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True Stories Told  by Those Who

Lived Them

UPCOMING EVENTS

Discover the power of Personal Storytelling

  • Belfry Theatre's The Flame – March 2026 Workshop
    Belfry Theatre's The Flame – March 2026 Workshop
    Mar 21, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – Mar 22, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
    Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Ave, Victoria, BC V8T 2Y5, Canada
    Learn the tools you need to turn your lived experience into an engaging tale—or the genesis of a one-person show.
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  • Victoria: Belfry Theatre's Storytelling Event
    Victoria: Belfry Theatre's Storytelling Event
    Mar 23, 2026, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Ave, Victoria, BC V8T 2Y5, Canada
    Award-winning actor Deborah Williams, one of the creators of Mom's the Word, is bringing the hit storytelling event The Flame back to the Belfry.
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  • Richmond Gateway: Deb Williams' Flame Storytelling Workshop
    Richmond Gateway: Deb Williams' Flame Storytelling Workshop
    Apr 11, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – Apr 12, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
    Gateway Theatre , 6500 Gilbert Rd., Richmond, BC V7C 3V4, Canada
    Discover the power of your unique voice and transform your personal experiences into captivating stories—or even the foundation for a one-person show!
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  •  Richmond Gateway's Storytelling Event
     Richmond Gateway's Storytelling Event
    Sun, Apr 12
    Apr 12, 2026, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    Gateway Theatre , 6500 Gilbert Rd., Richmond, BC V7C 3V4, Canada
    Join us at Gateway Theatre for a special performance of Vancouver’s wildly popular storytelling series, The Flame, where we will be featuring the fresh work of 7-8 storytellers who have just participated in a storytelling workshop the same weekend!
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About Deb Williams

Storyteller​, Creator, Director, Teacher, Actor, Director, Playwright, Comedian.

Deb Williams is an award-winning actor, playwright, producer, and comedian who has worked across Canada and the world for over 40 years. Deb is one of the co-creators/stars of the 5 Moms the Word plays, enjoyed by over 2 million people in 19 countries and 15 languages. Deb is a co-founder and the Artistic Producer of The Flame, Canada's West Coast's premier storytelling event since 2009. Deb premiered her one-person show, "Taking Off," at the Belfry Theatre in 2016. She has been an Associate Artist at the Belfry Theatre for 13 years.  Deb graduated from Studio 58 and is a community organizer and builder, creating art, festivals and celebrations wherever she lives.

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THE MAKING OF

THE FLAME:
Established 2009

The Flame began in Deb Williams and Bruce Kennedys’ eastside Vancouver living room in 2009. Together with co-creator Joel Wirkkunen, they invited 20 people to each share a personal true story. In return, the tellers were offered wine, cheese, and a warm place to gather. The storytellers, mostly professional performers, arrived self-conscious with acute stage fright. They told their stories, heard others, and left exhilarated; filled, and wanting more.

 

The Flame caught fire.

Michael Shamata Artistic Director Belfry Theatre

"Deborah is a natural-born leader. I have witnessed her in action as a teacher, and have seen her nurture and encourage her storytelling students to write and speak with truth and honesty.  Teaching is one of the cornerstones of the directing profession, and Deborah knows how to get the best out of a group of vastly different people.  Of course, they all fall in love with her at the same time."

Workshops

Corporate Workshops

All humans are hungry to share and hear personal stories. Good storytelling is not easy, but with commitment, everyone can do it.  And with practice, good storytellers become great.   

The Flame Workshop is a  creative, supportive space. Participants arrive with different skills and levels of understanding. 

Weekend Workshops

Novice, intermediate and accomplished storytellers grow and challenge themselves.  They begin to see their lives as buckets full of stories. All humans are hungry to share and hear personal stories;  live storytelling is a partnership. 

 

Good storytelling is not easy, but with instructions, listening, and repetition,  everyone can do it.  ​

The Flame Storytelling Workshops are available for hobby, professional or corporate interests.  Workshops range from 2 hours to 2-days to weekend workshops.  Weekly classes and 1 on 1 creative coaching are also available, to support your MA, Ph.D., or for secondary school students.  Workshops are available In English, Mandarin, Farsi, Portuguese or translated into other languages.

Story Workshops

CONTACT

QUESTIONS?

We are grateful to live, play and create on the stolen ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nationsnative-land.ca

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©THE FLAME 2023 

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