Cindy presents this sensitive and relatively new to the industry topic with clear, student friendly, yet industry appropriate language. Both students and teachers found Cindy’s workshop to be extremely valuable and easy to implement within the classroom.
Michelle - Drama teacher (student workshop review)
This should be shared far wider to all performing arts teachers and also private arts schools.
Tamara - Drama teacher (online webinar)
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Online workshop
PERFORMING ARTS teacher professional development
Presenter at the AusDance Qld conference
Content writer on consent/wellbeing
Presenter at the
Drama Qld conference
As an educator, have you ever stopped to ask: How do I structure scenes, particularly improvisational ones, to honour boundaries—especially when touch and physical contact is involved? Do your students know how to communicate their boundaries, or to say no if they’re uncomfortable with physical interaction or content before scene work begins? Do I feel confident in my knowledge of new industry-standard consent protocols and how they work in my class? If you said no, you're definitely not alone. ​
Take the guess work out of INDUSTRY STANDARD consent protocols. Learn:
consent in the arts verse real relationship consent
cultural ARTS norms currently impacting consent
in class processes and rehearsal procedures
audition and casting protocols
self-care and closure practices for content
documentation considerations
Get in touch to find out how you can ensure you, your staff and students get up to speed with consent processes.
This was the most amazing workshop for our senior students. So important and beneficial for them as they begin to work in the industry!
Kim - Company Director NAPA (student workshop)
Intimacy Direction for performance
Choreographic support for scenes of close physical contact
When it comes to close contact in performance ('intimacy' in professional contexts) , it’s essential for teachers to understand that choreographing these scenes requires specialised training. Just like staging a dance routine or fight scene, everyone involved needs to be clear on what to expect, especially when physical boundaries are part of the performance. While it's possible to integrate basic consent and wellbeing practices into your classroom following the teacher workshop, handling more complex scenes—such as masked kisses—requires professional guidance. As an experienced and certified intimacy director, I offer teachers the support they need to navigate these scenes, ensuring students know their boundaries are respected.
Following a script break down and consultation with the director, an intimacy director supports rehearsals, suggests choreographic subtleties, and much more!
Why You Need to Get On Board with Consent and Boundary Protocols (Even if You've Never Heard About it Before)
If you’re unsure about your own understanding of consent, you're not alone. But it's possible with some professional development you could have an understanding of how these new industry standards can be woven into your teaching practice. By doing this, you’re not only reinforcing personal boundaries in performance, but you’re also equipping your students with vital skills that will support their wellbeing in every area of life.
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With just a few simple changes to your current processes, you can create a consent culture in your classroom—one that allows students to explicitly clarify boundaries, while still engaging in the creativity and connection that comes with performance. Let’s make this shift together.
Class should be memorable for all the RIGHT reasons.
ABOUT ME
Meet Your Facilitator
I'm determined to bring consent and wellbeing practices to the forefront of the Arts community. And if you're on this page ... I just might be on the right track.
I'm is a seasoned professional dancer, choreographer and Performing Arts educator with three decades of experience. For 17 years I worked as a high school teacher in Queensland.
With bachelor’s degrees in Psychology, Education, and Creative Industries, I truly believe in lifelong learning & reflective practice. Most of my specialised consent training for stage and screen has been with Principal Intimacy Professionals (but many, many more international organisations). I now hold SAG-AFTRA accredited certification as a consent specialist for film, television & live performance (known as an 'Intimacy Coordinator/Director'). I've worked on musicals (Rent at QPAC), music videos, short films, feature films, commercial concepts and other theatre projects.
My yoga teaching qualification led me to create Class for the Heart, (scroll to the bottom for a link to my website) offering mental health, mindset, and dance science-based workshops. I've recently added a certified Mental Health First Aider to my quals.
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As a professional dancer I performed in Las Vegas, Japan, Philippines, China, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papula New Guinea along with my home town, the Gold Coast. I'm stoked my choreography features on the QCAA website, and loved choreographing for "Creative Generation State Schools on Stage" a little while back.
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Queensland University of Technology
Bachelor of Creative Industries (Dance) with distinction
Bachelor of Education (Secondary) with honours
Tertiary Qualifications
Griffith University
Bachelor of Behaviour Science (Psychology Major)
Certificates
Association of Mental Health Coordinators (USA)
Screen Well (AUS)
Mental Health First Aid certificate
Blue print
Certificate IV Training and Assessment
Byron Yoga
200 hour yoga teacher training
Professional Development Snapshot
Principal Intimacy Professionals
(SAG-AFTRA accredited certification program)
Intimacy Directors and Coordinators
Theatrical Intimacy Educators (TIE)
Key Intimate Scenes
National Society of Intimacy Professionals
Intimacy Professionals Association
Intimacy Professionals Education Collective
Consent Wizardry
International Conference Intimacy Coordination (2024)
Actor 360 (Kristina Arjona)
I believe ...
Industry standards are needed in class
Teachers need to maintain a connection to real world practice.
Consent is more than
just permission.
While parent 'permission' is important, we need to teach our young artists about having a voice in artistic pursuits.
Consent process is easy to embed into every lesson
Processes can become as known as 'be quiet backstage'.
Boundaries lead to greater innovations.
A constraint and an actor saying 'no' makes creatives think even more outside the box.
As a former professional dancer and Performing Arts educator, I am now an internationally certified Intimacy Coordinator. My extensive training, is leveraged with aligned tertiary qualifications and diverse transferable skills to attentively support productions. I take a collaborative approach to enhance intimate storytelling, while contributing to a dynamic, unforgettable on set experience.
