SafeSets Intimacy Coordinators

01/01/2025

Fantastic Workshop kicking off 2025 with the incredible Sondos Shabayek!

Let's introduce you to "Questioning the Narratives: Women in Cinema " Workshop 's Facilitator:
Sondos Shabayek is an Egyptian filmmaker, acting coach, and intimacy coordinator based in Berlin. Sondos was the recipient of the 2021 Voices that Matter scholarship – Women in Screen Industries and completed her MA in directing at the Metfilm school in Berlin. She has over 16 years of experience working with actors and non-actors, facilitating storytelling workshops, documenting personal narratives, and directing theatre performances of women and gender-based stories. And in 2022 she was selected to join the Intimacy Coordinator Training program created and run by Safe Sets funded by Netflix. She was the intimacy coordinator for the German TV series “Die Zweiflers” which won Cannes best series for 2024 and now airing on ARD. Right now she is working as an intimacy coordinator and acting coach for international Film & TV productions, and developing her debut feature film. Sondos is currently also training as a mental health coordinator for film and TV.

Sondos’s work is focused on the representation of female voices and stories on screen, and the creation of safer sets for cast and crew. She brings her extensive knowledge and experience in working with survivors of sexual violence, facilitating safe spaces for sharing stories and employing trauma-informed tools and somatic experiencing practices in her work with actors.
Link below for subscription 👇🏻
https://linktr.ee/dawar.arts?subscribe

29/09/2024

SafeSets Intimacy Coordinators director Sara Blecher featured by SWIFT - Sisters Working in Film & Television on their Film Maker Friday!!

22/08/2024

Check out SafeSets Intimacy Coordinators coordinator Sara Blecher talking about Silwerskermfees!

22/05/2024

Wow!! Sondos Shabayek - wishing you all the best for this!

مهرجان منصات للأفلام مقدم من مؤسسة مصر دوت بكرة لتنمية المهارات، وتقام دورته التاسعة من ٢٩ إلى ٣١ مايو في سينما زاوية.

Brought to you by MasrdotBokra for Skil

15/05/2024

Any ICs need to do MHFA REFRESHER? We have a slot that's become available for tomorrow. Online, from 8am UK time MHFA England. Approx £100 depending on final numbers. Half a day course. Add to the comments and I'll DM you more details.

26/03/2024

Safe Sets has been radiant with excitement to launch our brand new addition to the industry: Child Intimacy Specialist Tamryn Speirs.

Tam has 25 years of experience in child acting coaching, acting and play therapy, and is now Safe Sets’ dedicated CIS.

Go to our website for a full briefing on this exciting new role!

A Child Intimacy Specialist (CIS) is an on-set professional focusing specifically on diffusing traumatic, intimate and possibly harmful content for minor actors through imaginative play, acting coaching and intimacy protocols. 

By working closely with the director, the CIS will assist in creating believable performances, while keeping the minors safe, comfortable and engaged. The CIS works within specifically designed protocols that include pre-production conversations, on-set coaching, creative expression, step-in and -outs and postproduction checkups. The CIS is different from a child minder, tutor or intimacy coordinator.

10/03/2024

Safe Sets IC Shabayek speaks on the Safe Space in this online workshop:

"The term 'safe space' has become a popular topic, frequently discussed, but what does it truly mean for creative industry professionals? Why are safe spaces important in our work as Film, TV, and theater professionals?

This workshop is open for; project managers, producers, directors (especially directors!), coaches, Intimacy coordination trainees and professionals, artists of any discipline, and anyone holding spaces for groups of people.

Safety is a fundamental need for creativity. Without safe spaces, we can not expect actors/artists to be vulnerable and give their best performances. Announcing that a space is safe does not make it safe because like anything else in life there are requirements and prerequisites for that to happen. A safe space extends beyond mere inclusivity; it embraces sensitivity, anti-racism, and a keen awareness of the intricate dynamics of power and gender on every set. It is a space that prioritizes trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive practices.
Join me in this workshop as we collaboratively unravel the concept of a safe space—why it is essential and how it can be effectively created.

