🏳‍🌈 Come one! Come all! FLESH beckons you to create and connect
📸 Follow us on Insta for more info and updates!
⚠️ Please note this is an 18+ event and may include mature/sexy themes/props

✋ What is FLESH?

FLESH runs life drawing sessions featuring a life model run by and for LGBTQIA+ folks (and their allies). It is a relaxed, social atmosphere where drawers will pursue their own creative approaches.

👀 WHO?

You! And your queer friends, family and loves!

Both new and experienced artists, creatives, doodlers and "I can only draw stick figures" types are welcome.

Each month's model will be announced on our Instagram. The roster will feature a mixed bunch of babes including both experienced models and some fresh faces. There will be of a variety of genders, bodies, experiences and backgrounds.

Your host is Fox! Local queer icon, artist and experienced model.

⏰ WHEN?

Doors open at 6:15pm, get in early to grab a good spot and get a drink

Session starts at 6:30 with a welcome and intro by your host Fox

We will conclude at 9pm, very respectable for a weeknight.

There will be 2 breaks during the session for you to refresh your refreshments, show off your work, view other's art and make some new connections.

🎨 WHAT DO I BRING?

A variety of drawing supplies and paper will be provided but please feel free to bring your own journals/VADs/tablets/materials (please do not bring any particularly messy/drippy materials).

Also bring your appetite and wallets! Smith's Alternative will be ready to serve up lots of lovely drinks and a variety of nibbles.

📍 WHERE?

Upstairs at Smiths Alternative (Melbourne Building, 76 Alinga St, google maps link here). Walking distance from the Alinga St Light Rail stop and the Civic Bus Interchange.

We are in the newer upstairs space, enter the building to the left of the main Smiths entrance and ascend either the stairs or the elevator, we are past the red door in the room on the right.

FLESH acknowledges that we meet on stolen land and we pay our respects to the traditional and rightful owners of the land the Ngunnawal, Ngunawal and Ngambri peoples. Sovereignty was never ceded and this so called Australia always was and always will be aboriginal land.

🤔 WHY SHOULD I COME?

FLESH is designed as a community space where local creatives can gather, make and share art. Come and partake in the act of creation and view, admire and draw from talented models.

While life drawing can be purely for the drawing exercise, it is also a chance to freely view other’s bodies in a consensual and safe environment. I (Fox) believe representation and visibility is important for queer people including showing off and viewing our queer bodies.

Drawing from life is a way to train our eyes and grow our sense of vision and expand our understanding of how we “see” the world. I promise if you haven’t had the chance before, you will find you notice different things when you look at the world with the eyes of an artist.

✨ ACCESSIBILITY INFO ✨

❤️ FLESH aims to be as accommodating as possible for everyone who wants to come. We are also aiming to be as transparent as possible. Please note that this is a new event that is being run by one person. For any questions or requests, please contact us via the Contact Host button below, via Instagram or via email. You can also detail any requests/requirements during the ticket check out process.

🧠 Any sensory need items are welcome including fidget toys, weighted items, earplugs and headphones. Stimming is welcome (as long as it is not too disruptive to our other guests). The space is gently and colourfully lit (please see instagram for pics of previous sessions to get the vibe) and we will be playing some music quietly. There is also a quieter balcony space available off the side of the room if you need a little break, please note that this space is open to the night air and can be a bit fresh.

👁️ This is a viewing/visual based event, if you need a specific seat or requirements for low vision or a vision impairment please contact organisers or make it known on your ticket order and we will do our best to accommodate you. There will be no flashes or strobes.

👂 There will not be any interpretation service available for those who are hard of hearing. The main talking is done at the start with the welcome/introduction and intermittently to announce the time of poses. If given sufficient notice we can provide a written version of the welcome/intro and can visually update you on the lengths of poses.

🧑‍🦽The upstairs room and the unisex bathroom are both wheelchair accessible. There is a lift available to access the upstairs area with only a few small lips/bumps. The door to the lift is 82cm wide and the lift is approximately a square, so also 82cm deep. Please note that the buttons inside the lift are 150cm high. The door handle and lock in the unisex bathroom are 120cm high. All the chairs in the space can be easily moved around. Please note that the balcony off the side of the main room is not wheelchair accessible.

🚽 There is a single stall unisex/accessible bathroom down the hall from the drawing room (It does have some gendered language notice from Smiths in there which FLESH doesn't like so please ignore). There is also (so called) Men's and Women's bathrooms halfway down the staircase. There is another set of Women’s and Men’s bathrooms and a unisex/accessible stall down on the ground floor.