Testimonials
“When shooting a film, time is money. Every moment and interaction counts to ensure a successful shoot. I can assure you that Ashley is vital to our motion picture and film industry. Creating a smooth process for the Directors, Producers, Cast & Crew. We were so fortunate to have someone as experienced as Ashley on our set.”
Hayley Kiyoko, Director/Writer/Singer, Girls Like Girls
“Ashley’s work was invaluable on the recent world premiere production of Thomson Highway’s big, beautiful musical, Rose, which I directed at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
The play required a lot of work involving Ashley’s expertise and, to a person, the company felt her involvement was vital to the success of their engagement with us. In a recent postmortem with the cast, everyone of the nineteen cast members cited Ashley’s work on this show as invaluable.
Ashley worked closely with me on the scenes requiring intimacy and from my perspective the process was very positive. The artists involved were able to explore safely and with a shared language provided by Ashley as they navigated the beats and fulfilled the arc of the moment.
I am grateful for Ashley’s contribution to this work and will certainly seek her out for future
projects requiring her expertise.”
Kevin Loring, Director, Rose
“From our initial meeting I knew that Ashley was the right person for the job and we wasted no time getting to work. She was immensely helpful with assisting us in crafting the nudity riders, ensuring comfort and safety for the performers while also keeping the vision and approach close to chest. Her commitment to clear communication and on set safety was such an asset – especially for such a small, boots on the ground kind of production like ours was. Given our project scale we moved incredibly fast which was a learning curve for some performers and Ashley’s support throughout this did not go unnoticed. Knowing that she was a person the actors trusted and could communicate openly with provided me with a trust in her that I don’t believe I could have found in another Coordinator. We had some long and difficult days on set and I can think of one day in particular where Ashley supported a situation with grace and understanding which resulted in the conflict being resolved and cameras back up — proving again that her work on the project was invaluable.”
Justin Ducharme, Writer/Director/Producer, Seventeen
“Ashley’s work and graceful presence in the room is immeasurable. I am an Indigenous Actress, and have been at my craft for over 30 years. I can attest to the absolute need for her work in these rooms as we look at our own traumatic stories being reflected through our minds, bodies and spirits. The telling of our stories on stage can be incredibly painful, as we recollect horrific histories like genocide, residential school and violence against women. In all of my years as an actor, I have never felt more supported or safe in the room as I have with Ashley being there.
Her presence alone; her calm demeanor, ethic and instincts are invaluable to me as an actor as I tell these stories. It takes a lot to go deeply into the soul of these theatre pieces, and with Ashley in the room, for the first time in my work history, I feel incredibly safe to story tell. Ashley’s tools are vast; her knowledge and gentle strength, the traditional medicines she employs, and her presence alone, make ALL the difference to me, as a veteran actor of the stage. I absolutely appreciate her craft, and guidance to us in the room. I hope to find her in each room I’m in, moving forward in my career. Ashley’s capacity to hold space, and foresee what we need is such a gift, and I find her to be an incredible safety provider as we navigate our healing stories. I’m grateful for her impeccable work.”
Cheri Maracle, Actor, Rose & Coast Salish Love Story
“Ashley possesses the skillset an artist greatly benefits from having on their side. Ashley was exceptional in the areas of advocacy, empathy, consent, support, boundaries, and creative input. She consistently ensured I was given opportunities to speak, be heard and seen as well as understood; and offered frequent assurances I was doing great work that looked authentic and visually appealing.”
Melody McArthur, Actor/Singer/Song Writer, Rose
“I had the pleasure of working with Ashley on the film Seventeen, where I had a supporting role. We collaborated during two days of rehearsal and two days on set. Throughout the entire process, Ashley was exceptionally supportive, professional, and attentive. The scenes we worked on were particularly demanding and required a high level of trust and sensitivity. I was nude the entire time while on set, and with Ashley’s guidance and presence, I never once felt unsafe or concerned. She ensured that everything was approached in a respectful and thoughtful manner, always prioritizing clear communication, consent, and performer comfort.
Her calm presence, thorough preparation, and genuine care made me feel completely supported at all times. She created a safe working environment that allowed the work to be completed with confidence and professionalism while maintaining the highest standards of respect.
Ashley brings both compassion and expertise to her role, and I would highly recommend her for any project requiring an intimacy coordinator. Any production would be fortunate to have her on their team.”
