DATE: Sunday, April 7, 2024

START TIME: 9am PT/12pm ET/6pm CEST

CLASS DURATION: Approximately 1.5 hours 

LOCATION: Zoom

RECORDING: A recording of this workshop will be available for one week after the class for anyone who purchases a ticket. If you cannot attend the class live, we would encourage you to buy a ticket and watch the recording later.

TICKET PRICING: We are offering a limited number of tickets for $29 and $39, and an unlimited number of tickets for $49. BIPOC and/or disabled participants with financial need may request a $29 ticket even if tickets at this price point are sold out. Please email training@IPAinternational.org to request one of these tickets.

PANEL OVERVIEW

As a follow-up to popular workshops exploring stereotypes of disabled people and intimacy in the media, IPA is excited to host this panel discussion exploring the experiences of disabled industry storytellers. Moderated by Emily Goodson, a writer, and consultant in the inclusion space, our panelists will share their perspectives on:

• Navigating challenges as a disabled storyteller within the industry

• Crafting stories around disability, sex, and other forms of intimacy

• Choreographing sexual and intimate scenes with and as disabled performers

• Approaching the need for accommodations in production 

As time permits, there will also be time for attendees to submit their questions to our panel. 

People who should take this course include:

• Working or aspiring intimacy professionals

• Working or aspiring screenwriters & playwrights

• Working or aspiring directors

• Working or aspiring producers

This panel will be facilitated by Emily Goodson in conjunction with IPA-certified intimacy coordinator Rebecca Johannsen. We are excited to have the following three panelists joining us:

AUBREY SMALLS

Aubrey Smalls is an actor and filmmaker with dwarfism. He began his career in the circus world, before transitioning to film and TV where he’s focused on telling fiction and non-fiction stories about dwarfism. Currently, he’s working on his debut film, “Dear Average Height People,” a documentary comedy special. He also posts comedic and educational videos about dwarfism history on social media to a combined audience of over 300k people.

OLIVIA CADE

Olivia Cade (she/her) is a filmmaker, performer and artist whose work centers on queering the "female gaze" and cultivating community through intentional collaboration. Her most recent film, Give It To Me, premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival and Outfest this year. She graduated from NYU Tisch with a BFA in Theater and has since worked her way from experimental theater to independent film. Olivia strives to find new creative ways to infuse film sets with ethical practices. As a neurodivergent person, Olivia unabashedly advocates for considerate and open practices on and off set. For her film Give It To Me, which centers on a neurodivergent women attempting to heal from sexual trauma through working with a sex worker, Olivia made sure to collaborate with a trauma informed, neurodivergent intimacy coordinator. And it made all the difference! 

CHANTAL COUSINEAU

Chantal is a certified Intimacy Coordinator in Los Angeles. A longtime member of SAG-AFTRA, she served on several national safety committees to consult on ways the industry could expand its best practices to move closer towards equal treatment, pay parity, representation, and improving safety standards on sets. Her advocacy seeks to enhance the positive experience of those, who like herself, are differently abled, disabled and support a safer and more creative workspace doing performers’ most vulnerable work.

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS

Emily Goodson is deeply committed to reshaping the discourse surrounding intimacy, especially within the context of disability and sexuality. Her journey began at the age of 8 when she suffered a childhood brain injury, resulting in partial paralysis on the left side of her body. After her injury, Emily faced a host of emotional and physical challenges, achieved significant recovery, and emerged empowered to inspire and educate others. Emily now divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles, where she is involved in a diverse range of creative, educational, and writing projects. Her written work has garnered recognition, having been featured in the LA Times, as well as showcased in a photo gallery exhibit sponsored by Disability Rights Now and the Bold Beauty Project. In addition to her creative endeavors, Emily provides consulting services to help organizations build inclusive workplaces and address systemic talent challenges. She collaborates with a wide array of entities, including start-ups and major production companies, to foster a deeper understanding of how we develop intimacy and authenticity within ourselves and others.

Rebecca Johannsen (she/her) is an IPA Certified Intimacy Coordinator, with credits for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Max, Apple TV+, as well as several feature films. Prior to training to become an intimacy coordinator, Rebecca worked for over 10 years as a specialist in emotional intelligence, collaboration, communication, and unconscious bias training, working with clients including several leading tech companies (on whose devices you're probably reading this right now) in Silicon Valley. She holds a PhD in Theatre from UC Irvine. In addition to teaching workshops and in the certification program for IPA, Rebecca taught Theatre Studies at NYU's Tisch Drama program, with emphasis on feminist approaches to theatre history and dramatic literature. She has also taught in the Theatre Departments at Fordham University, CSU Northridge, UC Irvine, MiraCosta College, and Mercy College. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the impact of the performative female body. You can learn more about Rebecca here.