Finding Every Voice: Oracy, Theatre, and Inclusive Classrooms

A blog by Sharon White, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant

As an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) consultant, my work with teachers often begins with a simple but powerful question: whose voices are heard in your classroom – and whose are not?

In schools across the country, educators are increasingly recognising that academic achievement alone does not guarantee equity. Students also need the confidence, language, and opportunities to express themselves. This is where oracy, and particularly theatre-based approaches, become transformative tools for inclusive education.

The project ‘Talking Tales’ aimed to address this by engaging with Primary School Teachers and offering a way of addressing this issue through an EDI Lens. The ‘Talking Tales’ 2-year project began in 2024 supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and it’s at this point I was asked to join the team on this project has EDI Consultant, to ensure EDI was at the heart of its delivery.

Over the next year I met with Polka Theatre staff, Practitioners and Teachers chosen for the project and began creating a series of informative documents and videos which help teachers understand Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, whilst producing resource material called ‘Teacher Thoughts’ to support and accompany the projects activities, which were created by the Polka Practitioners.

It was evident that Polka Theatre’s approach with this project naturally aligned with EDI principles, because they centred around Inclusivity, authentic diverse voices, storytelling and using theatre techniques such as role play to engage young people. In the CPD sessions we created a safe space which allowed teachers to build their confidence when using the activities created by Polka practitioners, for honest discussions about EDI in the classroom and in the curriculum.

One of the exciting parts of this project, is that the teachers, working with practitioners, felt that this project was not about turning them into drama specialists, but to help them rethink language, participation and inclusivity in their classroom setting.

One of the most powerful moments in first year is hearing from teachers who said the activities offered rich opportunities to explore identity, and social themes through their curriculum and allowed more children to share their stories. One teacher recently shared that a quiet student who rarely contributed in discussions became a leader during a theatre activity. The shift wasn’t about confidence magically appearing; it was about changing the conditions in which a child’s confidence could grow. When students were invited to tell their own stories, they began to see their experiences as valid and valuable.

I’m looking forward to the second year where teachers will continue to explore Oracy through the topics more independently and I will be shifting my focus to mentoring teachers on a more personal level on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.