Welcome to this soul-stirring episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.
Today, I’m joined by Jayde Kirchert — mother, writer, director, and Artistic Director of Citizen Theatre. Jayde’s latest work Ripening explores the complex terrain of motherhood and birth through a bold, theatrical lens — and in this deeply honest conversation, she shares her own story of labour, loss, transformation, and creative awakening.
We discuss:
- The Birth They Don’t Tell You About
Why honest preparation matters more than fear — and how education, mindset, and advocacy shaped Jayde’s birth experience.
- Labour as Initiation: Summoning the Ancestors
Jayde shares the powerful moment she reached beyond herself — into something sacred and ancestral — to bring her son into the world.
- Creative Rebirth: Turning Story into Stage
How her personal journey became the foundation for Ripening, and how theatre can reframe motherhood’s truths for a wider audience.
- Breaking the Medical Spell
The intergenerational ripple of over-medicalised birth, and what happens when women begin to trust their bodies again.
- From Girl to Guardian: The Making of a Mother Archetype
How birth shaped Jayde’s spiritual evolution — and how it helped her locate the deep, unwavering strength she brings to both mothering and making art.
This episode is a love letter to informed birth, artistic courage, and the sacred role of mothers as culture-shapers. May it inspire you to remember your own power and share your story — because in the sharing, we begin to shift the collective. If this conversation moved you, please pass it on. Every mother deserves to feel seen.
ABOUT JAYDE KIRCHERT:
Writer. Director. Artistic Visionary. Mother.
Jayde is a mother to a toddler, wife, writer, director, dramaturge, lecturer and Artistic Director of Melbourne-based theatre company, Citizen Theatre. She has directed and written multiple critically acclaimed productions through Citizen Theatre.
Recent projects include The Lyrebird's Voice for Victorian Opera (librettist and lyricist), Mara KORPER for Citizen Theatre (writer and director), When The Light Leaves for Citizen Theatre (director and dramaturge), and Sweet Charity for VCA Music Theatre. She is also completing her PhD, which includes the creation of a new feminist musical, Dangerous.
RESOURCES:
🎭 Ripening is playing May 28–31, 2025, at Gasworks Studio Theatre
– Approx. 90 minutes
– Showtimes: 7pm (Wed–Sat) and 2pm (Sat matinee)
– Tickets available via the Citizen Theatre website or directly through Gasworks Theatre
Follow Citizen Theatre on Instagram: @citizentheatreau
Follow Jayde on Instagram: @jaydekirchert
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