{"id":194533,"date":"2026-03-04T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/?p=194533"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:39:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T21:39:27","slug":"space-faders-charles-thorpes-creative-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/community\/space-faders-charles-thorpes-creative-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Space & Faders: Charles Thorpe\u2019s Creative Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Charles
Space and Faders<\/em> occupies what was previously used as an industrial building in South Salt Lake. Photo: Roberto Valdez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Charles Thorpe has spent more than two decades working behind the scenes in live music. If you\u2019ve gone to a concert in Utah over the past 20 years, chances are Thorpe and his company, Anchor Stage Management<\/em><\/a>, played a role in making it happen. More recently, Thorpe has expanded his role in the local music scene with Space and Faders<\/em><\/a>, a multi-use musicians\u2019 playground designed to support artists at every stage of the creative process.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cFor my clients, I\u2019m Tylenol. For artists, I\u2019m gravity.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A typical interview starts with a handshake, a few how-do-you-dos and pressing record. This one started with a three-hour tour. Walk the hallways of Space and Faders<\/em>, and you\u2019ll see they are covered floor to ceiling with signed concert posters. \u201cYou\u2019re walking through my r\u00e9sum\u00e9,\u201d Thorpe says.<\/p>\n

After years of working in stage management, Thorpe founded Anchor Stage Management<\/em> in 2007 and now helps produce more than 350 shows annually throughout Utah. When I asked what his role was at Anchor,<\/em> Thorpe laughed. \u201cFor my clients, I\u2019m Tylenol. For artists, I\u2019m gravity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cMusic was always going to be the foundation, but I really wanted to have a platform for any kind of art.”<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In 2020, as venues went dark during the pandemic, Thorpe moved forward with plans for Space and Faders<\/em>, a project he had been considering for years. The former industrial building in South Salt Lake, which he now owns, was converted into studio space, rehearsal rooms and multiple creative areas. \u201cYou can write, rehearse, record, shoot the album cover and shoot the music video here,\u201d Thorpe says. \u201cYou can do it all in a day if you have the gumption.\u201d<\/p>\n

The setup of Space and Faders<\/em> resembles a music building on a college campus \u2014 if that college were run by someone in band T-shirts and Vans instead of cardigans and Florsheims. Each room has its own purpose, with some meant for seasoned musicians, while others cater to students working alongside teachers. Thorpe is currently building out bigger spaces to accommodate larger production needs and classes.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou can write, rehearse, record, shoot the album cover and shoot the music video here. You can do it all in a day if you have the gumption.”<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\"Charles
Thorpe’s role at Space and Faders<\/em> comes from learning the ins and outs of the music industry for decades. Photo: Roberto Valdez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Thorpe, the space wasn\u2019t intended to be music-exclusive. \u201cMusic was always going to be the foundation, but I really wanted to have a platform for any kind of art,\u201d he says. Podcasting, voiceover work, photography, performance art \u2014 the goal is access. \u201cI really just want people to have a place to come that\u2019s not their house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Affordability remains a priority, especially for beginners and artists without deep pockets. \u201cEveryone should have the access that anybody else has,\u201d Thorpe says. Unlike studios that operate with waitlists and exclusivity, he takes pride in lowering barriers. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to take someone\u2019s money, they should feel good about giving it to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted it to be a melting pot of people creating just for creation\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cAfter the pandemic,\u201d Thorpe says, \u201cpeople got weird and didn\u2019t want to talk to each other.\u201d Space and Faders <\/em>was designed as a facilitator. Thorpe says, \u201cI wanted it to be a melting pot of people creating just for creation\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thorpe is quick to point out that his role in the space does not come from being a musician himself. It comes from watching and learning the ins and outs of the music industry for decades. \u201cThe first thing I tell any band is to make the band an LLC and treat it like a business,\u201d he says. \u201cSo many bands fall apart because they might be great artistically, but the business side of things can easily ruin their relationship with one another.\u201d After years of seeing bands on tour succeed and implode, he views himself as a stepping stone for younger artists, offering guidance rather than artistic direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone should have the access that anybody else has.”<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For younger or aspiring creatives out there, there\u2019s something to study in the way Thorpe operates: the risk-taking, the forward thinking, the willingness to invest in ideas and follow through.<\/p>\n

For booking, rehearsal space information and upcoming events, visit spaceandfaders.com<\/em><\/a> and follow him on Instagram @spaceandfadersslc<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more about resources for musicians in SLC:
\nIn the Stu\u2019 With a True Music Guru: Spy Hop\u2019s Nick Allred<\/a>
\nVelour and Vinyl: Yes, Provo Does Have a Music Scene<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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