Dramatic Enquiry at Beam Hertford

Dramatic Enquiry is thinking together – in and out of role – to empower people to better understand themselves, others and the world around them. It is a creative approach to philosophical dialogue, that was first developed by theatre-maker Gordon Poad, and later public philosopher Dr Grace Lockrobin, alongside many others.

A 2024-2025 Grace and Gordon worked on a Dramatic Enquiry pilot project for Thoughtful, funded by Arts Council England (ACE) in partnership with Beam Hertford (formerly Hertford Theatre) and produced by Stuart Mullins. With the support of theatre-makers and creatives from Tangled Feet Theatre and Trestle Theatre Company, Thoughtful explored the implementation of Dramatic Enquiry in six setting across primary, secondary schools and youth groups working with diverse groups of children in East Herts.

An independent evaluation by the University of Hertfordshire found that Dramatic Enquiry provides the following benefits:

Benefits for practitioners: revitalises pedagogy, enhances teacher-student relationships, increases confidence, increases satisfaction due to student engagement, and encourages flexibility and adaptability.

Benefits for students: enhances communication skills, boosts engagement and enjoyment, encourages autonomy and agency, improves well-being and expression, and develops critical thinking.