Expanding Educators’ Awareness of Youth Homelessness through Critical Dramatic Inquiry

This article explores how educators use drama in conjunction with critical inquiry to support students’ sustained notions of equity and engagement. After participating in a Mantle of the Expert (Heathcote & Bolton, 1995) — a participatory, drama in education inquiry — eleven educators enrolled in a university drama course gained a broader awareness of poverty, enabling them to refute stereotypes of homeless youth. Findings demonstrate that critical dramatic inquiry has the potential to bridge cultural divisions and increase group awareness of social justice initiatives. Additionally, for many of the participants the Mantle opened their eyes to a new pedagogy — a method and practice of teaching that was both critical and participatory.