Fair Play For Life Models And For The Communities We Work Within

Over the course of a couple of days in Mid February I was reminded of a gripe with regard to Life Drawing provision in Wales and also of funding opportunities through the Arts Council for Wales. This reminding came about following discussions with various artists whilst I was modelling in the Cynon Valley and in Cardiff.

Life Drawing Wales

We are a group of models that pride ourselves on professionalism, delivering fun and reliable sessions ourselves and also models to other providers across South Wales. We take part in fund raisers for community groups such as community hubs and community pubs and we deliver these at less than cost, using profit from some sessions to subsidise others. Essentially, Life Drawing Wales is a not for profit group of models that campaign for fair play, fair pay and better than fair working conditions for all life models. Furthermore, when we use a space we pay the commercial rate for that space. We believe that supporting local businesses and running our classes commercially is the bedrock of sustainability and best practice.

Other Cardiff Providers

We have had run-ins with other life drawing providers in Cardiff. With some we argued that they weren’t paying models enough. One said ‘we are building a business and there is no money to pay the models’ any more, and so we said ‘well, you shouldn’t be in business then!’ There is a provider in Cardiff today that does not pay its models anything near a good rate of pay, often relying on volunteer models. Not only that, they do not pay rent for their space. This is so disruptive to the marketplace. Due to the low cost of their sessions, we could see Life Drawing Wales, a commercial and sustainable provider of life drawing in Cardiff, established 2010, put out of business. We just can’t compete with that and we can’t compete because we are doing the right thing in paying models the BEST rate in the UK and paying a commercial rate for our space, so to support a local business.

Newbridge Memo

Received grant funding for a range of arts provision. At the time we complained to the Arts Council as the scheme was ill thought through and poorly managed and life drawing classes were being delivered at great expense to the taxpayer. Room hire, materials, tutor, management fee and model… For one artist paying a fiver… At today’s rates we are looking at £210 to deliver those sessions and as mentioned, only one person was present on several occasions…

Criw Celf

Same as for the highly disruptive Criw Celf, the manager of whom must have been a good mate of the board at the Arts Council. They received LOTS of your money and made themselves the unsustainable provider of the arts to those who would ‘not normally’ have access, so, young people, the economically disadvantaged etc. Again we complained, stating that Criw Celf was stealing our work, being able to undercut us due to the government funding, and we said that Criw Celf would not exist after the funding dried up. They delivered a session with room hire, teacher, tutor, model and materials for two girls from a posh school in Penarth. At today’s rates that session would cost £280 to deliver, and it was delivered to two girls who most certainly had parents that could afford a life drawing course being delivered by a local provider. Criw Celf folded when the funding dried up.

The Arts Council For Wales

It’s the arts council that is at fault. They told me they do not want to know what provision is out there in Wales, despite also stating that they carry out impact assessments for their funding decisions. They will continue to make funding decisions that impact other providers. Example: We were thinking of starting life drawing in Newport once again but we found that a group had already done this. In 2024 they received £234,000 from the Arts Council for various projects, part of which is life drawing. We would have delivered life drawing in Newport at NO cost to the taxpayer.

Funding Solutions

There is a solution to the gaping hole left by the loss of community evening class provision. Stop funding start ups and community provision that will fail when the funding runs out. Look to a sustainable use of funds intended to generate engagement with the arts.

And so we propose a voucher system.

Wouldn’t it be a fine thing and a flourishing epoch for the arts in Wales IF each person living in Wales that requested such received a book of vouchers to be used at existing arts provision in Wales. These vouchers would then be used as evidence to invoice to the Arts Council, submitted monthly by the provider and following an individual’s attendance. Community hubs would see a flowering of arts courses, with providers secure in the knowledge that all would have access to their commercially and sustainably priced provision. There would be no funded projects that disappear after the funding runs out. The people of Wales would keep on coming. In our case, Life Drawing in Cardiff, we would expand our provision to other locations, in conjunction with community spaces and suitable cafes, and we would take vouchers from artists of all ages that wanted to maintain or develop their drawing skills.

The ‘market’ can easily supply all that is desired but it can sometimes do with a little help. The people who used to have access to evening classes at a low cost would once again be able to access arts and crafts courses and do so across Wales.

This blog post has been sent to the Arts Council for Wales for comment.

Book your next session of life drawing in Cardiff at the brand new life Drawing Wales website, today.

Visit our website to book us for your drawing class or attend our weekly sketching practice.

You can support us in these ways too!

1. Subscribing monthly via Substack

2. Making a one-off contribution via BuyMeACoffee

Your support is what allows these articles to keep being created and is enormously appreciated. Thank you.