Heathcote, Dorothy

Drama teacher, Dorothy Heathcote was born in 1926 into a family of mill-weavers in Yorkshire, England. After studying at Northern Theatre School in Bradford, she took a position as a lecturer in drama education at University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1950.Without any formal teacher training, she developed a unique way of using drama to teach children various subjects, including moral standards. Rather than emphasizing drama primarily for the audience's enjoyment, Heathcote focused on its use as a learning tool accessible to all, not just actors.

Known for her vivacious, energetic personality (one article quotes her saying, “I could spend a lifetime watching a rock and still die of a heart attack”), Heathcote promoted her methodology at Newcastle upon Tyne and in lecture tours covering five continents, both explaining her method to teachers and applying it to groups of children.

...