edwardian-era community hall at 194 Chamberlayne Road, NW10. Twelve months on, she’s sunk £250,000 of her money into the refurbishment of the building, installed a digital projector (at a cost of £50,000) and engaged Eden Project artist Bruce Munro to brighten the space with his inimitable art installations – including a magnificent chandelier. This week she’ll open the doors to London’s first ‘social enterprise arthouse digital cinema’, a welcoming and intimate 80-seat auditorium named after her daughter as The Lexi, trading under the aegis of The Pinkham Lighthouse Project.

Wilton is full of enthusiasm when I meet her in nearby Minky’s delicatessen and coffee shop. ‘This area’s changed tremendously. I think residents are looking for more of a community feel. One of the things that influenced me was when we got hit by the tornado in 2006. It changed things. We had a fantastic street party the next year; this year we’re going to have it in The Lexi. It’s about community and getting to know people and talking to the neighbours again.'

Wilton aims to show a mixture of ‘arthouse, world cinema, retrospectives and some good mainstream’ films and has engaged Clare Binns at Zoo, the UK’s largest independent cinema operator, to programme the screens. ‘My vision is to recreate the magic of cinema. To make it a really exciting event, not just “Shall I go and see a film?” Or “Let’s see what’s on”. I want it to be something that you look forward to, more like going to the theatre or a concert. I want people to get excited about coming here.’

Wilton also realises the importance of creating a welcoming atmosphere and engaging committed staff. ‘I know it’s critical to have the right manager, and I’ve got the right one. We’ve got a group of charming film students who are all very keen to work here. My daughter is an actress and has lots of friends who’ll come. It’s really, really exciting. I’ve also got two and a half staff who’ve been picked for their passion – passion for film and passion for getting to know people. And they’re also very interested in the idea of social enterprise.’

The social enterprise element is key. Wilton will run the cinema on a non-profit basis, underwriting all the capital costs and covenanting all her profits through the Pinkham Lighthouse to the Sustainibility Institute in South Africa, an ambitious ‘living and learning’ project in an agricultural area outside of Stellenbosch. The cinema opens on Friday. We wish her staff, her cinema and her philanthropy all the very best.

www.thelexicinema.co.uk

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