As a costume designer for theatre and film for many years, before the time of Intimacy Coordinators, I often found myself playing the part of actor liaison on set. During intimate scenes, actors leaned on the costume and makeup teams to confide in -they spend a lot of time with us and there always seems to be a deeper level of trust in the dressing room. Instinctually, I found myself advocating for the actors on set – making sure they felt safe and gave enthusiastic and continued consent, providing modesty garments as well as robes and cover-ups in between takes, using my background in stage fighting to help choreograph movements that looked real for the audience and felt comfortable for the players.
As a lifelong member and advocate of the LGBTQ community, I am incredibly passionate about varied and accurate depictions of LGBTQ and non binary characters, as well as creating and maintaining physically and psychologically safe spaces for performers of all backgrounds. As a member of the plus size community, I am also very passionate about creating varied and accurate depictions of characters with marginalized bodies -including members of our disabled community, with dignity and respect.
Intimacy coordinators do not only make performers feel safe, they create an environment of continued enthusiastic consent and open communication that allows for even greater creative freedom, more realistic and relatable scenes of intimacy, and an efficient and comfortable set for everyone involved.