The year was 1787. The slave trade had uprooted millions of people and transported them across the Atlantic in horrific conditions. A survivor of the slave trade named Equiano wrote a book that awakened the conscience of a nation. William Wilberforce picked up the cry for abolition in British parliament. Artists and poets advanced the cause in public opinion. Potter Josiah Wedgewood designed a porcelain hair piece picturing a slave in chains together with the words “Am I Not a Man and a Brother?” This medallion became fashionable across England and helped end the slave trade.

What happens when there is a marriage of the arts? If poets, writers and potters helped free the slaves, what will happen in our day as musicians, photographers, and painters unite their gifts for the cause of freedom?

Spark DTS draws together a wide range of artists with various gifts and passions — musicians, painters, dancers, photographers, writers, and film-makers. We seek to build a community of artists who invest in one another’s lives. Training and inspiration will come from one another and from God Himself as we seek His heart. The primary role of the staff is to facilitate discussion and the creative process, not to provide in-depth art training. Our hope is to blend the various gifts and talents represented in our community to create beautiful artistic pieces that bring healing to the nations.

The Spark: Arts elective is a feature of our Fall and Winter Discipleship Training Schools (DTS). DTS is a 24/7 discipleship community designed to grow your relationship with God and your ability to share His message with the nations.