Drama lessons in school differ from most traditional subjects delivered in the classroom, in that much of the time the students are on their feet and engaged in physical activity. It is often required for pupils to complete activities that involve physical contact between their peers and themselves, such as physical theatre, dancing and working with a text that centres around love and relationships, however, measures should be in place if a pupil does not feel comfortable with this. Reasons that this may occur can vary, but conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, where individuals may experience sensory differences, can result in physical contact being uncomfortable and painful (Autism.org.uk, 2020). Other students may have had negative past experiences which renders them unable to manage physical contact from someone they do not trust. Taking this into account, every student should know that they have the right to remove themselves from the activity or ask the teacher/facilitator to make reasonable adjustments, so that they can participate at a similar level.
As a drama facilitator, I feel it is important to agree ground rules regarding physical contact, as well as ensuring that instructions are clear and concise, to prevent accident or injury. Having an open discussion with the group about issues that some students may face regarding physical contact, would also allow students to come forward (privately, if necessary) to discuss these concerns. This could also be used to initiate a conversation around consent and bodily autonomy, which is vital knowledge for all young people. The safety and wellbeing of all students is paramount, and a facilitator should familiarise themselves with warning signs that a student may be in distress. Examples of these can be found here. Some schools and colleges provide physical contact and safe touch guidance for teachers, in addition to the safeguarding policy, which must be adhered to when demonstrating movement relevant to the activity.
“Physical contact may be required to assist an injured pupil, administer first-aid and in rare circumstances, safe touch is sometimes essential to aid effective teaching and learning i.e. awareness of correct muscle usage, correct posture, correct line and breathing techniques.” (Ferrie, 2015).
Before a facilitator uses safe touch to aid learning, they must first seek consent from the student, they then should carry out the demonstration in an environment that is open, avoiding private, unobserved situations.
Enabling drama students to have a voice regarding their bodily autonomy in drama lessons, can also help to prepare them for the entertainment industry. As all education institutions provide strict safeguarding policies to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their students, the theatre and film industry can access a similar structure for best practice, when choreographing scenes of an intimacy. There are two types of intimacy, intimate physical contact and non-contact based intimacy, which are defined below:
intimate physical contact – this may include, but not restricted to:
Kissing and intimate touch
Creating chemistry and attraction
Intimacy between parents and children
Intimacy between friends
Portrayal of sexual actions
Portrayal of traumatic events which involve intimacy
Portrayal of sexual violence
Non-contact based Intimacy – can include moments of tension between characters, attraction, chemistry or intimacy where no contact exists such as nudity. (Teamidi-uk.org, 2020).
The Intimacy Directors International extended their organisation to the UK in 2017, as they merged with established UK organisation, ‘Theatrical Intimacy’. Under their new collective name, ‘Intimacy Directors International UK’ (IDI-UK) they provide intimacy directors to industry creative teams, to assist in the directing process of intimate scenes, whilst promoting best practice to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the actors (teamidi-uk.org, 2020). Guidelines for UK based entertainment companies were first created by IDI-UK (Intimacy Directors International UK, 2019), followed by a similar guide for screen directors, in association with Directors UK (Directors UK, 2019). Both sets of guidlines can be found here:
Intimacy Guidlines for Performers
Directing Nudity and Simulated Sex
According to Yarit Dor, co-founder of IDI-UK, the need for intimacy directors became apparent following the #MeToo movement, which ‘sparked a massive change in perception’ regarding intimacy on the stage (Snow, 2019). As more actors came forward regarding sexual assault, abuse and harassment, it was evident that more needed to be done to protect them during rehearsals and filming, in case previous experiences manifested negatively, due to the content of the material they were portraying. It was also important to create guidance so that those involved can ensure that boundaries are not overstepped, and that each person is clear about what is being rehearsed. The ‘5 pillars of intimacy rehearsal’ (Intimacy Directors International, 2016) offer the foundations for ensuring safe intimacy rehearsals, by advising the creative team to consider the following : a discussion regarding the context of the intimate scene and the performance as a whole; the consent of the actors, giving them the agency to remove consent at any time; ensuring open and continuous communication between director, stage management and the actors; choreography must be agreed with and strictly adhered to throughout the process, with a thorough discussion prior to making any changes; encouraging closure at the end of each take or run and at the end of the rehearsal, to allow the actors to leave their characters and actions behind, and re-enter their lives.
As I prepare to begin training as a secondary school drama teacher, it has been beneficial for me to reflect upon matters of consent regarding physical contact and intimacy on stage, as there are elements of non-sexual intimacy, that I may have to discuss or direct with future students. Any aspect of intimacy could cause a negative response from a vulnerable student, so the guidelines are essential for the students and myself to refer to, whilst constantly emphasising that each person always has the right to remove consent at any point.
Bibliography
Autism.org.uk. 2020. Sensory Differences – National Autistic Society. [online] Available at: https://www.autism.org.uk/about/behaviour/sensory-world.aspx.
Directors UK, 2019. Directing Nudity And Simulated Sex. [ebook] London: Directors UK.
Ferrie, R., 2015. Physical Contact And Safe Touch Policy St Aloysius’ College. St Aloysius’ College.
Hemley, M., 2019. Intimacy Guidelines Launched To Assist Directors Working On Nudity And Simulated Sex Scenes. [online] The Stage. Available at: <https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/intimacy-guidelines-launched-to-assist-directors-working-on-nudity-and-simulated-sex-scenes>
IBCCES. 2020. Top 10 Signs Of Student Anxiety In The Classroom. [online] Available at: <https://ibcces.org/blog/2019/05/08/signs-student-anxiety-classroom/>.
Intimacy Directors International UK, 2019. Intimacy Guidelines For Performers. [ebook] Intimacy Directors International UK. Available at: <https://024774dd-1d24-4ae4-b5d9-0c211bd531f6.filesusr.com/ugd/dddf6e_f29cad5d1c0640679c8915bd4edeba95.pdf>.
Intimacy Directors International, 2016. The Pillars: Rehearsal And Performance Practice. [ebook] Available at: <https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/924101_2e8c624bcf394166bc0443c1f35efe1d.pdf>.
Snow, G., 2019. UK Branch Of Intimacy Directors International Set Up To Safeguard Actors During Sex Scenes. [online] The Stage. Available at: <https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/uk-branch-of-intimacy-directors-international-set-up-to-safeguard-actors-during-sex-scenes>.
teamidi-uk.org, 2020. [online] Teamidi-uk.org. Available at: <https://www.teamidi-uk.org/aboutus>.