This session is available on-demand. You may watch this video at any time throughout the duration of the summit.

This presentation, led by Missy Maramara and Juri Ito, explores intimacy direction and coordination practices in the Philippines and Japan, while broadening the conversation to insights from intimacy professionals across Asia, including India, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Missy Maramara is a leading intimacy professional in the Philippines, with extensive experience in theater, film, and academia. Juri Ito is Japan’s first intimacy director for live performance, working to establish industry standards in Japanese theater and media.

Together, Missy and Juri discuss the cultural nuances that shape the practice in Asia, drawing from interviews they conducted with other intimacy professionals in the region. Focusing on situating Western intimacy practices within the Asian context, they survey methods of translation and appropriation to bridge diverse cultural frameworks and approaches to intimacy. Their conversation highlights regional perspectives on intimacy, consent, and performance.

Through these discussions, Missy and Juri aim not only to share experience but also to foster a growing network of intimacy professionals across Asia. As the field evolves, they invite industry professionals to consider how cultural navigation shapes and expands intimacy practices to be more inclusive of global diversity.

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