Human Conversations That Make Culture Visible
Panels and fireside chats can be powerful… or painfully performative.
At Stretching the City, we design and facilitate thoughtfully structured, psychologically safe conversations that bring lived experience to life, spark connection, and surface insights organisations can genuinely learn from.
These sessions work best when organisations want to move beyond slides and soundbites, and create space for real voices, real stories and meaningful dialogue.
What this looks like in practice
Our Panels & Fireside Chats are fully supported, end-to-end experiences, not just a one-hour event. We work closely with you to design a session that is safe, purposeful and impactful. Each engagement typically includes:
Call 1: Client Briefing & Design
A planning session to:
- Clarify objectives (awareness, culture change, leadership signalling, learning)
- Shape the theme and format
- Share guidance on selecting panellists across:
- Seniority levels
- Roles (e.g. leadership, HR, lived experience)
- Perspectives and backgrounds
- Provide an email invitation template for panellists
- Agree how psychological safety will be protected throughout
Call 2: Panellist Briefing
A dedicated session with panellists to:
- Set expectations and boundaries
- Explore personal stories they’re comfortable sharing
- Decide who will speak to what (no pressure, no oversharing)
- Build confidence and trust within the group
This step is key to ensuring the session feels human, grounded and respectful, not exposed or tokenistic.
Call 3: Rehearsal
A light-touch run-through to:
- Ensure everyone feels supported and prepared
- Refine flow and pacing
- Reduce nerves
Live Session (Onsite or Virtual)
The panel or fireside chat itself is:
- Carefully held to maintain psychological safety in the room
- Chaired and moderated by an experienced STC facilitator
- Designed to balance structure with authenticity
- Supported by tailored Slido or audience interaction
Post-Session Insights (Optional)
Where useful, we can:
Feed learning into future wellbeing or people strategies
Summarise key themes and insights
Topics we currently offer
We can design panels and fireside chats around a wide range of themes, including:
Each session is tailored, no off-the-shelf formats.
Why organisations choose Stretching the City for panels
✔ Evidence-informed, not performative
✔ Experienced facilitation that holds sensitive conversations well
✔ Deep focus on psychological safety
✔ Thoughtful preparation — before, during and after
✔ Designed to inform action, not just awareness
Interested in hosting a panel or fireside chat?
We’ll help you design a session that feels meaningful, safe and genuinely impactful.
Planning Mental Health Awareness Week?
We recommend this workshop as part of our Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 programme.