In this article, I explore 'the dream scene', a mode of installation art described by art critic and art historian Claire Bishop to demonstrate how artistic practice can provoke participation and social engagement. I will focus on a concept entitled 'the crypt' that emerged in my doctoral research, and one that I continued to explore in a novel way in a collaborative event at Tate Exchange, in Liverpool, UK in March 2018. It is my intention that 'the crypt' can provide an example of what 'a dream scene' can look like and, more importantly, what a dream scene can do. Finally, I will attend to some of the implications that this type of engagement has for arts-based educational research.