Get Funded to Build Creative Communities

Introducing the Console Fund to support creative communities that foster trust, mutual respect, and shared purpose.

👋 Hi there. I’m René, co-founder of Artizen. Subscribe, follow us, or join our community to unlock match funding for human creativity.

“How do we build high-trust communities that are catalysts for creativity when the common spaces we gather in have no physical form?”

From the agoras of ancient Athens to Silicon Valley’s fabled garages, breakthroughs in art, science, and technology have always emerged from tight-knit, creative hubs. But as we migrate our lives online, how do we ensure our digital communities become vibrant, creative spaces? Introducing the Console Fund for Community Builders. We believe in the power of human connection and collaboration, where ideas blossom and innovation thrives. Through this fund, we hope to support creative communities rooted in trust, mutual respect, and shared purpose. Together, let’s build better communities on a better internet.

What makes a community creative?

Why do some places become hotbeds for innovation, while others struggle? Is it the robust network of connections, the depth of trust among its members, or the shared sense of purpose that unites people toward a common goal? History offers us valuable insights for the conditions needed to spark intellectual revolutions. Understanding these foundational elements can help us grow more creative communities in the digital frontier.

1. Serendipitous connections

In ancient Athens, the very design of the city facilitated the flow of ideas. The interconnected structure of forums, agoras, and marketplaces allowed for daily, chance encounters and created a culture of open inquiry and debate. This environment, where philosophers and artisans could mingle and exchange concepts freely, was pivotal for the birth of Western philosophy, politics, science, and art. Athens teaches us that serendipitous connections lead to unexpected collaborations, the lifeblood of any creative community.

2. Deep trust and radical acceptance

Fast forward to 19th century Paris. The essence of the Montmartre—a working-class district where impressionism and modern art first took root—was its atmosphere of radical acceptance, a place where the fringes of society could converge, create, and critique without fear of derision. Here, artists like Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and van Gogh explored their most vulnerable ideas, challenged the status quo, and pushed the boundaries of culture. Montmartre reminds us that when people trust and accept one another, they create a sanctuary for bold ideas to take shape.

3. Robust debate for a shared purpose

The Solvay Conferences of the early 20th century marked a pivotal moment in modern physics. It was here that titans like Einstein, Bohr, and Curie crossed swords over the nature of reality, forging the foundations of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Within this arena of fierce intellectual debate, heated discussions didn’t fracture the community but rather fused it together, fostering a culture where even the most radical theories could be explored and challenged for the shared purpose of expanding human knowledge in the collective quest for truth.

Building better communities onchain

As we’ve seen, revolutions in human creativity naturally emerge from the network effects of tight-knit, in-person communities. Even in the decentralized world of crypto, we still rely on physical meetups and conferences to build trust. Yet, as we venture deeper into the digital age, the critical question remains: how do we build creative communities online and onchain that resonate with the same vitality as their real-world predecessors?

The discord of popular chat apps

Traditional chat apps like Telegram and Signal struggle to replicate the intimate connections of in-person communities. And Discord, a platform initially tailored for gamers, is plagued by spam and scam which undermines trust. Moreover, the absence of integrated Web3 identities means that the authenticity of community members is constantly in doubt. The result is a low-trust environment ill-suited for the depth of interactions required for creative communities.

Join Console for authentic connection

Against this backdrop stands Console, a new app for web3 communities to connect and collaborate in a high-trust environment. Console allows you to build more intimate and meaningful communities. By using onchain data like ENS records, Bitcoin transactions, Farcaster activity, and more, Console delivers a level of transparency, security, and trust required for genuine interactions.

"Console is rooted in the belief that communities should own their data, their social networks, and their creative output," says Chris Castig, co-founder of Console. His vision for Console is deeply personal, born from his days as a musician sharing music via BitTorrent and witnessing the potential of decentralized technologies. "It's about creating a space where artists and builders have the freedom to innovate on their own terms," Castig explains. By integrating Web3 identities, Console offers a sanctuary for creativity, enabling users to forge trusted relationships within a web of shared ownership and collective purpose.

Introducing the Console Fund

In the spirit of creative revolutions throughout history, the Console Fund supports community-driven projects that empower their members to co-create new art, new science, new technology, and new culture. We believe in the power and importance of private digital spaces built specifically for onchain communities where ideas blossom and innovation thrives. By leveraging Console's unique web3 features, we aim to catalyze a new era of community building and reignite the fire that has fueled every creative movement.

What are we looking for?

To qualify for this fund, projects must launch their community on Console and actively connect, collaborate, and co-create with their members. We support any type of creative project: feature films, research papers, open source software, music festivals, startups, video games, apps, experiences, or other innovative endeavor. Our only true requirement is that you grow your community with Console based on the principles of open collaboration, deep trust, and robust debate for a shared purpose.

Submit to fund your community

In the tapestry of human connection, the threads that bind us are woven not just through proximity but through shared purpose and understanding. As our communities migrate into the digital realm, we stand on the brink of a new renaissance of human creativity. The Console Fund for Community Builders recognizes this pivotal moment, inviting us to reflect on the enduring principles that give rise to vibrant, creative communities—a bedrock upon which we can build a better internet and, by extension, a better world.

We hope you’ll submit, and please join our community on Console.