'Bridging the theory-practice divide: how theatre can enhance social work education'

By Ciaran Murphy and Andy Watson

Social workers face complex decisions daily, including when to intervene, how to respond to risk and how best to balance the needs of individuals, families and systems.

Conventional training offers frameworks, case studies and theory. But increasingly, arts-based approaches are helping practitioners move beyond the abstract into emotional, embodied learning.

An example of this is the work of Geese Theatre Company, which Andy manages.

The company was recently cited by several early career social workers in a study, led by Ciaran, exploring how social work education can optimise preparedness for child protection practice. Participants outlined the benefit of learning about complex family situations through the use of theatre and performance, and how this teaching approach served to narrow the theory practice-divide in a way that was akin only to the practice placement experience (Murphy et al, 2024).

Combining drama with complex social work scenarios

The Geese model combines drama and theatrical performance of complex social work situations with keynote speakers who are experts in their fields, such as Professor Harry Ferguson (home visits), Michael Sheath (child sexual abuse imagery) and Ciaran, in relation to substance misuse.

Each performance has been designed and developed in collaboration with experts by experience, to ensure not only the integration of theory with theatre, but also to enable social work professionals and students to explore their responses to practice-relevant scenarios in real time. Performances also provide space to pause, reflect, and revisit decisions, all without real-world consequences.

Hafford-Letchfield et al (2012) highlight how arts-based teaching approaches support experiential learning by bridging micro and macro thinking.

One example of this is a Geese performance exploring the links between substance misuse, ill-mental health and violence, in which a social worker is attempting to support a mother to rebuild her relationship with her children following recovery from substance misuse and a prison sentence. The audience is encouraged to consider the specific needs of the children and what direct support can be offered to the mother (the micro) whilst also being encouraged to explore the wider systemic issue, such as the potential damage of short-term prison sentences for primary carers (the macro).

A controlled space to engage with real-life scenarios

Theatre can provide a controlled space where social workers and social work students can engage with realistic challenges - ethical dilemmas, safeguarding concerns, complex family dynamics and systemic issues - in ways that feel immediate and human.

We also know that early career social workers consistently report being underprepared for the emotional and relational demands of social work practice (Murphy et al, 2024). Moreover, research into social work education often points to the need for training that fosters not only technical competence but also emotional insight and ethical awareness (Croisdale-Appleby, 2014; Narey, 2014).

By creating a space where audience members can safely and authentically engage with complex emotions that mirror real-life experiences, theatre can enable practitioners to reflect deeply on their responses. This is because characters behave and feel like real people; scenes depict authentic family dynamics, distress or ethical tensions; and dialogue evokes genuine emotional reactions, encouraging practitioners to consider how their decisions land and why they matter.

'Not just thinking about practice, but feeling it'

This has many advantages in the context of social work training, especially as it supports affective learning - not just thinking about practice, but feeling it. It allows practitioners to safely explore emotional intensity, trauma and empathy without risking harm, while building awareness of how practice decisions resonate with and impact on others.

Theatre’s power lies in its ability to create emotional proximity to experiences that might otherwise remain abstract (Bartoli, 2013). This is because audience members don’t just witness practice scenarios, they’re drawn into them. When they see a safeguarding visit unfold or a child react to parental distress, they aren’t just evaluating the professional’s actions - they’re invited to emotionally inhabit the moment.

Fostering empathy through perspective-taking

Relatedly, theatre can help practitioners foster empathy through perspective-taking (Leonard et al, 2016). In Geese’s performances, for example, audience members are invited to see through the eyes of the child, the parent or the professional under pressure. This shift deepens relational understanding and challenges assumptions of what might be going on for that individual.

It also allows audience members to interrogate the situation from different stakeholder’s perspectives – making space for more relational, values-driven insight, and moving individuals beyond surface-level judgments to deeper understanding.

Emotionally rehearsing professional roles

Of course, social work, by its very nature, is values-led: it demands compassion, self-awareness and cultural humility. Theatre helps embed these qualities by letting social work practitioners feel their way through a scenario, rather than simply analysing it. This is critical in trauma-informed or culturally sensitive practice, where cognitive understanding often isn’t enough (Leonard et al, 2016).

Practitioners need tools that help them engage with complexity and emotion safely. Theatre creates a learning environment where social workers can emotionally rehearse their professional roles in a safe, structured way - essential when navigating the nuanced realities of trauma or cultural sensitivity.

This mirrors the pedagogical value identified by Hafford-Letchfield et al (2012), who advocate for creative integration of theory and reflection to accommodate diverse learning styles. When learners see theory unfold on stage, it’s no longer just conceptual - it becomes something to wrestle with and apply in dynamic ways.

Lasting impact of theatre-led learning

Feedback from Geese events routinely emphasises the emotional depth of the experience. Witnessing scenes of abuse, coercion or distress - even briefly - creates lasting impressions. Many practitioners report that these moments stay with them far longer than anything they’ve read or been taught in more traditional social work training.

In a field where ethics, emotion, and complexity converge daily, theatre-based learning helps practitioners reflect, empathise, and grow. It fosters creativity, accountability, and responsiveness—qualities central to effective social work.

Moreover, by combining realism, performance, and theory, theatre can offer a model of CPD that’s emotionally intelligent, pedagogically robust and deeply connected to practice (Leonard et al, 2016). For social work educators and leaders, it’s an invitation to reimagine training - not just as transmission, but as transformation.

Ciaran Murphy is senior lecturer in social work at Edge Hill University and Andy Watson is artistic director and chief executive of Geese Theatre

References

Murphy, C, Liverpool, S, Parry, N, Birch, N & Turay, J (2024) 'Does qualifying route inform preparedness for child protection practice? An appraisal of the testimonies of 201 ‘early career’ social workers' Social Work Education, 1-21

Leonard, K, Hafford-Letchfield, T & Couchman, W (2016) 'The impact of the arts in social work education: a systematic review' Qualitative Social Work, 17(2), 286-304

Bartoli A (ed) (2013) ‘Creative arts in the professions: Contributions to learning and practice’ The Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning 12(1), 2-5

Hafford-Letchfield, T, Leonard K & Couchman W (2012) 'Arts and extremely dangerous: Critical commentary on the arts in social work education' Social Work Education: The International Journal 31(8), 683-690

Narey, M (2014) Making the education of social workers consistently effective Department for Education.

Croisdale-Appleby, D (2014) Re-visioning social work education: an independent review Department of Health.