Please reach out to us if you have a request for specific resources or additions you would like included.
Adapted from "Do I need an Intimacy Professional?" by Becca Schwartz.
This list is not exhaustive, but can be a good starting point to help you decide if your project should hire an intimacy professional.
You should / are required to hire an Intimacy Pro by applicable unions for:
An Intimacy Pro is recommended for projects with:
An Intimacy Pro can provide additional support to projects with:
*Note: A Stunt Coordinator/Fight Director and a rigger may also be required.
**Note: A Mental Health Coordinator may also be required.
Adapted from Theatrical Intimacy Education's guide to "Asking Better Questions" by Chelsea Pace and Laura Rikard.
Here are some important things to know when looking for the right intimacy coordinator or director for your project.
Ask how much they charge (and what that includes)
Cheap doesn’t mean bad, and expensive doesn’t mean good. Artists deserve to be paid for their time.
Ask about their training and experience.
Asking about certification or looking for the longest resume isn’t the best way to find the right intimacy pro for you. Also, remember - short resumes aren’t always a red flag. Every expert had a first gig.
What intimacy specific tools and techniques have they been trained in? There are lots of intimacy specialists who have taken lots of workshops from a particular training organization or a few workshops from everybody. That commitment to the discipline may be exactly what you are looking for, and formal training absolutely has its advantages. However, training can be inaccessible, expensive, and time-intensive. Be thoughtful in how much weight you give their answer. A lack of formal training doesn’t mean a lack of qualification, and training with an organization doesn’t equal endorsement.
Other good training to look for (from everybody, not just intimacy pros): Mental Health First Aid, Bystander Intervention, Anti-Racism.
Ask how they handle problems.
Cast problems. Director problems. Crew problems. Give them a hypothetical to troubleshoot. Ask about what makes you nervous. What is their process for getting things back on track?
Ask about how their practices are anti-racist, inclusive, adaptable, accessible, and culturally competent.
They may be great, but if they aren’t anti-racist, inclusive, adaptable, accessible, and culturally competent, they shouldn’t be working.
Ask for references.
One of the most important pieces of information you need to make a good hire doesn’t come from the hire - it comes from their former and current collaborators. Ask for contact information from not only former directors, producers, or artistic team members, but also from stage managers, production managers, and actors they have worked with.
Ask about their process.
Do they have a codified process? Is there a technique, or do they improvise and solve as they go? Do they think it’s the same as fight or stunts, but with nudity? (Spoiler: it’s not.)
Ask about their collaborative style.
Ask when and how they want to be included, what their communication practices are, and how they develop their creative material in response to the vision and direction of the project. Does their style fit with yours?