SAG-AFTRA Accredits Seven Intimacy Coordinator Training Programs

LOS ANGELES – SAG-AFTRA today announced seven newly accredited international intimacy coordinator training programs that will help safely expand the pool of qualified intimacy coordinators. It is the culmination of a yearslong process by the union and the intimacy coordinator community to implement the first industrywide standards for training to enter the profession. The accreditation system will allow interested candidates to identify high-quality training programs and ensures a commitment to equity and inclusion for all applicants.

“Intimacy coordinators set the bar even higher on protections for our members and help raise consciousness on what's considered appropriate behavior and being sensitive to the feelings and comfort zone of  performers,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. “In an industry that for decades turned a blind eye to ‘the casting couch,’ I'd say this is most definitely a step in the right direction!”

“We hear from actors every day how trained intimacy coordinators make them feel safer on set,” said Alicia Rodis, Lead Intimacy Coordinator at HBO. “The accreditation of these training programs will help members identify high-quality comprehensive programs that are meeting the demands for inclusion and accessibility. This will help safely expand the role and help create a diverse pipeline for highly qualified intimacy coordinators.”

The following training programs have met the accreditation requirements SAG-AFTRA created in consultation with industry professionals: 

• Centaury (USA)
• Intimacy Coordinators Canada (Canada)
• Intimacy Coordinators Education Collective (USA)
• Intimacy Directors & Coordinators (USA)
• Intimacy Professionals Association (USA)
• Intimacy for Stage and Screen (UK)
• Intimacy on Set (UK)

The accreditation program is not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual or company by SAG-AFTRA but rather only to confirm that the minimum training standards for the program have been and continue to be met. Once accredited, a biennial review of the organizations will be conducted to ensure continued compliance with the accreditation program. 

SAG-AFTRA first announced the intimacy coordinator accreditation and registry programs in April 2021, as part of its ongoing efforts to normalize and encourage the use of intimacy coordinators.

This followed SAG-AFTRA’s groundbreaking 2020 introduction of Standards and Protocols for the Use of Intimacy Coordinators, which outlined the responsibilities of intimacy coordinators at every stage of production, showing how the role allows productions to operate more efficiently, provide a safety net for performers, and establish specialized support that empowers both cast and crew.

Later this spring, to assist productions in identifying highly qualified intimacy coordinators, SAG-AFTRA will introduce a registry of qualified and experienced intimacy coordinators that have met the set minimum standards for training and experience on set, as well as a pre-registry list of intimacy coordinators entering the field. 

An Intimacy Coordinator is an advocate, a liaison between actors and production, and a movement coach and/or  choreographer in regard to nudity and simulated sex and other intimate scenes. 

Having experienced, qualified intimacy coordinators on set helps to ensure that SAG-AFTRA members who are filming scenes with nudity or simulated sex are able to work in a manner that maintains their personal and professional dignity while realizing the director’s creative vision.

About SAG-AFTRA

SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.