ABOUT | collective

SALT LAMP CITY COLLECTIVE IS A PRODUCTION HOUSE THAT CARES DEEPLY ABOUT THEIR ARTISTS' WELL BEING. JUST AS MUCH AS WE ARE A COLLECTION OF MUSICIANS, WE ARE ALSO DEEPLY ROOTED IN OUR CORE VALUES:

PERMACULTURE, CREATIVITY, BODY-MIND AWARENESS, AND COMMUNITY.

Salt Lamp City is host to a bunch of strange events. We have an open access policy which simply means that anyone can come, regardless of their talent or background. Long-lasting friendships form here and no matter how much workload we have, there’s always an ethic of 'people first.' In other words, we care about each other.

The socio-economic paradigm in which we find ourselves immersed construes and constructs each one of to be and function as an isolated competitive unit. The logic of how we behave and act becomes influenced by what we have been encouraged to be, first and foremost: an individualized entity floating in a sea of other individualized entities. We are encouraged to promote our very own selves as commodities within a market. This creates within us a profound sense of alienation.

We do not wage war against the idea of the individual with his/her own boundaries--on the contrary, we believe in the empowerment of individuals who autonomously create. But what we do wage war against, are the unhealthy byproducts of a capitalistic society: competitiveness, jealousy, and commodification for the sake of inauthenticity.

We are an artist community, and we believe in the need to connect to each other at a very essential level. Each one of us is the sum of relations we have had to each other, and are storehouses of rich and complex backgrounds of experiences, values, and modes of being. Rather than fighting to protect and enforce our own individualized point of view on others, our aim is set towards understanding each others’ unique perspectives, set of values, experiences, and talents. We set aside our assumptions and opinions and learn to listen to each other, and work together. We can then experience true conviviality.

We must strive to feel with each other's hearts and see through each other's eyes. To make the sense of conviviality, come alive, dance, and have feeling. To come a little closer to each other, while still respecting our difference. To listen each other deeply, because each one of us has seeds of wisdom and something valuable to contribute. To recognize that our friendships and bonds are the basic seeds that hold us together and keep us strong. And we must live in solidarity as a community, knowing that by fulfilling the common good we can fulfill the individual good.

manifesto

Anchor 1

Anchor 2

Permaculture is a complex practice that is based on three principles: Care for the Earth, Care for people, and Return of surplus via reharvesting, recycling, and composting. At Salt Lamp City, we strive to see the interconnectedness of all things. We have four chickens, a lush vegatable garden, and a fruit orchard. We care about the planet and we strive to help others incorportate permaculture into their own lives - so that collectively we can all be on our game.

Creativity begins in darkness. The artist never entirely knows, but we take leap after leap into the dark, and there we find the next step within ourselves. At Salt Lamp City, we hold artist intensives, open mics, and jam sessions to create an intense focus on using art for self-discovery. Creativity is the natural order of life. As creative beings, we need a safe environment that allows us to open up to higher levels of consciousness. By surrounding ourselves with like minded individuals, we can recover our connection to our own self, and relieve our minds from the burden of the inner--and outer--critical voice.

At Salt Lamp City, we try to be kind to our bodies. We practice a healthy diet and we constantly keep the body in its flow with things like yoga and spiritual dance. Musical improvisation is also a powerful form of tuning into eachother's bodies. Check out our events section to find out more about Mindfulness and Movements, Open Jams, and Backyard Yoga, which take place on a weekly basis.