Theatrical intimacy is the presentation of intimate material on stage (or in film, print, and other media) including, but not limited to: sexual actions, nudity, kissing, stripping, and sexual violence. Intimacy direction is the art form of facilitating artists in the thoughtful creation and presentation of intimate material on stage; intimacy coordination is the term used for the same role in tv and film.

At PNW TI we believe that intimacy is culturally-specific, and therefore the circumstances of the story, the cultural backgrounds of the creative team, and the context in which the play is presented are all crucial elements that define the intimacy in a play and the role of the intimacy director in the creative process.

Other definitions and explanations of intimacy and intimacy direction:

• From Intimacy Directors & Coordinators (IDC)

• Five Pillars of Intimacy by Intimacy Directors International

More discussion of the nuances and applications of the artform: 

• Articles from Howlround, including an overview of the Art and Craft of Intimacy Direction,  a discussion of Intimate Reform with specific attention on artists of color, and a piece on Intimacy Direction in the Time of Physical Distance 

• Video discussion of “Intimacy Design” from Heartland Intimacy Design

• Discussion of intimacy direction as a growing art form from Berkshire Fine Arts

• How is a love scene like a stunt sequence? 

We are a collective of theatrical intimacy professionals working across the Pacific Northwest who advocate for best practices in order to foster a culture of care, consent, and healthy boundaries by educating local theatre artists and organizations and building pathways of connection amongst our community of intimacy professionals.

We value:
Community - the intentional gathering of a group of people.
Intersectionality - the overlapping aspects of identity that make individuals unique and valuable.
Sustainability - the beliefs and practices that promote life-giving action.
Advocacy - the use of power for the benefit of others.

• Returning to Theatre with Enthusiastic Consent

Click here for our contact page to get in touch with us. You can also find and learn more about local intimacy directors near you via our members database. We recommend reaching out to members on our list directly for additional information about their professional experience and creative process and to find the right fit for your production’s needs. PNW TI does not collectively endorse specific members for specific jobs, but we’re happy to help connect you with our network.

Want to know if you should hire an Intimacy Director for your production? See below for some pointers.

Look for 

• Experience and training in intimacy direction and theatre

• Personal philosophy in creating intimacy choreography and consent-based spaces

•  Specific practices in building a culture of consent, collaboration, and creating intimacy choreography 

• Referral from professionals and collaborators in the field

• Intersection of cultural competencies and intimate content (i.e Is this the right person for this show?)

We believe that qualification is the most important part of being an intimacy professional. 

Intimacy direction is still a new field and there has not yet been an industry-wide, unifying conversation to establish the criteria for certification. 

There are many ways to be qualified. Certification is one way to make sure that everyone doing a particular job has the appropriate level of skill and training. This can work well in some industries and create solid levels of safety, but in other areas it can be a way to uphold White Supremacist values, even unintentionally. Those of us who are certified have done so with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators through their own certification system.

For further reading, please explore Chelsea Pace’s excellent article, The Certification Question. Also, SAG/AFTRA has a list of recommended competencies and trainings.

PNW TI offers workshops around intimacy best practices for theaters and theater practitioners, but we are not currently a training organization. The intimacy directors affiliated with PNW TI have studied with many different organizations, pursued their own studies pertinent to the field, and worked in theatres around the region. 

See below for resources on becoming an intimacy director! 

If you are currently an intimacy director or training to become one and you’re interested in joining PNW TI, click here to contact us. 

Intimacy has been present onstage for as long as people have been performing. While many excellent directors, choreographers, movement directors, and other specialists have fostered processes that encourage consent-based creativity, the formalization of intimacy direction as a field is relatively young. Early organizations like Intimacy Directors International evolved from research and practices developed in the early 2000s; since about 2016, strong calls for better abuse prevention systems, increased attention to the mental health and wellness of artists, and a rise in anti-patriarchal forms of theatre making have brought intimacy direction to the fore of a broader shift in equitable theatre practices. While much of the media coverage around theatrical intimacy has focused on strides made in film, theatre companies of all sizes across the country now also regularly bring in intimacy directors for all kinds of productions.

Check out these resources for a greater understanding of the conditions that brought intimacy direction forward and how it has evolved since.

• Rolling Stone article: How HBO is Changing Sex Scenes Forever

• American Theatre magazine article: Intimate Exchanges

• Staging Intimacy, SDC article

• #MeToo and the Method

• Intimacy in Bridgerton

• How Intimacy Coordinators Are Fixing A Broken Entertainment Industry

There is no hard and fast rule for when to hire an intimacy director. The answer depends on the complexity of the physical storytelling required, the cultural context of the play, and who you already have on your creative team. We’ve created a resource at the bottom of the page that may help you think further about your show’s intimacy direction needs, or check out the links below for additional context on when and how to hire an intimacy director.

• “When to Hire an Intimacy Director” by IDC

• Theatrical Intimacy Education's “Better Questions to Ask”

• "Hiring an Intimacy Director" by Moving Body Arts

There are many organizations that do great work around theatrical intimacy. Some provide education, some offer Intimacy Directors for hire, some only work on stage or in film, and some do a combination of things. Here are a few we are connected to:

• Theatrical Intimacy Education

• Intimacy Coordinators of Color

• Intimacy Directors and Coordinators

• Intimacy Professionals Association

• National Alliance of Intimacy Professionals

• National Society of Intimacy Professionals (Canada)

• Moving Body Arts (UK)

If you are interested in becoming an intimacy director we recommend pursuing training with the organizations listed above. If you are currently an intimacy director or in the process of training to become one, and you’re interested in joining PNW TI, click here to contact us. 

Start by checking out these resources as well!

Books + Articles + Talks:

• Planned Parenthood’s definition of Sexual Consent

• Tea and Consent

• Intimacy Choreography in Conversation

• Staging Sex: Best Practices, Tools, and Techniques for Theatrical Intimacy

• Using Intimacy Direction to Create a Culture of Consent post-COVID

• Carly D. Weckstein’s YES/NO/MAYBE List

• Dance Magazine Article: We Need to Talk about Non-Consensual Audience Participation 

• Immersive theatre may be sexy - but we need to start talking about consent

Resource catalogs

• IDC Resource Guide

• Broadway Advocacy Coalition’s Antiracist Resource List

Organizational protocols put in place by other groups and unions.

• Intimacy for Stage and Screen Guidelines

• Moving Body Arts resource page of guidelines

• SAG AFTRA Standards and Protocols

DEIA training organizations:

• People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond

• Sins Invalid

• Race Forward

• Rainbow Center

• Hollaback!

• The Transgender Training Institute

Additional resources:

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

• Black Acting Methods

• Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds

• Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good