News & Press: News

Delighted to be featured at the Festival of ENCOUNTERS | Ideas, art and conversations in Brixton spaces, from @vangoghlondon

WHEN: 16th September 2025
WHERE: GoHubStudio, 222 Brixton Rd SW9 6AH
TIME: 6:30pm
BOOK: Tickets are free but need to be booked via Van Gogh House’s website

A conversation between movement director and intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien and artist Ajamu X on intimacy from their individual perspectives and how we navigate or rethink the topic in our personal lives as well as more widely in society.

Ita recently shared her excitement about working with Ajamu X on Instagram: “I am really looking forward to our upcoming in-conversation event. His fearless work centring Black queer bodies, pleasure, and desire, promises a dialogue full of depth and provocation. I left our initial chat energised and know there is much more to uncover together. This is going to be a conversation worth joining.”

Between Saturday 13 September and Sunday 5 October, our inaugural Festival of ENCOUNTERS, a free-to-attend, large-scale series of events, featuring up to 40 talks and other kinds of encounters, by artists, writers, activists, musicians and thinkers, will take place in venues across the northern end of Brixton.

Alongside Van Gogh House, many other exciting locations including galleries, parks and community centres are hosting events. The Festival is inspired by serendipitous encounters with interesting people in unexpected places, bringing together exciting voices, thoughts and ideas to and from Brixton.

Event info

What a wonderful weekend workshop, exploring integrating the Intimacy On Set Guidelines into professional practice! Such a joy to be back in the SDH space, honouring the incredible Sarah Davey Hull whose presence is felt so deeply here.

Huge gratitude to Ian West @intimacy.360 for assisting Ita throughout the weekend – your support made the space feel even more held.

It was truly inspiring to share the room with people who had flown in from all over the world, gathering together on yoga mats and cushions to connect, explore, and learn. The energy, openness, and courage in the group was something really special

We’re feeling so inspired, looking ahead to future workshops over the coming months. Keep an eye out – there’s more to come…

Extending gratitude and a huge thank you to Jackie Wylie, the incredible CEO of the Scottish National Theatre @ntsonline, for an amazing in-conversation event with @itaobrien_ at @edbookfest last week, to discuss the key themes in Ita’s new book “Intimacy”

 It was an absolute pleasure to attend Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s alumnae event at Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. This was a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together, celebrate the world’s largest arts festival, and showcase the incredible work that everyone was involved in at @edfringe
It also provided a joyful moment for Ita to reconnect with @cssdlondon inspirational Principal, Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE @josettebushellmingo

Ita spoke to Mishcon De Reya’s Academy Advisor Jan Holmes about her new book ‘Intimacy’, as well as her career as an Intimacy Coordinator, choreographing some of the most ground-breaking and vulnerable scenes onscreen, including in “Normal People” and “I May Destroy You.” ⁠

Watch Full Interview

Ita is delighted to celebrate the release of We Live In Time on Netflix this week, having supported this production as Intimacy Coordinator. The birth scene with Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield is a scene that Ita notes as one of her career moments she is most proud of.

Who are you doing the big life stuff with? Intimacy on Set is proud to have provided the Intimacy Coordination for #WeLiveInTime, which is out on @netflixuk now. Working with Florence Pugh on the birth scene, was a particular career highlight for Ita.

Watch on Netflix

Join Ita for a rare weekend workshop exploring the Intimacy On Set Guidelines. Whether you’re an Actor, Director or Movement Director, this is your chance to participate in two in-person workshops. Expect practical tools, empowering practices, and an exploration into creating safer, more collaborative rehearsal spaces.

📍 South East London | 📅 23–24 August 2025
🎟️ Limited places – apply now

Please register your interest by 26th July. Email IOS’ PA Charlotte at – charlotte@intimacyonset.com

It was a total pleasure to visit Queens Park Books to sign copies of “Intimacy”. Such a lovely experience to meet the readers and hear of their own experiences.

This week, Ita took the Intimacy book draft to BBC Radio 5 Live, to talk with Naga Munchetty about the #metoomovement, how the process of Intimacy Coordination can support specific scenarios & the key themes in her new book.