The Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of California, Davis is dedicated to integrating consent-based practices into all classroom, studio and production environments.

In all Theatre and Dance Department (production and performance) related activities, all participants are expected to abide “the following best practices” or “industry best practices” around consent, intimacy and instructional touch. All participant in UC Davis Theatre and Dance activities are encouraged to communicate their boundaries, ask and give context for, before they touch. 

Student and faculty support and information are available through these links.

Crisis Intervention

CARE advocates can help you to process emotions, explaining rights and options, https://care.ucdavis.edu/

Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP)

Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP).

Please consider these thoughts as you develop your Theatrical Intimacy, Consent and Boundary Statement

The Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of California, Davis strives to employ professional and pedagogically sound processes in studios, classrooms, the creative environment and in production.  The department recognizes that best practices apply to  visual and physical storytelling and performance in which theatrical intimacy, violence, racialized/sexualized language, and/ or racialized/sexualized imagery are present or referenced.  

Content Transparency

We ask directors and faculty to provide content transparency for texts and other class materials containing sexual and racialized violence, racialized language, racialized imagery.  In rehearsal/class we ask that actors/artists to be provided with 24-hour notice when materials containing these elements are being rehearsed.

Intimate Contact

The Department of Theatre and Dance considers stage action in which the given circumstances of the production require physical, stylized or implied contact between actors as a moment of  “intimate contact” or theatrical intimacy.  Actors/artists should always be reminded to share their boundaries. Boundaries are non-negotiable. 

Instructional Touch

The Department of Theatre and Dance recognizes that instructional touch may be a valuable pedagogical tool in the classroom/rehearsal hall, providing tactile feedback that supports learning. We ask instructors to give context for instructional touch and make space for permission to be granted. Actors/artists should always be reminded to share their boundaries. Boundaries are non-negotiable.

Nudity is defined as any level of undress less than what would be normally worn walking down a busy sidewalk.  

We ask directors to give mindful consideration of possible means of storytelling that uphold the actors’/artists boundaries when choosing to incorporate nudity in production. We ask that content transparency guidelines be used in auditions to fully inform and disclose to participants expectations and requirements of the storytelling required part of the storytelling.