Jaren Moore, Actor, Seventeen
“Having worked professionally in the film, television, and theatre industries for over a decade, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with numerous Intimacy Coordinators. I can confidently say that Ashley has not only surpassed my expectations but has also set a new standard for the role. Her comprehensive approach and excellent communication are equally matched by her level of care and dedication to the people she works with. Ashley ensures that everyone feels safe, respected, and empowered, and her attention to detail creates an environment where both artistry and personal boundaries can thrive.”
Cody Kearsley, Actor/Director/Writer/Producer, Vagrant Players Theatre Society & Persephone Pictures Inc.
“Closed intimacy rehearsals with my scene partner felt well supported. They were methodical, professional, and filled with regular check-ins guided by Ashley. Communication was clear and the choreography was easy to work with, along with any changes that needed to be made. She made me feel safe & comfortable during the awkward “first tries” and “experimental” bits when we played around with what looked best for the scenes.
If/when I work on another production involving intimacy, I hope Ashley will be in the room again.”
Aren Okemaysim, Actor, Rose
“This was my first time with an intimacy coordinator and honestly Ashley made the whole experience incredibly smooth and easy and comfortable. I felt like I understood what was going to happen, what was expected of me and I felt very comfortable setting my boundaries and knowing that they would be respected. I am incredibly thankful for Ashley’s help and guidance through all of this. She was essential in making the experience smooth and in helping tell the best story.”
David Habashy, Actor, Ain’t Love Heavy
“I recently held a development workshop for a new Indigenous musical I wrote which included actors, and one of my highest priorities was finding someone who could take on the job of both intimacy direction and mental health facilitation. While the musical is meant to be a love story, it also has some sensitive themes, involving racism, colonization and violence. Ashley was the perfect person to hire for this job. While her title is Intimacy Director, her knowledge and experience, especially with Indigenous participants, was particularly helpful in ensuring the mental health and safety of all persons involved in this project. She is an excellent communicator, a kind and warm person, and she creates a very comfortable environment. She thinks ahead and comes up with solutions for issues before they can become a problem. She was a pleasure to work with, and I will absolutely be reaching out again for the next stage of development.”
Michelle Bardach, Writer/Director, Coast Salish Love Story
“I have worked on over twenty short films and in the production office of a few studio productions but I experienced a whole new facet of filmmaking working with Ashley. I worried that it would be a burden to our schedule to incorporate an Intimacy Coordinator but Ashley actually saved us time on set, quickly helping me solve choreography challenges and offered language that helped me direct sensitive scenes. Our actors also expressed huge appreciation to me for pulling her on. She was an absolute asset to our team.”
Rana Shemirani, Director/Writer, 2 Days of Danny
“I worked with Ashley on an Indigenous workshop of a new musical. Immediately, I was embraced with warmth and openness. Ashley created a space where everyone’s mental health and well-being were prioritized every step of the way. She provided traditional tools such as smudging as a way to open and close our days, as well as a variety of modernized mental health practices for our minds, hands, and mouths. Ashley asked questions and created safety plans that encouraged the cast to embrace the emotional ranges of our work by building our own personal support teams. Ashley has set the tone for Intimacy Directors I hope to work with in the future and anyone that does get to work with her is so lucky!”
Danelle Charette, Performance Artist, Coast Salish Love Story
“Ashley is just the best to work with and I’m so grateful for everything she did during the shoot. Any hesitations I felt were replaced with confidence and excitement to get to portray this story because of how she anticipated our needs, communicated our boundaries and offered suggestions for anything that felt uncomfortable. Very grateful for all of Ashley’s compassion and care.”
Jessica Wong, Actor, 2 Days of Danny
“Ashley made the work environment really easy. Just knowing that there is an Indigenous person with medicine, a kind ear and a great knowledge of professional intimacy made my experience working comfortable and safe. I learned a lot in terms of touch, grounding, and connecting from Ashley. I feel like Ashley does a wonderful job of performing her work right in the action of a live set, while also creating a safe space on the outer edges of a working set to come if a cast or crew needed support. I think the work Ashley does is vital, and I believe that having people like Ashley on sets will contribute to the thriving of our storytellers being able to tell stories for generations.”
Shane Leydon, Actor, Lucien
“Ashley was the very first intimacy coach I had ever worked with. I found her to be attentive, approachable and well prepared for her role. I felt comfortable having her there and felt secure knowing she had my back. I feel that I was lucky to have her there for the first show I did needing an intimacy coach and I highly recommend working with her.”
Gil Anderson, Singer/Actor, Coast Salish Love Story