Intimacy Coordinators' Certification Programme 2026

An aligned, ethics-led, culturally contextualised, albeit international professional intimacy coordination/direction training program.

Program Overview

The TIL × IPA Intimacy Coordinators’ Certification Programme is a 20-week intensive professional training designed to prepare participants for Intimacy Coordinator (IC) and Intimacy Director (ID) work across film, television, OTT, theatre, and live performance industries worldwide. This program combines the global standards of the Intimacy Professionals Association (IPA) with the contextual, practice-based pedagogy of The Intimacy Collective India (TIL). The result is a training that is both internationally aligned and locally grounded.IPA’s curriculum exceeds the minimum training requirements outlined by SAG-AFTRA and is delivered through an intersectional, consent-forward, trauma-informed lens. TIL extends this by contextualising the work to Indian and South Asian production environments, addressing real-world power dynamics, cultural nuances, and industry-specific challenges, with a strong emphasis on practical implementation.

Why This Program

This program exists to meet a growing global demand for highly trained, ethically grounded, and culturally competent Intimacy Coordinators.

What sets this training apart:
• Global standards, local intelligence
Training exceeds SAG-AFTRA requirements while being deeply contextualised for Indian, South Asian, and Asian production ecosystems.
• Ethics-first, consent-forward pedagogy
Consent, boundaries, confidentiality, and trauma-informed practice are integrated throughout the curriculum, not treated as add-ons.
• Small cohort, high accountability
A limited cohort allows for individualised feedback, close mentorship, and rigorous assessment—essential for work that directly impacts performer safety and wellbeing.
• Practice-informed learning
The program prioritises applied skills: communication under pressure, negotiation, choreography, documentation, and on-set protocol implementation.
• Professional—not performative—access
Certification, mentorship, and agency consideration are earned through demonstrated competence, not guaranteed through enrolment alone. This program is designed for individuals committed to practising intimacy coordination responsibly, sustainably, and with integrity.

Cohort Size and Selection

• Total cohort size: 8 participants
• Regional representation: At least 4 participants will be selected from or intending to work outside Mumbai, India
• Selection approach: Competitive, merit-based, and diversity-focused

A smaller cohort allows for a high-quality, individualised learning experience and supports the growing need for trained ICs across regional Indian industries and South Asian / Asian markets.

Program Duration and Format

• Total duration: 20 weeks (approximately 6 months)

Online Component
• Approximately 20 live online classes
• Held on Sundays (IST) via Zoom
• Each session: 3–4 hours
• Exact timings finalised based on cohort geography
• Occasional rescheduling may occur at the instructor's discretion

In-Person Component
• 5-day intensive choreography and skills workshop
• 6–8 hours per day
• Lunch provided on all workshop days
• Includes assessment components
• Location: Mumbai, India
• Year: 2026

Additional Benefit
• Graduates receive a 15% discount on the Intimacy Performance Workshop after completing the program

Curriculum Overview

Topics covered include (but are not limited to):
• Consent, boundaries, and power dynamics
• Intimacy Coordination protocols and workflows
• Communication and conflict negotiation skills
• Nudity and intimacy guidelines (as published by The Intimacy Collective India)
• Closed set protocols
• Nudity and intimacy riders
• Choreography and movement coaching
• For live performance
• For film and screen work
• Diversity, power, and intimacy
• Mental health awareness and trauma-informed practice
• Sexuality and gender literacy
• Advocacy and allyship for LGBTQIA+ cast and crew
• Sexual harassment laws and their application within relevant jurisdictions

Instruction and Faculty

Lead Instructor

Aastha Khanna
Founder, The Intimacy Collective India
Director, The Intimacy Lab

Guest Faculty (may include):
• Amanda Blumenthal — Founder, Intimacy Professionals Association
• Akshay Murarka — Contact improvisation performer, actor, IC
• Parinaz Aga — Psychotherapist & Intimacy Coordinator
• Additional Indian and international intimacy professionals

