Models at life drawing class in posh London neighbourhood told to cover up over child 'safeguarding' concerns
17 February 2025, 14:51 | Updated: 17 February 2025, 17:56
A life-drawing class that has been running for over 30 years in north London has been told to cover up its models or find a new venue after child safeguarding concerns were raised.
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The daytime class in Hampstead, which has been running for over 30 years, has been told to find another venue.
Class organiser Tony Swann said the trust running Hampstead Community Centre in north London raised concerns over child safeguarding.
Now, they have been forced to move down the road to the Quaker Meeting House.
However, Mr Swann denies any backlash to his long-running programme and insists children are not at risk of exposure to adult nudity.
He told The Times: “The class has been running for 30 years and in that time no children have been outraged, no parents have been outraged.”
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Mr Swann stressed that an early morning toddler’s group clears out by the time he turns up and the drawing class ends far in advance of an after-school club at 3.30pm.
He added: “It strikes me as almost like the Taliban coming in saying you can’t run a class. I wasn’t aware that it was a dangerous thing to be doing.”
Mr Swann claimed the centre had offered an evening slot but just two of his 25 class members wanted to attend at this time.
“They don’t like going out at night in the dark, it’s understandable,” he said. He added: “I put it to them that there was the possibility of a clothed model and they said: “‘No, it’s a life drawing class.’”
Hilary Curits, a 63-year-old life model, has accused the trust of “prudishness”.
She said: “The fact they said we could stay if we switched to using clothed models makes it seem very clear to me that it is prudishness.”
Guy Wingate, a trustee of the Hampstead community centre, said “safeguarding concerns” had been identified, but was unable to reveal the specifics for confidentiality and data protection reasons.
