INTIMACY
CO-ORDINAToR
HIGH END TV & FILM and Theatre
Mary was selected as the sole UK and Ireland participant on the Safe Sets International Intimacy Coordinator Training Programme (2025). Following eight weeks of tuition, the in-person training took place in South Africa, where a cohort of 12 international industry professionals spent a week working through over 40 scripts - both as co-ordinators and as performers. Following completion of the programme, she continues work on set under specialist mentorship supported by Screen Ireland.
Mary has applied her intimacy coordination practice on productions including The Effect by Lucy Prebble and Jennifer by BFranks. Her training and mentored practice have prepared her to support productions across both long-form and short-form screen projects, from development and pre-production through to production and post-production.
Fully Trained
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On HETV and Film productions, Intimacy Co-ordination is commonly budgeted at Head of Department level, with rates determined by the scale of the production, complexity of scenes, required pre-production planning, research, on-set and post prod- support.Below is a general scale to support you when organising the budget and schedule for your production.
Due to the nature of the work, most of the heavy lifting of the IC happens early and off-set - so it’s wise to engage your Intimacy Co-ordinator early in production as possible. This way protocols will be efficiently tailored to your specific artists and production.
Feature / TV / Studio Productions: 500–1,250 per prep session / 650–1,250 + per shoot day / Aftercare / post-shoot protocols: 75–450 per session or flat package
Indie / Low-Budget Productions: 250–500 per prep session / 400–650 per shoot day/ post-shoot protocols: 75–400
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch for tailored quotes-Packages available — e.g., short film (1–2 scenes, 1-day shoot) ~£1,600; TV episode (multiple scenes), 3-day shoot + Prep and Aftercare) ~£4,400.
https://www.bectuintimacybranch.co.uk/intimacy-coordinator-uk-rates -
A professional Intimacy Co-ordinator / Director (Theatre & Stage) provides:
Full prep-rehearsal and performance support for professional productions.
Scene choreography, interdepartmental solutions, onsite check ins and implementation of safeguarding protocols.
Rates: £350–£900 per day depending on rehearsal or performance work and production scale.
Community / Educational / Amateur Productions:
Consultation, planning, pre-production and rehearsal support for small-scale productions.
Practical choreography and implementation of safety protocols
Remote or inperson check-ins- revisions
Rates: £250 per day (or tailored session) + £75 additional consultation, aftercare, check-ins
Community theatre rates are adjusted to support smaller organisations and student productions approach intimate scenes in accordance with safety guidelines and protocols; professional rates reflect full on-set or on-stage responsibility and specialist training.
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What is an intimacy co-ordinator, where did they come from, what do they do and how do we work with them?
Mary delivers insight into Intimacy Co-ordination in practice, career perspectives and practical understanding of protocols context for students and professionals.Guest Talk / Lecture 1-2 hrs- 250-450
Half-day Workshop/ Masterclass 2–3 hrs 575-750
Full-day Practical Workshop/ Masterclass (Online/Full Day on site) 5–6 hrs 850- 1250
Tailored Industry Workshop - Contact for quote and describe requirements
Tailored Mentorship & Advisory SupportFor Student & Emerging Productions
Guidance for student filmmakers, theatre makers, and early-career creatives navigating intimate or vulnerable material within their productions.
Support may include:
Script review and scene risk assessment
Confidential communication lines
Advice on consent processes and rehearsal planning
Guidance on modesty garments and choreography approaches
Safeguarding considerations for student performers
Practical advice for directors and producers
One-to-one mentoring for student Intimacy Coordinators or production teams
Group workshops for actors and theatre makers - integrating boundary and consent practices to the theatre making process
Advisory Call / Mentorship Session 45–60 mins 60–120
Script Review + Written Guidance per script 120–250
Half-Day Mentorship/ On-site Workshop 2–3 hours 200–300
Full-Day Mentorship / On-Set Advisory up to 6 hours 300–450 -
What is an Intimacy Co-ordinator?
An Intimacy Co-ordinator (IC) is a trained professional who works with directors, performers and production teams to plan, rehearse and facilitate scenes involving intimacy or vulnerable material.
The IC’s role is to ensure these scenes are approached professionally, safely and with clear consent, while supporting the director’s creative vision and maintaining efficient production workflows.
Many ICs come from specialist backgrounds such as choreography, therapeutic or trauma-informed practice, stunt coordination, movement direction, BDSM and kink education, safeguarding or SFX protocols. This multidisciplinary expertise allows productions to approach complex material with clarity, care and precision.
An IC does not direct performances, provide therapy, or coach acting choices. Instead, they facilitate a rare thing in-between where from true consent and detailed storytelling a team is creatively liberated to create subject specifically.
They collaboratively design the relevant protocols that will carry the artists and vision through to sound completion - allowing teams to make work everybody can be proud of. -
Intimacy Co-ordination exists to help productions tell complex stories responsibly.
By establishing clear consent, structured preparation and professional on-set protocols, the role enables performers and creative teams to approach vulnerable material with confidence — supporting storytelling that everyone involved can be proud of.
Productions may engage an IC whenever a scene involves intimate or vulnerable content, including:
Physical Contact
Kissing
Simulated sex
Masturbation
Grinding or body-to-body contact
Pre- or post-sex moments
Birth scenes
Care or medical contact
Simulated assault
Lasting eye contact (amongst certain cultures)
Non-Sexual Intimacy
Parent–child contact
Nurse or patient care
Physical comfort or caregiving
Emotional or Psychological Vulnerability
Heightened romantic or erotic states
Scenes involving substance use, overdose, or distress
Moments of emotional exposure, heightened attachment
Grooming, manipulation, power play, abuse or psychological intensity
Nudity
Implied nudity
Semi-nudity
Full nudity
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Ideally, an Intimacy Co-ordinator is engaged during pre-production, once scripts have been finalised and intimate or vulnerable scenes have been identified.
An actor, casting director, director or producer may request the support of an IC at any stage in the production process.Early involvement allows the IC to support productions through:
Script review and risk assessment
Consent discussions with performers
Choreography planning and rehearsal preparation
Coordination with costume, camera and direction departments
Planning for closed sets and modesty garments and location specific modifications
Bringing an IC into the process early helps productions avoid last-minute challenges during filming, when time pressures are high and changes can be costly.
However, ICs are often brought in later in the process, particularly if a scene evolves during rehearsals or shooting. In these cases, a trained IC can quickly establish protocols and support the cast and crew in navigating the material safely and efficiently. Safe Set’s IC’s like Mary are trained to work flexibility and under tight time constraints and have support in resourcing particularly niche subject matter/contexts