Intimacy coordination unveils accumulated psychological and emotional trauma, sometimes buried deep in unconsciousness. Giving consent to being touched is critical, but actors often have no experience of being asked for permission to be touched.
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A new set of guidelines for handling intimate scenes in film and television shoots was recently released in South Africa. Similar to those adopted in other countries, the protocols were compiled in consultation with the country’s major bodies for industry workers and producers. They provide guidance on how to make cast and crew safe, especially from sexual harassment and assault. Performer and academic Fiona Ramsay asked Kate Lush, a co-creator of the new protocols, why they matter.
Why are the protocols needed?
Historically, actors and students actors were groomed to believe that if they didn’t say yes to whatever the director or lecturer asked, someone else would; this was a side to the industry they’d just have to accept. Actors were rarely asked to interrogate their personal boundaries or comfort levels. As a result sexual harassment, bullying and coercion were rife in all areas of the entertainment industry and throughout academic institution
A new set of guidelines for handling intimate scenes in film and television shoots was recently released in South Africa. Similar to those adopted in other countries, the protocols were compiled in consultation with the country’s major bodies for industry workers and producers. They provide guidance on how to make cast and crew safe, especially from sexual harassment and assault. Performer and academic Fiona Ramsay asked Kate Lush, a co-creator of the new protocols, why they matter.
Why are the protocols needed?
Historically, actors and students actors were groomed to believe that if they didn’t say yes to whatever the director or lecturer asked, someone else would; this was a side to the industry they’d just have to accept. Actors were rarely asked to interrogate their personal boundaries or comfort levels. As a result sexual harassment, bullying and coercion were rife in all areas of the entertainment industry and throughout academic institutions.