Mantle of the Expert NZ site transferred to the care of Whakaari Aotearoa, Drama NZ
In August of 2025, I sent an email to website subscribers announcing that this website would be closing at the end of the year. A few days later I received a call from Annette Thomson, the President of Whakaari Aotearoa – Drama NZ, saying that they’d like to take over ownership of the site and preserve it for the future. What a lovely offer! Many thanks to Annette, administrator Dinna Myers, and the team for ensuring teachers have ongoing access to the material gathered here.
Whakaari Aotearoa (which began life as NZADIE – NZ Association of Drama in Education) was originally formed by a group of teachers eager to preserve Dorothy Heathcote’s legacy and evolve her work for the educational context in Aotearoa. When this website began in 2009 it was with the same purpose – with a particular focus on Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert approach. As patron of NZADIE for many years, I’m sure Dorothy would have been delighted to see the site taken under the wing of the organisation.
I’d also like to acknowledge my colleagues at the Dramatic Inquiry Network Aotearoa Trust, for their ongoing dedication to this mahi. The Trust continues to support teachers in Mantle of the Expert and other DI approaches. I encourage anyone with an interest in Mantle of the Expert to explore the Dramatic Inquiry Network Aotearoa resources, and to visit the other websites listed at the bottom of this post.
Thank you once again for your interest and support over the years. It’s been a privilege to host this space and to be part of this passionate community of educators.
Ngā mihi nui,
Dr Viv Aitken. vivienneaitken49@gmail.com
My books, podcasts, and planning clinics will continue to be available at the following places:
· Try This: Unlocking Learning with Imagination by Tim Taylor and Viv Aitken. Visit www.trythisbook.org to buy the book and access samples and support materials
· Podcasts on Mantle of the Expert featuring Viv Aitken, Tim Taylor & Whakarongo Tauranga. Series one: Introduction to Mantle of the Expert. Series two (coming soon): Effective teaching in Mantle of the Expert available at https://buymeacoffee.com/vivadrama
· Real in all the ways that matter – Weaving Learning across the curriculum with Mantle of the Expert by Viv Aitken. Order hard copy at https://buymeacoffee.com/vivadrama/extras or ebook from https://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzcerpress/real-all-ways-matter
· Planning clinic – book an hour of 1:1 online support with your planning https://buymeacoffee.com/vivadrama/extras
If you’re looking for other resources on Dramatic Inquiry, including Mantle of the Expert, here are some other great sites to explore:
· www.mantleoftheexpert.com UK site with extensive background, theory, and resources, including Tim Taylor’s book A Beginner’s Guide to Mantle of theExpert.
· https://sites.google.com/view/dramaticinquirynetworkaotearoa/home Dramatic Inquiry Network Aotearoa, a network for NZ teachers, offering support and resources. (look out for the new website coming soon)
· https://www.mantlenetwork.com/ David Allen’s rich collection of material from Heathcote’s archive, plus workshops and conferences
· Whakaari Aotearoa, Drama NZ https://www.drama.org.nz/ Subject association supporting drama in education in Aotearoa with resources, advocacy & more.