Like Father, Like Sons
Our first feature, written and produced by Aaron Caldwell and Damon M. Smith. Donations are open through our fiscal sponsor.
Fuel the tripWhy we exist
Talent is everywhere. Access isn’t.
Plenty of creators have the ideas and the ability to make meaningful work. What they lack is affordable space, experienced collaborators, production resources, industry relationships or a clear path forward. Most creative systems only show up once someone has already proven themselves. Idu House is built to show up earlier.
Our work is rooted in Afrofuturism and diasporic storytelling, with a particular commitment to creators and communities that have been underfunded, overlooked or left out of traditional creative institutions, and it’s built for collaboration across cultures, industries and forms.
Talent is evenly distributed. Opportunity is not. So we build the rooms where they meet.
The name
IduPronounced EE-doo
Where it comes from
Idu is an older historical name for the Edo people and Edo land in present-day Nigeria. It doesn’t translate to “origin.” The Edo word closer to that is isi. But in Edo cosmology, the land once called Idu is understood as the origin of the world and the core of existence. That’s why we chose it. Idu House exists to be a place where things begin.
Rooted in Afrofuturism
Afrofuturism imagines futures built from African history, identity, culture and invention, with Black people and the diaspora as the future’s architects. It asks what the future could look like if we built from our own histories instead of leaving them behind. That question sits at the heart of the house.
The word house
A house is more than a building. It’s where people gather, trade knowledge, keep culture, challenge one another and imagine what comes next. We didn’t want another institution that felt inaccessible or run by gatekeepers. We wanted a home for possibility.
Rooted in where we come from. Built for what we can become.
What we believe
Five points we steer by.
- Independent Art Matters
- Everything for the Good of the Art
- Tell the Stories that Need to be Told
- Stay Rooted but Let The Branches Grow
- More Than a Title
What we do
One house. Three ways in.
For brands and organizations
Brand Production
Creative that moves with culture, from idea to final cut.
For brands, startups, venues and cultural organizations that want to move with culture, with more behind it than a filled calendar. One team from strategy through post, so you’re never stitching vendors together. Every project is scoped to your goals and budget, and your spend puts real work in the hands of emerging creators.
- Brand films
- Social campaigns
- Live sessions
- Event recaps
- Interviews
For artists and storytellers
Creator Services
We don’t want a piece of what you build. We help you build it better.
Most artist services take ownership or equity. We don’t. Whether you’re developing your music, your story or your personal brand, you stay in control while we bring the strategy, the structure and the people to execute your next move. Led by Dell Harris and Aaron Caldwell. Every engagement starts with a conversation, not a contract.
- Story and character development
- Personal brand strategy
- Rollout and release strategy
- A&R and creative direction
- Distribution and platform setup
- Playlist pitching and campaigns
For audiences
Original work
Stories of our own, told from the diaspora.
Films, television, animation, music, manga and visual art that Idu House develops and owns, told from an Afrofuturist perspective rooted in the diaspora. These projects build long-term cultural and economic value and give our creative community room to collaborate across disciplines.
See the workIn the making
What’s on the table right now.
Like Father
The opening of the feature, shot first. Written and directed by Aaron Caldwell.
Mailbox
Letters from the house: what we’re making, who we’re making it with and what we’re learning along the way.
Read MailboxSound Sessions
A live session format for artists and the community around them. One pilot session so far.
What we’re building
One house where every part feeds the next.
Commercial work earns revenue and relationships. Original IP builds long-term value. Creator services move people’s work forward. Space gives access, and community brings people together. Connected, they make a system where more ideas become real and more creators build lasting futures from their work.
1
Brand Production
Commercial work generates revenue, relationships and production capability.
Revenue funds infrastructure
2
Physical space Later stage
Studios, coworking, events and shared infrastructure create access.
Infrastructure supports creators
3
Creator Services
Hands-on support helps creators develop and execute their projects.
Creators develop projects and IP
4
Original IP
Film, TV, music, manga, animation and more build long-term value.
Projects attract audiences and partners
5
Community and events
Showcases, screenings, workshops and cultural programming bring people together.
Visibility creates momentum
6
Audience, partners and opportunity
Visibility, partnerships, jobs and revenue feed the system.
Opportunity creates more growth
Idu House
Creative infrastructure and possibility engine
Three ways people engage
Open now
The supported path
Creators who want guidance work with experienced professionals to develop and execute their projects, and keep ownership of what they make.
Pilot
The experiential path
Artists, audiences, brands and communities come together through screenings, showcases, exhibitions, performances and workshops.
Later stage
The independent path
Creators who mainly need space get studios, equipment and shared creative environments through membership.
Threshold
In developmentOur creator platform, the thread through all of it. Threshold will help creators shape ideas into projects, see where they stand, find the right collaborators and opportunities, and build a record of the work they’ve done, with a path into Idu House services, productions and partners.
The long-term home is a physical creative campus with space, support, community and opportunity under one roof.
Where we’re going
From an emerging studio to a connected ecosystem.
Year 1
Build and prove
- Launch the first version of Threshold with an initial creator community
- Grow Brand Production and Creator Services
- Deepen partnerships across creative, education, technology and industry
- Develop our original IP toward production and distribution
- Expand live programming and community events
Year 2
Expand and repeat
- Bring Threshold to a larger creator community and more institutions
- Make creator development and opportunity matching repeatable
- Bring our first flagship original project to market
- Grow our network of employers, brands, studios, educators and distribution partners
Year 3
Connect and scale
- Connect creators, institutions, brands and studios through one ecosystem
- Run multiple originals across development, production and distribution
- Earn meaningful revenue from owned IP and creative partnerships
- Open the first Idu House campus
The team
The people in the house.
Co-Founder & CEO
Aaron Caldwell
Filmmaker, writer and recording artist who spent ten years leading technology teams, including at Apple. Wrote and directed Like Father.
Co-Founder & COO
Amadin Agho
Strategist, operator and DJ with more than a decade of building and scaling platforms, programs and communities, including at Apple.
Head of Creator Services
Dell Harris
Twenty years as a signed artist, songwriter and community builder, including work with Universal Motown/Republic. Runs Jazz Ting Radio.
With Ashley Hartmann, Marketing & Community Lead, and Isaiah Hartmann, Partnership & Brand Growth Lead.
Ready when you are
Have something to make?
A campaign, a project of your own or a partnership. Tell us what you’re trying to do and we’ll take it from there.
info@iduhouse.com