Together, we will thoroughly dissect, discuss, and exchange ideas, thoughts, and practical tools. Whether functioning as intimacy coordinators, directors, or any other professionals in the film, TV, and theater industry, let's explore how we can bring these insights to the sets we work on.
The 3-hour workshop will include informative sections on; consent, trauma, power & gender dynamics, emotional regulation, as well as inclusion and anti-racism practices and theories. Participants will be invited at different times into break-out rooms for discussions and exchanges and, together as a group we will look into and practice a few concrete tools to bring back to our workspaces and projects."

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/demystifying-the-safe-space-for-artists-and-directors-tickets-858769551847?aff=efbevent&fbclid=IwAR3BryS4tal3wfMljt0sdzezvyLWybMskTrCxxY_6wuST208ONsA_Yi8RPA

Exploring Methods for Creating Safe & Inclusive Environments for Creative industries

01/03/2024

In this short jam-packed clip, Safe Sets co-founder Sara Blecher speaks about the importance of IC's being recognised as HOD's:

"'Intimacy Coordinator' is an HOD position. So, it is a position of power that exists in between the other power structures that can literally represent the voice of actors."

She notes that intimate scenes cannot be shoved under the rug: "Instead of the intimate scenes being the last scenes you ever talk about, we try and make them the first scene you talk about".

The better the pre-production planning, the more efficient the set, the safer the intimacy and the more creative all departments can be.

Intimacy Coordinators are not a haphazard checklist item - we are an integral part of the entire team - the HOD's of Intimacy.

Sara Blecher FAME Week Africa Mip Markets MIP Markets

06/02/2024

Last year the SafeSets Intimacy Coordinators team intimacy coordinated 60 productions. Here’s a little snap shot!

So proud of our incredible to of Intimacy Coordinators for all of their incredible work - here’s to the next 60! Sara Blecher Èmil Haarhoff Sam Murray Keneilwe Kay Matidze Loren Loubser Maude Sandham

06/02/2024

Our IC’s have been busy. Here are some new shows coordinated by our teams.

The Emmy nominated Reyka by and .haarhoff.

The Serial Killer’s Wife by .

Habits of GenZ by .

Soon Comes The Night by .

The End We Start From by .

Yoh! Christmas by Mpolokeng Chabane.

29/01/2024

Shout out to Sondos Shabayek!! Book now to attend her workshop at the

I'm very excited and proud to be offering a workshop on safe spaces in the international conference for intimacy coordinators in 2024 in Berlin!
For over 18 years I've focused on ways to create and hold safe spaces for all the work I've done in theater and film and feel this trendy topic needs to be thoroughly and respectfully dissected and explored!

Come join if it's a topic you are called to explore in your work! And check the program of the conference it's full of very exciting workshops and panel discussions and really an absolute must for every film and theatre practitioner!

For more info check link below
https://b-ik.art/icic-2024

See you there!

23/11/2023

Introducing South African IC Mpolokeng Chabane:

Mpolokeng is an intimacy coordinator based in Johannesburg, South Africa. In addition to being an intimacy coordinator, Mpolokeng is also a passionate actor, writer, and director.

Mpolokeng first broke into the industry as an actress, working on popular South African telenovelas and series. Her love for storytelling and prowess for performance led to her working as a casting director, and it is here that her love for directing was first ignited. Feeling called to pursue writing and directing, in 2019 she wrote and directed her first short film Lefa, which was an official selection for the esteemed Poiters Film Festival in France. The film also won an award for best actor at the New York Independent Film Festival and Best Short Film at the Golden Door International Film festival.

17/10/2023

We have a couple of shows coordinated by our IC’s screening at the moment.

Miseducation by .haarhoff

Devil’s Peak by

Outlaws by

1802 by