Remembering Gavin Bolton

The members of NATD are so sad to hear of the death of Gavin Bolton. Gavin’s work is a cornerstone of our Association and has inspired generations of teachers in our organisation and beyond. 

Gavin was an honorary life member of NATD and his concept of Metaxis formed the centrepiece of our conference in late 2024. We were delighted to receive a personal and very kind message from him for the opening of the conference that was relayed to us by David Davis. In that moment in the room we all saw very clearly the history and future development of Drama in Education: Gavin’s work at the centre of the conference; David himself, taught by Gavin; many of us older teachers taught by David; experienced leading teachers, taught by us; teachers they had taught and student teachers being taught and mentored by them. Gavin’s work (and of course that of his mentor and colleague: Dorothy Heathcote) was and still is the thread that links us all. 

Gavin’s work is so embedded in our everyday classroom practice that it will live on in all the teachers and students who embrace and use his methodology to work both in and outside of the fictional world. It has and will continue to enable children across the world to come to know and understand themselves and the world we live in, to find agency, a voice and a sense of autonomy.

Our thoughts are with his family, we send them our love and unbounded thanks for Gavin’s life, for giving us all such an extraordinary, life-changing way of working. 

From the cover of Gavin Bolton: Essential Writings Edited by David Davis