This is an excerpt from an essay I wrote while in my final year of the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Dance) at Wesley Institute, for a class designed to help graduating students discover their desired area of work. It was in this class, which Phillippa visited, that the idea for ask dance theatre was first born. The essay was entitled "Discussion of why the Christian dance artist should be involved in the wider professional arts community. How can these artists influence the wider arts community?". This section is about reclaiming the arts, putting Christ in his rightful place as Lord over all creation.

It is vital that Christian artists are involved in the wider professional arts community, with their influence extending to both artists and audiences. A theological concept that is particularly important for Christian artists is that of Christ being Lord of all creation.

This principle gives a biblical foundation to the quest to influence both the lives of unbelieving artists and in creating professional art for arts audiences. Paul Burbridge, in discussing Colossians 1:15-20, comments, "Notice how inclusive God’s creative work is. There is no distinction between the sacred and the secular: the personality and the presence of Jesus are inextricably part of all things which have been created". 

However, a distinction is being made, and the divide has been growing since the 18^th Century. In this time our culture has become less based on Christianity, and more humanistic. H. R. Rookmaaker notes, "Too easily, large areas of humanity reality, such as philosophy, science, the arts ... were handed over to the ‘world’, as Christians concentrated mainly on pious activities ... In concentrating on saving souls they have often forgotten that God is the God of life, and that the Bible teaches people how to live, how to deal with our world, God’s creation. The result is that even if many became Christians, nevertheless our present world is a totally secularised one, in which Christianity has almost no influence". John Wilson agrees. "Unfortunately, the attempt to ‘keep oneself unspotted from the world’ by withdrawing from the sphere of the arts - and culture - has had tragic results. Among other things, it has reduced the Gospel to a matter of personal salvation and ignored the cosmic consequences of the Cross ... Jesus Christ is ‘Lord of all’ and there is no authority to say that His Lordship should not be exercised in the sphere of the arts".

The history of this concept not being applied is one that the Christian artist may need to be aware of, in order to counteract the limiting influence of the popular mindset in their own lives and in the culture at large. The Lordship of Christ should influence the personal lives and artistic expression of Christian artists, and if those artists are working in the professional arts scene, this influence will be carried there. Christian artists living in this manner will be determined to bring the rule of Christ into all areas of the arts, through influencing both artists and audiences.