Triangle Intimacy Lab

Staged intimacy in theatre and film is a relatively young discipline but has been embraced in the wake of the #metoo movement and evidence in high profile cases such as that of Harvey Weinstein.  Many people are seeking training to be intimacy professionals, but the pandemic has hampered the ability for people to train in a robust way, as such training has largely shifted to virtual spaces.  Furthermore, in-person training is often expensive, time consuming, and requires travel.  This creates several barriers for people without extensive funds, people with children, and people with disabilities.  Even once trained, there is often a gap between classroom theory and rehearsal room practice, where lack of experience could lead to harm while working.
 
TRIANGLE INTIMACY LAB is an inclusive space for theatrical intimacy practitioners to hone their craft outside of the constraints and pressures of situations where they are being paid to create choreography and/or performance for a show.  It is open to all.  The mission is to remove as many barriers as possible to engagement with the practice.  Triangle Intimacy Lab is not a teaching space but is a learning space.  It is a collective of practitioners providing feedback on each others’ work and approach.  Rules will be determined by participating individuals in the form of community agreements that are subject to constant revision.  
 
Since one of the greatest ways to increase skill is through doing, Triangle Intimacy Lab provides a place where artists can gain experience, explore ideas around staging and storytelling, and discuss best practices in creating positive rehearsal room culture.  Triangle Intimacy Lab will allow artists to practice their choreography and other skills, while still working in a consent-forward space.  This allows a choreographer/performer group to explore ways to approach a variety of kinds of scenes, but with the safety net of professionals and fellow artists to provide guiderails. 
 
The power structure is that of a shared space, not a teaching space.  The space is led by a facilitator, with artists getting feedback from fellow artists/participants rather than a top down/teacher/director structure.  It is a collective of intimacy choreographers and performers providing discussion and insight into their colleagues’ methods, approaches, and outcomes.  It meets in multiple locations and communities in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and other nearby areas, attempting to remove the barrier of time commitment needed to travel to another city to participate.  It currently has location partnerships with Meredith College, Raleigh Little Theatre, William Peace University, and PlayMakers/UNC-Chapel Hill, with plans to start having sessions in Durham in 2024.

In an effort to remove financial barriers, Triangle Intimacy Lab is free for all participants.  To remove social barriers, all meetings will be conducted with an anti-racist and pro-LGBTQ+ approach, and spaces will be fully accessible.  Facilitators will be trained in mental health first aid. 

Triangle Intimacy Lab also provides equipment and supplies that are necessary and/or very useful in staging, including floor mats, rehearsal clothes, padding, barriers, as well as consumable supplies like hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, breath mints, and first aid essentials.  These startup items have been secured through a grant from the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, Raleigh Arts, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The ultimate goal of the space is to provide access to anyone wishing to pursue Intimacy Direction a space in which to learn and gain experience while attempting to eliminate gatekeeping.  This will create more skilled artists in this field that can serve all the varying communities that produce theatre in the area.  The goal is to have an abundance of skilled practitioners, so no show has to go without an intimacy choreographer and eliminate the perception of there not being an intimacy person available in the area.

To join Triangle Intimacy Lab Facebook Group, CLICK HERE.

This project is supported by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, Raleigh Arts, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. #UnitedArtsGrants, @UnitedArtsWake on Twitter, @UnitedArtsWake on Instagram, and United Arts of Raleigh and Wake County on Facebook.