Talking to Strangers: Victoria Park

Ever wanted to be able to talk to anyone but just didn’t quite know how? Now’s your chance to learn. As a Londoner, you’ll be acutely aware of how reserved we can be and how infrequently we acknowledge the existence of the millions of wonderful people we share this fantastic city with—and I think that’s a shame. Last year I ran a series of workshops on talking to strangers for a small group, and attendees found them very valuable, so I wanted to experiment with opening the idea up to the world at large. The basic idea is very straightforward: we’ll meet in a busy public place (Victoria Park this time), introduce ourselves, do a few warm-up exercises, and then disperse for periods of varying lengths to build real-world experience talking to strangers. We’ll then come back together to share what we found, including small wins, lessons learned, and interesting moments. The great thing about doing this as a group is that any setbacks and difficulties become much easier to deal with when we have each other to lean on. For anyone who doesn’t yet feel ready to have a short exchange with a stranger on their own, I’m always more than happy to wander around alongside you and start the interactions myself, giving you the opportunity to jump in whenever you feel comfortable. I recognise that doing this is probably a little odd and maybe outside your comfort zone—but it really is ultimately a lot of fun. And summer is the perfect time to get out and try something different. I genuinely believe that getting better at talking to strangers is one of the most straightforward ways to make everyday life much more interesting. There are no barriers to entry; it’s something we can all do. It’s a great way to feel more connected to the world around you, and you never know who you’ll meet. I’ll start with this first session and organise more if there’s enough interest. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.