Story Gatherings
Community and workplace storytelling events that deepen connection, spark empathy, and strengthen collaboration.
Story Gatherings are facilitated storytelling events—public or hosted in workplaces—that invite people to share true stories from their lived experience. Each gathering centers a universal theme and creates a welcoming space where participants can listen, connect, and discover common ground.
These events blend artistry, structure, and intentional facilitation. They are not performance spaces or open mics; they are guided experiences that help people speak from the heart, listen with curiosity, and build trust across differences.
At Flame Tree Story, we believe that when people share stories about what they do and who they are, connection grows—and new possibilities for collaboration emerge.
What Story Gatherings Look Like
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These events are open-invitation storytelling gatherings, hosted in local venues and focus on central themes such as belonging, identity, purpose, or crossing cultures.
They aim to:
Bring together neighbors, colleagues, and diverse community members
Celebrate lived experience and shared humanity
Amplify voices that often go unheard
Support a sense of community cohesion and understanding
Stories from public gatherings may be featured on the Flame Tree Story podcast.
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These events are tailored storytelling experiences, designed for internal teams, staff retreats, conferences, or cross-department connection.
Workplace Story Gatherings help teams:
Build trust and authentic connection
Strengthen empathy across roles or backgrounds
Humanize collaboration
Create a more inclusive and understanding team culture
Set the tone for retreats, strategic planning sessions, or organizational change efforts
Each event includes storytelling coaching for participants, curated prompts, and facilitated reflection.
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We collaborate with organizations, community partners, universities, and nonprofits to co-host storytelling experiences that align with shared priorities or observances (e.g., World Humanitarian Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Black History Month, etc.).
Partnership events may include:
Joint event design
Co-branded storytelling materials
Story coaching for featured tellers
Optional recording for internal use or the podcast
What Makes Story Gatherings Unique?
Story-Centered Design
Every event begins with a theme and a prompt that helps participants identify meaningful stories from their lived experience.
Supportive Coaching & Preparation
We offer gentle guidance to storytellers to help them shape true, personal, heartfelt stories—without scripting or performance pressure.
Welcoming, Inclusive Format
Our gatherings prioritize psychological safety, dignity, and care. Participants are not expected to “perform”; they are invited to share.
Reflection & Connection
Events include moments of listening, conversation, and meaning-making—helping groups connect deeply with the stories they hear.
High-Quality Audio Capture (optional)
For organizations wanting a record of the event or for podcast inclusion, we partner with Story First Design to capture clear, professional audio.
Are Story Gatherings for You?
Story Gatherings are ideal for:
Community groups and local organizations
Workplaces seeking authentic connection
Nonprofits and NGOs
Universities and student organizations
Conferences or retreats
Coalitions or partners wanting to build shared understanding
Whether public or private, these gatherings help groups build empathy, strengthen relationships, and find new ways of being together.
Bring Story to Your Community or Workplace
If your organization or community would benefit from a storytelling event, we’d love to co-create it with you.
Would you like to tell a story at our next public gathering? Reach out!