The name Port Of Saints Media was taken from the novel 'Port Of Saints' by William Burroughs. The foundation of this novel and the later 'Cities of the Red Night' originates in the legend of Captain Mission, an 18th century pirate who built a liberal anarchist commune on the coast of Madagascar. As Don C Seitz states in 'Under The Black Flag':
Captain Mission was one of the forebears of the French Revolution. He was one hundred years in advance of his time, for his career was based upon an initial desire to better adjust the affairs of mankind . . .
Having created his colony ten leagues north of Diego-Suarez, Mission put in place certain Articles which state among other things: all decisions regarding the colony were to be submitted to vote by population, the abolition of slavery under any conditions, the abolition of the death penalty and freedom to follow religious or political beliefs without sanction or molestation.
All monies or valuables taken by members of the colony were distrtibuted among the colony without prejudice. Any slaves liberated from taken ships were given the oportunity to reside freely ini the colony as were any seamen taken prisoner.
As Burroughs says in the introduction to Cities Of The Red Night, had Captain Mission survived long enough to see such colonies replicated throughout the high seas the history of the world may have been very different. 'Faced by the actual practice of Freedom, the French and American revolutions would be forced to stand by their words. The disastrous results of uncontrolled industrialisation would also be curtailed, since factory workers and slum dwellers from the cities would seek refuge in Articulated areas. Any man would have the right to settle in any area of his choosing. The land would belong to those who used it. No white-man boss, no Pukka Sahib, no Patrons, no colonists.'
Port Of Saints Media tries to replicate the spirit if not the actual practice of Captain Mission and his anarchist pirates. We use art instead of boats and guns. But as a struggling street artist from Guatamala once said 'We use art as bullets.' He was latter arrested and 'disappeared' by the local police force.
We hope that we can make interesting, relevant art, that does more than just entertain, although we want it to entertain of course, otherwise there would be no point. We would just become politicians.