VoiceStory Live is coming to Coquitlam
VoiceStory Live is back and our new home is the Evergreen Cultural Center.
The Evergreen is an amazing venue in the heart of Coquitlam, steps away from the Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain station and has ample on site free parking.
We are excited to relaunch on May 18, 2023 and look forward to seeing you there!
Our curated list of themes for 2023
May 18th, 2023
Rewards of Perseverance
The last breath, the last step, the last phone call – then there was success!
#nevergiveup
June 22nd, 2023
Alone in Silence
#socialisolation
July 29th & 30th, 2023
Into the Unknown
#courage
August 27th, 2023
The Monkey of Addition
It’s not just about drugs, so let’s talk about it so we can break the stigma around addiction.
#addiction
September 22nd, 2023
Growing Up
We never plan to grow old and then one day we are.
#aging
October 30th, 2023
Mentally Outspoken
Mental health, or wellbeing… let’s talk about it so we can break the stigma surrounding it.
#mentalhealth
November 22nd, 2023
Naked & Vulnerable
#vulnerability
December 18th, 2023
What is Love
#love
Happening Now
apply to speak
We are looking for members from our community to share their stories!
Our VoiceStory Guides have worked with many people just like you, to craft their stories and prepare them to share it on the VoiceStory Live stage, our VoiceStory onboarding process consists of the following steps:
The first step begins with our online application, after answering a few questions, you will be asked to submit a 3 minute summary video recording of your story.
Second, one of our Story Guides will review your submission and video for approval. If your story is approved for the next stage, you’ll receive a calendar invite from a member of the VoiceStory team.
During your scheduled call we will guide you through our discovery process, helping you find elements of your story that you have discarded or long forgotten, and then we take these pieces and weave them into your story.
Next the VoiceStory Guide will guide you through our speaking process, which prepares you to speak with authenticity, confidence and clarity on the VoiceStory Live stage.
After experiencing your empowering moment speaking on the VoiceStory Live stage, you have an opportunity to acquire a professionally crafted digital media package of your live performance.
Our goal is to support you in unleashing the impact of your story.
Speaking opportunities are limited to six per show, click here to send us your application now!
Event Calendar
May 18 – Rewards of Perseverance
Remember that moment when you just stopped whatever you were doing, as your body & mind were exhausted, your spirit drained… and then wondered “why do I bother?”
Whispered to yourself “enough is enough…”
You could have thrown in the towel and given up.
But you didn’t.
The last breath, the last step, the last phone call – then there was success!
#nevergiveup
APPLY TO SPEAK
June 22 – Alone in Silence
The addiction to mobile devices, the obsession with social media and the increase of people working from home have all reduced face to face interaction, which feeds the invisible impact of social isolation.
Feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness, fear of others, negative self-esteem and suicide.
Then the pandemic magnified all of this.
We are wired for connection, so what happens when we are told that we can’t?
How do we address the collateral damage?
How do we assess what we can’t see?
How do we heal?
#socialisolation
APPLY TO SPEAK
July 29 & 30 – Into the Unknown
It is said that everything that we want is on the other side of fear.
Those fears can range from speaking to someone, starting a business or to the extreme… of death.
What are you so afraid of?
What stories have you created?
How have you faced your fears?
What would you have to do in order to take the leap of faith to change?
To get out of the space you are in and never look back.
#courage
APPLY TO SPEAK
August 27 – The Monkey of Addition
We all experience stress, pain and trauma in our life and find ways to cope with it.
Whether it’s food, alcohol, cigarettes, work, sex, sports or gambling to just name a few choices… it’s to distract us so we can disconnect from whatever we are internalizing and be “free” from it just for a moment.
But that feeling of freedom doesn’t last for very long, so we chase after it.
Chasing after a feeling.
It’s not just about drugs, so let’s talk about it so we can break the stigma around addiction.
#addiction
APPLY TO SPEAK
September 22 – Growing Up
We are a society that cherishes youth.
The advertisements, the cosmetics, the body enhancements… we are bombarded with non stop conditioning to stay young forever.
All of this to distract us from the fact that from the moment we are born… the seconds tick away.
Minutes become hours, then days, then years.
We never plan to grow old and then one day we are.
#aging
APPLY TO SPEAK
6
October 30 – Mentally Outspoken
Too many are suffering in silence, believing they are broken and avoid sharing their situation for fear of judgment, ridicule and shame.
Why?
Because it’s not as simple as “just shake it off…” or “think happier thoughts and you’ll be OK” or “it’s all in your head! It’s not real!” or any multitude of well intended responses that don’t help.
Mental health, mental illness, mental wellbeing… however you choose to label it, let’s talk about it so we can break the stigma surrounding it.
#mentalhealth
APPLY TO SPEAK
7
November 22 – Naked & Vulnerable
As we grow and mature we learn that the world can be a very painful place.
Lack of acceptance and acknowledgement, fear of rejection, uncertainty, abandonment… all of these can cause us to protect ourselves by building up walls around our heart.
We internalize the pain and negative thoughts, fabricate stories to make sense of it and then create masks to hide behind to keep us safe.
But these masks are not true representations of who we are.
Vulnerability is about breaking down the walls, taking off the masks and showing the world who you really are.
#vulnerability
APPLY TO SPEAK
8
December 18 – What is Love?
Yes… that question was posed by the singer Haddaway.
Song titles from the 80s and 90s danced around the topic.
Foreigner asked “I Want to Know What Love Is?”
Phil Collins said “You can’t hurry love!”
Whitney Houston shared the “Greatest love of all…”
What does Love mean to you?
Have you experienced it?
Have you avoided it?
Let’s hear the good, the bad and the ugly!
#love
APPLY TO SPEAK
Conversation & Connection
The VoiceStory Foundation is bringing their popular “Conversations and Connection Sessions” social events to the Coquitlam Library!
The VoiceStory social events are about putting away the cell phones, disconnecting from the hustle and taking a moment to be with yourself and other members of your community.
If you read this far and have thoughts and feelings of being disconnected, uncertain of what to say, what to talk about, not wanting to go alone, “this is just another networking event…” or a multitude of other reasons… please understand that we have kept all of this in mind in the creation of these social events for you.
We start the event by introducing some key concepts to help you become a more effective communicator and have deeper conversations. Next we invite you to participate in our safe, friendly, empowered space, where we will facilitate rounds of 1-on-1 conversation by providing a topic/question for each round of conversation.
VoiceStory Alumni
