Naked drawing classes moved from London community centre after 30 years over child ‘safeguarding’ concerns – as teacher hits back at ‘Taliban-like’ ban

A life drawing class has moved after more than 30 years at a community centre after being told there were ‘safeguarding concerns’ over the nude models – prompting  to compare the move to ‘a Taliban attitude to artistic creation’.

Attendees of the daytime class at Hampstead Community Centre in north London say they were told their naked muses conflicted with children’s sessions.

As a result, organiser Tony Swann said the class was informed they would have to either move their sessions to take place in the evenings, cover up the nude models central to the art or find a new location.

Mr Swann, 63, says a later time wouldn’t work for the majority, and making the model wear clothes defeats the point – so they took the third option.

The class has now found a new home at the Quaker Meeting House, just down the road from the community centre.

Models and attendees have since branded the community centre’s new rules as ‘puritanical’ – and likened their attitude to that of the Taliban.

But the community centre insisted they were not being ‘prudish’ in their decision, adding that they were ‘very comfortable with nudity in the correct context’.

Art teacher Mr Swann, of Forest Gate, east London said: ‘They gave us the option of running in the evening.

The life-drawing class has been moved from Hampstead Community Centre in north London to the nearby Quaker Meeting House 

While class organisers cited ‘safeguarding issues’ for the move, the disappointed art teacher described it as a ‘”Taliban”-like attitude to artistic creation’

‘Because it’s a daytime class, there tends to be a lot of pensioners. Two out of 20-something said they would be able [to do evenings], so it wouldn’t be an option.

‘I wouldn’t even be making enough money to pay the model.

‘They said they could allow us to have a clothed model in the day, but to be honest, you are just drawing a bunch of clothes at that point. 

‘Both options were roundly dismissed by the class.’

Mr Swann added that this was the first time he’d known of any complaints throughout his involvement in the class.

He believes someone at the community centre must have complained about there being a naked person in the building – despite there being ‘nothing sexual’ about the centuries-old art form – and described the ban as a ‘Taliban’-like attitude to artistic creation.

‘In 30 years, we have never had a complaint, to my knowledge,’ Mr Swann continued. ‘We’ve never offended children or parents. It seems like a very weird decision; it’s a community centre.

‘They have annoyed my class and lots of other people have contacted me and said they are amazed by it.

A drawing from one the drawing sessions, which has been forced to moved from Hampstead Community Centre to a nearby Quaker House

According to the class’ teacher, there is ‘nothing salacious’ in life drawing – it is about concentrating on the art work and not on the nude model

‘It’s a lot of waffle but someone up there objected to there being a naked person in the building, which seems a strange attitude.

‘Life drawing has been an established part of art for a long time and for no apparent reason they have told us it does not fit into their overall politics.

‘It seems rather like a Taliban attitude to artistic creation and entirely needless.’

He continued: ‘We’ve had to move premises to continue doing our life drawing. It seems they are not pleasing the community they are serving. 

‘It’s a very archaic attitude towards what we are doing.

‘There is nothing salacious in it – you are concentrating on your work.

‘We black all the windows out and put signage up, so no one stumbles in on us – and it has worked for 30 years.

‘Why it suddenly does not work now is beyond us…

One of the class’ (pictures) models said the move is not a ‘safeguarding issue’ but rather a ‘puritanical’ one

According to art teacher Mr Swann, the class has ‘never offended children or parents. It seems like a very weird decision; it’s a community centre’

‘It seems to be a moralistic decision rather than anything practical.’

Model Hilary Curtis also shared her views on the move.

‘It’s not a safeguarding issue,’ the 63-year-old, who has been modelling for the class for around a decade, said.

‘The fact that they are offering models being clothed as an option shows that the issue they were concerned about is the nudity of the models.

‘I think that’s a puritanical response. I think it’s disappointing. I model in many locations around London. Life drawing is a traditional form that is central to Western art.

‘It’s regarded as a challenge that artists use to practice their observational drawing skills. Even abstract artists practice life drawing. It’s a core discipline and something that many people enjoy as a leisure activity.’

A spokesperson for the Hampstead Community Centre said the life drawing class was sandwiched between two children’s sessions.

‘Safeguarding concerns had been raised in respect of the external hire of the centre for a Life Drawing class that was being held between two regulated children’s sessions,’ the spokesperson said.

According to the Hampshire Community Centre, it has ‘successfully hosted Life Drawing Classes for several decades in the evenings’

The Community Centre said that the move was due to safeguarding issues, saying the ‘Life Drawing class…was being held between two regulated children’s sessions’

‘This was therefore a simple scheduling decision reflecting our duty as trustees to balance the needs of the centre’s many users and activities.

‘When the hirer told us that he did not want to use the centre in the evenings (for which he was offered a discount), we did posit whether a figure drawing class might be an alternative solution should he prefer to continue with a daytime booking.

‘There was certainly no prudishness involved – the trustees are very comfortable with nudity in the correct context.

‘The Hampstead Community Centre has successfully hosted Life Drawing Classes for several decades in the evenings with wide support from the local artistic community and we look forward to continuing to do so in the future.

‘We are of course sorry that we were unable to accommodate the hirer’s requests on this particular occasion but we were pleased to hear that he was able to secure an alternative venue without there being any disruption to the weekly class that he continues to operate.’