01
Dignity
Every person is inherently worthy.
We treat people with respect, listen deeply, and create spaces where individuals are seen and taken seriously.
Made for artists.Built for community.
FlaxCo is a formative creative community for young artists. We protect the faintly burning wick—gifts that are bruised, fragile, and still alight—before they are neglected, exploited, or prematurely platformed.
A chartered program of The Dignity Imperative — Franklin, TN
“A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering flax He will not snuff out.”
What FlaxCo is
A co-op, not a club.
“We are building a community, not a company.”
We exist to serve young creatives by curating a dynamic and safe community that encourages exploration and growth through collaboration and mentoring.
We provide community, resources, space, and mentorship so young creatives—generally ages 16–25—can hone their craft, grow as artists, and develop as healthy, mature humans. We form the person, because the person will enter the work. Artists in Residence offer sustained presence. Itinerant Mentors and Guest Artists meet particular needs. The Odeon gives that formation a home.
- Serve as a creative incubator
- Provide a stable, safe community
- Host a performance venue, gallery, and art playground
- Excel in dynamic collaboration
- Maintain a broad-spectrum mentoring program
Belong · Grow · Create
“Culture is what we make of the world.”
We measure whether people become more known, grounded, and capable—not whether a room was busy.
Belong
Sustained young creatives find community, consistency, and relationships worth remaining in.
Grow
Recurring mentors. Formation in identity, vocation, resilience, and a biblical view of making.
Create
Meaningful work completed. Public offering when the time is right. Next steps without pressure.
Core values
What we will not trade away.
“Work is not, primarily, a thing one does to live, but the thing one lives to do.”
02
Formation
What is carved deeply prints.
Character is not a list of traits attached to artistic development. It is the inner form that, under pressure, leaves its shape on the work, the room, and the people nearby. Formation before platform begins there.
03
Craft
What we create should be meaningful and well-formed.
We pursue excellence, originality, and work that contributes something real—not just more noise and clutter.
04
Practice
Growth happens through doing.
Repeated making cuts the grooves from which later work flows. We show up, take risks, and learn through real experience rather than waiting for perfection. We are disciplined learners.
05
Belonging
People flourish in community.
We create places where outsiders become insiders. Through encouragement, honesty, and shared growth, we cultivate communities where no one develops alone.
06
Stewardship
What has been entrusted to us is meant to be cultivated.
We develop our gifts, contribute to our community, and create opportunities for others. We seek to leave people, places, and creative communities stronger than we found them.
Phase One home
“The Odeon is an instrument of the mission—not the mission itself.”
Occupying the former Mockingbird Theater at The Factory in Franklin, The Odeon is a live music venue and creative playground. Shows, sessions, workshops, residencies, and private events generate earned revenue that supports FlaxCo’s formation work.
The Odeon