A Day in the Life of Me: “you can’t fix silence with silence”

Jade Mercer, a Community Drama student back in the day when Liverpool was at its heyday as European City of Culture has been kind enough to send me her diary entry of 3 April, 2008 when she was in the thick of her final project, Shadows and Showdowns. Does anyone else remember that project? It would be great to hear your perspective of it too.

Shadows and Showdowns

“Today we rehearsed Scene 5, the one where Liam smashes the jar. We’d been dancing around that moment for a week. Lewis finally just went for it, and the sound of that glass hitting the floor in the old rehearsal room? Chills. I think we’re finally cracking the tone – not pity, not trauma porn. Just truth. Honest, raw truth. Cassie’s monologue gave me goosebumps. Maria wrote it based on a story from one of the girls at the youth hub. We tweaked the wording to protect identities, but the emotion is all hers. We also had a tough talk about trigger warnings. Sophie raised a good point – what if someone in the audience isn’t ready to hear this? We’re adding a quiet space next to the performance area with tea, fidget toys, and a youth worker on standby. Tomorrow’s our first test audience. Real people. Not tutors, not peers. I’m excited. Nervous. But mostly proud. We built this from nothing but a need to speak.

Quote of the day: “You can’t fix silence with silence.” (Cassie, one of the characters).

Jade now works as a Community Theatre Practitioner and Trauma-Informed Facilitator. She is based in Cornwall and founder of The Listening Room, a socially engaged arts collective working with communities affected by housing injustice, care systems, and mental health stigma. A 2008 graduate of LIPA’s Community Drama programme, Jade has spent nearly two decades creating performance with and for marginalised voices, using storytelling as a tool for agency, healing, and change. Her work blends co-creation, forum theatre, and trauma-informed practice. She has delivered projects across the UK and internationally, and regularly mentors emerging facilitators in ethical, inclusive methods. She believes in slow art, soft power, and the radical act of listening.

Author: drnicko

Awarded an MBE for services to arts-based businesses, I am passionate about generating inspiring, socially engaging, creative practice within educational contexts both nationally and internationally. View all posts by drnicko