Talking to Strangers: Live Practice Session

Do you find it uncomfortable meeting new people? We've all been there.

This is a simple, structured space to practice one thing: getting comfortable talking to someone you’ve never met before.

No pressure. No performance. No expectations.

Just real conversations with real people.

What to expect

• We’ll keep things light and practical.
• Volunteers will roleplay the scenarios
• Each conversation lasts about 10 minutes
• We discuss how the conversation went, what could have been improved
• We swap around and take the opposite role, implementing some of the suggestions for improvement
• Volunteers encouraged - you can watch, or you can actually do it yourself!
• Depending on the audience's preference, we can choose to practice these conversations in breakout rooms, or just continue roleplaying additional scenarios.

By the end of the session, you’ll have tools to handle interactions in various situations, and hopefully will have spoken with several different people you hadn't met before.

How it works

The goal is not to impress or “get it right.”

It’s simply to:

• get words out of your mouth
• stay present in a conversation
• get more comfortable starting and continuing interactions

If the conversation stalls, you’ll have a few simple prompts to help keep things moving - but feel free to let it flow naturally.

A quick note on boundaries

This is a practice space for conversation skills, not a dating or networking event.

• Keep interactions respectful and low-pressure
• No need to share personal details or contact information
• If a question or topic doesn’t feel right, simply steer the conversation elsewhere

Who this is for

• If you sometimes feel unsure how to start a conversation
• If you find small talk awkward or draining
• If you just want a low-stakes way to meet new people

You’re in the right place.

Come as you are.

You don’t need to prepare anything. Just show up and be willing to try.