What Your Tuition Includes

Your tuition for the TIL × IPA Intimacy Coordination Program (2026) includes:
• 80+ hours of structured learning through lectures, group discussions, workshops, and experiential practices
• Exclusive IPA and TIL training resources, including professional IC protocols, support documents, and checklists
• 5-day in-person intensive choreography and skills workshop
• 6–8 hours per day
• Lunch included
• Held in Mumbai, India
• A TIL-hosted professional social gathering at the conclusion of the theory component to support networking and community-building
• Access to the IPA & TIL Intimacy Coordinator private community
• Direct mentorship and guidance from Aastha Khanna and senior members of The Intimacy Collective India on your first professional IC project
• Ongoing professional development support and mentorship
• Assessment and evaluation aligned with professional and ethical competency standards
• Eligibility to apply for representation with the talent agency arm of TIL or IPA (subject to internal review)

Please note:
Travel and accommodation for in-person components are not included unless explicitly stated.

Reading and Academic Requirements

Required Reading
• Daring Greatly — Brené Brown
• The Body Keeps the Score — Bessel van der Kolk
• Nonviolent Communication (3rd Edition) — Marshall B. Rosenberg
• Judith Butler — Performative Acts and Gender Constitution
• So You Want to Talk About Race — Ijeoma OluoRecommended Reading
• Ants Among Elephants — Sujatha Gidla
• Annihilation of Caste — B.R. Ambedkar
• Gender: A Graphic Guide — Meg-John Barker
• Sexuality: A Graphic Guide — Meg-John Barker
• Radical Compassion — Tara Brach

Supplemental readings and deadlines will be provided in the syllabus.

Eligibility and Prior Experience

• Prior experience in film, OTT, or television sets is advantageous
• Backgrounds in sexuality, advocacy, education, or mental health are a strong plus

Important Dates

APPLICATION END DATE - 15th January 2026.

PROGRAM START DATE - 24th January 2026.

Fees, Payment Structure and Financial Access

TOTAL TUITION

₹5,00,000 + 18% GST

Early Bird

• Applications before 15 December 2025
• 10% reduction

₹4,50,000 + GST

Payment Plans

Plan A — Standard Instalments
• 50% on acceptance
• 25% before midterms
• 25% before final assessments

Plan B — Full Upfront
• 5% discount on your total course fees.

Plan C — Extended Payment
• 50% on admission
• 25% before midterms
• 25% within 3 months post-completion (certification will be held until full payment is made.)

Work-Study Option

(1 Seat per Cohort*)
• 100 hours over 5 months
• 15% tuition reduction

₹4,25,000 + GST

Agency-Sponsored Financial Support

(1 Seat per Cohort*)
• 60% upfront: ₹3,00,000 + GST
• Remaining 40% compensated through work
• 300 hours OR 25 shoot/workshop days
• 2-year agency representation
• 10% agency commission

Financial Aid - 50% Waiver

(1 Seat per Cohort*)

₹2,50,000 + GST
• Preference for LGBTQIA+ candidates with advocacy impact
• 3-year agency commitment

Final Notes

• Financial aid, work-study, and support are limited to one seat per cohort each
• All allotments are at the discretion of the Applications Committee
• Completion does not guarantee employment, representation, or certification

——— *All financial aid/financial help positions are offered by the course conductor at their discretion.

Late fee Rule: 5% of total tuition per month for each month over and above the agreed payment plan.

Certification is issued only after full fee payment is received.

Do you have a question about the program that wasn’t answered below? Please feel free to email team@intimacycoordinator.in with any additional questions.

You will also be given the opportunity to ask questions at the end of your interview. 

  • No. Certification is awarded upon successful completion, assessment, and ethical readiness.

  • No. Eligibility to apply does not equal entitlement to get place within the agency or placement on the job. Representation will be offered at the course conductor’s discretion. 

  • Yes, where applicable.

  • There are no mandatory pre-requisites to apply to our IC training program other than being fluent in English. That said, certain types of previous training, education, or experience will make certain candidates more competitive than others (please see next question).

