Welcome to the Starkers Academy

Est. 2017

Where models are born.

Born on the cabaret stage of London’s East End icon The Glory (now The Divine), the Starkers Academy is where novice artists’ models begin stretching their creative muscle.

The Academy was founded in response to that venerable question asked by one curious soul after another - “How do you get into life modelling?” The simple answer? Just do it! But the where? That’s the tricky bit. So the Academy arose, and since its establishment, innumerable first-time artists’ models have graced its stages and found their creative voice, their physical authenticity and a renewed inner strength.

Of course, the Academy started in order to engage and celebrate new and developing models, but it exists to nurture the tacit dialogue on both sides of the easel. The relationship between drawers and models is unlike any other, offering a sense of creative and personal validity and relevance for everyone.

Everyone can draw and every body is beautiful.

Upcoming Participants

The Programme

The Academy is a free professional mentoring initiative, with everyone taking part offered a paid modelling opportunity at a public life drawing experience. Before, during and after, each participant is offered guidance in growing their creative practice. Whether starting from scratch or keen to develop in specific ways - e.g., cracking the long pose or  building a more dynamic, diverse repertoire of poses - mentoring is bespoke,  geared towards need, interest and motivation.

Before

• Subsidised attendance at a life drawing session to observe practice (and draw!)

• Tuition on practical approaches life modelling - in-person or virtually - including, but not limited to:

  • effectively using the space

  • modelling to the entire room

  • creating a varied repertoire

  • using time and directives to drawers as inspiration for poses

  • tips for practicing poses

During

• Paid 2-hour life modelling opportunity*

• Coaching provision / on-the-day guidance, building on previous tuition and including:

  • strategies for maintaining ‘stillness’ and holding poses

  • approaches to striking dynamic poses and moving between poses

  • using props - e.g., chairs, cushions and vertical supports

  • life room etiquette and working collaboratively with drawers

After

• Industry guidance - e.g., invoicing, pay standards and how to get more modelling opportunities

• Further life modelling opportunities with Packed Lunch and/or a reference

• Strategies for maturing your practice

• Continued mentoring to support professional development, on request

*£50 remuneration for a 2-hour life modelling session

The Wellbeing Angle

Arguably, greatest benefit of life modelling is realising just how powerful, valid, essential and beautiful one is.

It’s a common belief that artists’ models / life models / artists’ subjects / art nudes - There are so many names. - enter this line of work as body-confident beings. The reality is quite the opposite; people commonly start life modelling as a way of gaining that confidence, in body and mind. The Academy unashamedly exists to engender this reality, and to give voice to an intrinsic creative spirit.

By being a part of the Academy, we hope participants feel just how powerful, valid, beautiful and essential to the artistic process they are. And along with realising a new ability and a paid work opportunity, each person will find fresh ways of engaging with and exercising their physical and mental wellbeing, a skill transferrable to limitless other parts of life.

Next Steps

If you find yourself wondering how to get into life modelling, are interested in greatly improving your existing modelling practice or even know someone keen to enter the industry…

The Academy is run in partnership with community organisations, individual hosts / sponsors and a diversity of venues. If you’d like to explore rolling this initiative out to your own networks and communities…

Learners & Graduates