Confest Arts Village has had a Life Drawing Tent (LDT) for many of it’s years, however it has not always been a space that creates a safe space for people to model—whether they are novices or experienced life models. In previous years, there have been people involved running the space that we have genuine concerns about; whether they are interested in exploiting people for sexual gratification at the LDT or setting people up to be taken advantage of when back in the ‘real world’ by undermining the LMS working conditions.
To safeguard the space for artists, models, and other Confest attendees, we would like to occupy the space with LMS trained people.
Life Drawing Tent goals:
To occupy the life modelling space with people in facilitation roles, who want the people who come to model to meet members of the life modelling community with an activist perspective on life model working conditions.
Many of you will be aware that there are people (both working as individuals and as groups) whose behaviour towards, treatment of, and indoctrination of novice and vulnerable models is antithetical to the stated mission of the LMS. We believe these people or people associated with them took on roles at the LDT in 2024 which put them in positions of power to set the expectations of the space. In the year since there have been incidents and behaviours in the Melbourne/Victorian life modelling and drawing spaces that have been inappropriate. It is unlikely this is a coincidence.
It is our goal that volunteers for LDTC will have pleasant days – monitoring novices as they “try” life modelling, and professional models as they set their own session agenda. We will be running under the LMS OHS conditions – people can hold a pose for between 1 second and 20minutes, and for every 20 minutes have a 5-10 minute break. LDTC vols would be there to hand out paper, make space for people to sit & draw, monitor timing, keep an eye out for cameras*, and generally facilitate drawing sessions. Hopefully we will have enough volunteers that we can work in teams of 2-3 at all times, on a staggered rotation.
However, it will also be part of the volunteers’ role to prevent attempts by known predators to make contact with people in the LDT.
To facilitate this, we plan to have a folder with publicly available facial images of the people we know are problematic, and to ask them to leave, should they attempt to draw at the sessions.
The Life Drawing Tent crew has successfully run one session (Easter 2025) and we focussed on keeping the space as safe as possible for all involved, but most particularly for the models, and we are supported by the local laws and by ConFest.
In recent years there has been an overhaul of the sexual harassment/assault response at ConFest, so if we act in a way that is a) within the law b) in line with ConFest procedure, to pre-empt predatory behaviour, we will be supporting this change in approach.
This is an opportunity to build on what so many of us have been thinking about and implementing for the safety of models, over the course of decades and even more so in the last few years.
*ConFest is strictly no photographs unless every person in the frame consents to it. It is on private property, and is not a public event, so privacy laws apply.
Why are we fundraising for this?
To aide people who would like to attend as part of LDT Crew we plan to organise fundraising events. It is our intention to be able to pay for LDT crew Confest tickets ($180.00) as well as any out of pocket expenses such as petrol etc. Some food may be provided by the Confest villages. Volunteers needed for both pre-Confest fundraising activities and at Confest to manage the Life Drawing Tent.
Previous LMS committee members Alison and Fleur are seeking volunteers to help to run a series of events at the Life Drawing Tent at Spring ConFest 2025, with a view to create a manual or template for running the Life Drawing Tent in future years.
About the organisers:
Alison ran a village a Confest from 2016 until the Pandemic – 5 planning seasons. We were focused on consent, and intersectional feminism (which is for everyone!), and in non-hierarchical relationship models. I was good at it.
Fleur, as most of you will know, is an excellent and organised administrator, and a flourishing creative. She was instrumental in planning and executing the LMS Art Competition in 2019.
As so many of us in the arts are, we both are warriors for a better world. The Life Drawing Tent Crew has run one seasion (Easter 2025) and is keen to continue cementing the work, in particular to ensure that protocols, systems, and equipment are in place to ensure the crew can continue effectively with different leadership.
About Confest:
No money changes hands at Confest for goods or services, except in the Marketplace and only between customers and registered stallholders. All workshops, sessions, etc are unpaid by ConFest, artists, practitioners, conveners cannot ask for financial recompense for goods or services as part of the festival.
ConFest is a clothing optional festival.
ConFest is on private land owned by the Down to Earth Co-operative, State and Federal laws apply. What is ConFest?
“ConFest is a non-profit, volunteer-run festival that brings together people from alternative cultures to share ideas, learn new skills, and have fun. The name is a combination of the words “conference” and “festival”.” https://confest.org.au/
Confest is a clothing optional, all ages event, camping over 6 days at DTE’s property in Moulamein, NSW https://maps.app.goo.gl/fGQA95UfDjPi5ouG6
It is entirely volunteer run.
The laws of NSW and Federal laws apply.
It is important to note that hygiene amenities are limited: There are drop toilets, with canvas stalls and a basic throne & seat arrangement, and toilet paper supplied.
There is a water treatment plant on site that is able to provide sufficient clean water for basic needs. The treated water piped all over the camping area. It is for consumption in cooking and drinking, hand washing, tooth brushing, dishwashing, but NOT for showering, as there is a limited supply. There are no washbasins at Confest, nor is there a guarantee of showers being available on site. Sometimes Arts Village is able to provide heated, untreated river water shower facilities. Assuming the river is without blue green algae outbreak, water can be collected from the river for body-washing and clothes washing away from the river, and the river can be swum in. Detergents for bodies, clothes, dishes are to be kept away from the river.
First Aid is a very seriously attended to matter at ConFest. Many of the volunteers involved in running it are medically trained. That said, they are always keen to involve more people with first ais and medical training.
There are multiple themed villages that can have either specific teaching goals, or be likeminded people camping together.
All Workshops must be offered for free. It is a low stakes opportunity for people to run workshops that they might require payment for outside of the festival, and for others it is a genuine and exciting teaching and sharing opportunity.
Fleur Blüm 