  • Experience working on professional sets in the film/TV industry is a big plus. Additionally, experience in some capacity with the fields of gender and sexuality is also desired. While much of the content knowledge to do this job will be learned during the training program, there are certain soft skills that we are looking for in IC candidates, including the following:

    •  Strong communication skills

    •  Conflict resolution and mediation skills

    •  Self-awareness

    •  Able to take feedback gracefully and integrate it

    •  Creative problem solving

    •  Good listening skills

    •  Sensitivity

  • All applications will be reviewed holistically, so even if you’ve never worked on a film set before, we will still take your application under consideration. However, please do note that if you don’t have substantial experience working on film sets, you will not be able to be certified until you have completed a significant amount of on set work. Having experience working on a professional set will make you a more competitive candidate.

  • All applications will be reviewed holistically, so even if you’ve never worked in the field of intimacy before, we will still take your application under consideration.

  • In terms of being able to attend class, location does not matter as most classes will be held virtually via Zoom, so all you need is a computer with a webcam and internet access. However, you will also need to take into consideration the costs of travel, lodging, and food for the choreography workshop and assessments that will be held in Mumbai, as the total cost of this component of the program can vary greatly depending on where you are coming from, so please budget accordingly.

  • Your application will not be considered for an interview till your application fees are delivered to us. So it’s important that you pay your fees as soon as you submit your application.

  • All classes are recorded. If you have to miss a class, you must inform the instructor ahead of time that you will not be able to make it so that the class is not waiting on you. We ask that students miss no more than two classes. If you know that you cannot commit to showing up to class each week, we ask that you wait until another time to apply to the program.

  • If you do not meet all of the certification requirements by the end of the program, then we will provide you with feedback on what areas need improvement and concrete steps on how to go about working on those areas. We will then schedule a re-evaluation meeting at a later date to assess program and status of certification.

  • If you complete the program and meet all of the requirements for certification, you can call yourself a TILxIPA certified intimacy coordinator.

    If you do not meet the requirements for certification, then you would still be considered an intimacy coordinator in training.

  • Tuition can be paid via bank transfer or UPI. 

  • Tuition fee must be paid in full before the first day of class (unless the trainee is on a payment plan). If you are on a payment plan, the deadlines for instalments of payment will be mentioned to you in a separate document on acceptance of application.

  • If you are not able to follow through on your financial commitments to the program then you will be dropped from the course. Tuition that has already been paid can be applied to future training opportunities.

  • We suggest that if you have experience working in the film industry that you ask someone with whom you have worked with in that capacity. Otherwise, please choose someone who can speak to your professional work and your character. This could be a boss, professor, mentor, or colleague. Please avoid asking friends or family members to write your letter.

  • Due to the fact that this job is a freelance position and the hours that film/TV industry employees work are highly variable, it would be very challenging to balance doing this work with another job that has a fixed schedule (such as seeing clients on a regular schedule). As freelancers, most IC’s work a schedule that would be considered parttime. It takes time, patience, and hard work to get to the point where one can work fulltime as an IC, and it’s not an overnight process. If your goal is to work part-time as an IC and not work other jobs, or to continue a do a job where you set the hours, that may be a viable option.

  • We recognize that life happens and sometimes finishing the program is just not feasible. In this situation, we will work with you to determine the best possible course of action so that you can eventually complete the program. While we do not offer refunds on tuition, if a student must drop out of the program due to life circumstances beyond their control then the tuition paid can be applied to training at a later date.

     

  • We always encourage students to get as much education as possible, including from other organizations. However, coursework that is completed with another company will not translate into credit for TILxIPA’s IC training course or help you to get certified faster.

  • Yes, the IPA IC Training Program has received accreditation from SAG-AFTRA.. This accreditation is the gold standard in the field of intimacy coordination in USA. TIL in collaboration with IPA for this training program upholds that same standard as of accreditation. We are also an endorsed program by CINTAA and PGI in India.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applications for Cohort of 2026 are CLOSED Now!

If you do still wish to apply, please feel free to follow the application process above. Most course-related details remain the same apart from dates mentioned above that are for 2026. Acceptance will be on a rolling basis i.e. anytime before the deadline 11:59am on 14th December for the 2027 Cohort (This cohort will be in January of 2027).

APPLY NOW!