Description
“Give me the ballads of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws” is a sentiment that can be traced all the way back to Plato. If ballads were a form of narrative embedded in emotionally evocative song, today our narratives are embedded in music, TV, video games, advertising, and film—and the story they tell is often strikingly empty of hope. The top storytelling entities of our day—such as HBO, to name one leading voice—seem most interested in dystopic and dark stories. While this kind of content can play a role in helping us come to grips with the darkness we encounter in a fallen world, on the whole our chief storytellers are contributing to (rather than relieving) anxiety, vice, and depression.
We're interested in backing ventures and projects that are actively “re-presenting” the good, true, and beautiful in the world, making an artful and intelligent case for what the good life really looks like, and—if successful in their craft—reshaping and re-educating desire. In this time of considerable innovation in the business models, production methods, and distribution of content, we see opportunities across media, from film and gaming studios to subscription services to news agencies and more.
We’re particularly interested in ventures that innovate beyond “Christian content” to advance nuanced stories that challenge all people to consider the deepest questions and truths about life.
In today’s commercially-driven world people are more likely to be seen and referred to as 'consumers' than anything else. Instead of being met with resistance, this shift has often meant that individuals have formed their identity through a composite of brands, and product purchasing can be guided more by the desire to make a statement about one’s identity and values than strict utility. As a result, the lines between social movement, capitalism, and community are increasingly blurry (see: Nike, Whole Foods, and Patagonia).
Given this reality (which is with us for both better and worse), we’d like to support entrepreneurs with a vision for building brands with a counter-culturally virtuous and optimistic view of the world, spreading hope and beauty, eliminating stigma, and most fundamentally, redirecting our identity away from materialistic consumption and toward lasting contentment.
