Snippet of the start of my journey into Intimacy Direction/Coordination

Many people ask me how did you start? How did you get into these roles? What training did you do?

Well, the truth of the matter is, everyone's journey is their own. And companies offering training in intimacy for performance have varying views on what skills those roles require.. All I can offer is a snippet of the start of my journey. So think of this as a mini retrospective outlining in brief the practitioners I met in the beginning of my path, productions where I started using contemporary intimacy practice (rather than just doing it as I would approach movement direction or fight direction).

The below names mentioned don't mean to say that others weren't there in the UK industry, it only means that they didn't affect my learning and exposure to this work at that time.

Beginnings:

I first started working as a fight director and movement director in theatre and dance. My first proper credited paid-job as those roles was in 2007. In conjunction, in films/TV I had several jobs as a Special Action Performer and Fight Choreographer/Fight Arranger.

Similar to many movement directors and fight directors, I can also say that within my work in theatre and dance I also dealt with intimacy choreography and intimate storytelling way before the timeline described below. Not once have I come in as a fight director and been asked to "help with this moment" suddenly realising it was a kiss or a making out action. Directors expected the 'movement people' to support any type of movement in the rehearsal room. That was part of past practice. However I think it is vital to draw a line between my practice before I studied contemporary intimacy and my experience after that. For in my opinion, past intimacy practice and the contemporary one is definitely not the same. Some aspects might be similar but the techniques have developed and the level of research has deepen.

July 2017

I attended a 3 hour workshop taught by Lizzy Talbot introducing intimacy for directors (consent and IDI's Pillars of Intimacy).

October 2017

I joined Theatrical Intimacy. Co-founders were: Lizzy Talbot, Claire Warden and myself.

25 October 2017

Women @ RADA - Listen Up Campaign - I spoke about intimacy practice and Theatrical Intimacy as part of a panel discussing the #MeToo movement.

2017 - Theatrical Intimacy rebranded as a UK branch of Intimacy Directors International, the leading USA based intimacy company.

2017-2019

Consultation for with Equity's Agenda For Change.

Although I was already working as a fight director & movement director in high-end theatre venues like The Shakespeare's Globe, Manchester Exchange etc, I first started my intimacy direction practice in Fringe and Off-West End theatre. Young directors were the ones really advocating for that work in their rehearsal spaces: Three Sisters by (Arrows & Traps Theatre), The Rise & Fall of Little Voice (The Park Theatre), Dracula (Arrows & Traps Theatre), Jerker (King's Head).

September 2018 - interviewed on BBC Sounds The Art of Intimacy Part 2

December 2018

Attended the Paddy Crean International Workshop

Intimacy workshops with Alicia Rodis and Rachel Flesher.

Alicia's workshops: Seductive Storytelling, Instant Chemistry & Intimacy For the Stage, Consent & Power Dynamics.

Rachel's workshops: Your Body Talks, Mapping the Kiss, Consent in Combat: An introduction to Sexual Domestic Violence

17-25 May 2019

Intimacy Directors International - Intimacy Choreographers Intensive Toronto

Teachers: Tonia Sina, Alicia Rodis, Siobhan Richardson, Claire Warden.

Topics included consent, power dynamics, staging simulated sex acts, film and intimacy coordination, recommended guidelines, dealing with resistance, sensitivity/mental health in intimacy work.

April 2019

Adult Material, BBC - prep for block started.

May 2019 - shooting started.

From April 2019 onwards - Intimacy Coordination

Adult Material was first and after that followed Nevers, Spanish Princess, Domina, The Wheel of Time, Carnival Row, Bridgerton Season 1 (cover IC), The Girlfriend Experience.

July 2019

INTIMASK was born - one stop shop for intimacy garments tailored for the intimacy direction and coordination profession.

October 2019

BFI London Film Festival - part of the panel discussion Close Up: Sex Nudity and Intimacy On Screen to discuss intimacy coordination.

7 October 2019

My rehearsals started for Death of A Salesman, West End Transfer. It marked the first time an Intimacy Director credit was given in the West End and the first show to introduce that practice on high-end theatre.

2019-2020

Joined an extended (4 months) intimacy coordination training taught by Alicia Rodis (HBO Intimacy Coordinator Liaison) offered to a handful of worldwide based working intimacy practitioners.

Late 2019

I was the education manager and co-tutor for the intimacy directors training run by Intimacy Directors International UK branch.

October 2020

My company Moving Body Arts opened the Intimacy Coordination Programme for Underrepresented Groups (funded by the Film & Charity BAME Community Fund).

January 2021

Started working as an Intimacy Director for Rambert Dance Company.

January 2022

Started working with Punchdrunk, London company.

June 2022

Started working as Intimacy Director for Hamilton London Company.

The rest of my journey grew out of the above experiences.

Not always perfect

still rumbling with the material

rumbling with what I want to explore in the roles vs what is possible

But production by production and workshop by workshop and person by person I've learned more about myself, the creative process, the challenges, what authentic people feel like and what I value.

Photo: Adult Material (BBC).

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