Valeria Pugliese (she/her) is a Guelph/Stratford based Intimacy Choreographer certified through the SAG-AFTRA accredited programme with the Intimacy Professionals Association (IPA); the leading international organization for intimacy professionals in film, television, theatre, and live events.
Valeria is a member of The International Alliance of Theatre Stage Employees (IATSE), and has 3 decades of practical experience working in television, theatre, and live events, including direction, stage management, education, and technical production. Valeria spent many years working with youth in theatre as an educator and director, and in the mental health sector as a counselor. Advocacy has been at the foundation of Valeria’s work and continues to be something she is very passionate about.
Valeria is a Latinx-Canadian bilingual theatre artist, born in Argentina and raised in Canada. She graduated with honours and received a BAH and MA in Theatre Studies from The University of Guelph with a focus on the theatrics of BDSM, under the direction of Canadian Playwright/Director and co-founder of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Sky Gilbert. This project became instrumental in Valeria’s journey into intimacy practice. In addition to this, she has completed IPA’s Intro to Kink and BDSM, and Sexplore’s Sexual Attitudes Reassement course. She continues to actively pursue her interest in consensual kink and BDSM through education and research.
Currently, Valeria holds the Avon Theatre’s Head of Properties position at the Stratford Festival of Canada and made history when she became the first woman to hold a head of department position at the Avon Theatre since it opened its doors in 1953.