Author: Project PC

The Power of Words 1 – September 2018

Context

We performed this in Barcelona and so used a mix of Spanish and English words bodypainted onto the model. Each word represented an item of clothing; for example ‘bra’ might have been written across the chest and ‘jeans’on the legs. We then took a 20 minute walk around the pedestrianised Gothic Quarter. The performance was carried out twice; once by a male model and once by a female one, taking care not to repeat the same route.

Realisation

The area chosen was heavily pedestrianised, with relatively little vehicle traffic. For both the male and female performers there seemed to be little adverse reaction; a lot of people would double take and make ‘what is going on?’ gestures or faces to their friends and family. However, this was nearly always with a smile on their face.

The reaction was noticeably more positive than Brownfield, which is a similar concept but without the option to hide behind the artistry or social message of the body painted words. That said it was not just the public that reacted different, but also how comfortable the performers felt. Was it therefore the public’s reaction influencing the performers’ self-confidence, or the performers’ only negative projections marring the public’s opinion? In any case it appeared that nudity in the name of art, as this performance was intended to be perceived, was more tolerated than casual nudity.

With the female performer the public seemed less willing to look or participate whereas there was more overt interaction with the male performer. The male performer also elicited a wider range of reactions than the female performer; three people asked for photos and a couple more cheered or gave other vocal support. However, there were also two very negative reactions (involving a torrent of angry shouting in Spanish). The female performer did not have this same range of reaction – everything was more neutral and the public generally participated and looked less. We wondered if this was because it was generally seen as less acceptable to look at the naked women? In some of our other performances the naked woman has been perceived as more vulnerable and if that imaged held here then it could explain the more neutral reaction.

This was the only performance where some of the public asked to take photos, although more did without asking. We are not sure why this would elicit a request for photos more than similar performances such as Brownfield and The Emperor’s Clothes. Given that two of the photos happened one after the other it is possible that more people thought of taking a photo but did not feel confident enough to ask (and the first person that asked broke the ice).

November 9, 2025
Nothingness 1 – September 2018

Context

The male and female model split up on Poble Nou beach in Barcelona and an assistant came and collected all their belongs (clothes, phones, wallets etc.) – all they were left with was a metro ticket. The assistant was given a 5 minute headstart and then the models started making their way to the pre-agreed meeting point. During this journey the models were completely alone; there was no supporting ‘friend’ nearby with spare clothes. We set the route such it was expected to involve a 20 minute walk and a single stop tube ride.

Sadly the nature of this performance means there are no photos available!

Realisation

Curiosity was the driver of this performance. Adult websites featuring models naked in public normally have the performers followed by camera crews (as that’s what fits the bill). Our performances have been subtler, but still have always carried reassurance in the form of an assistant with spare clothes nearby.

With Nothingness the performers left themselves completely exposed and vulnerable. One male and one female model performed this simultaneously in the middle of the day, starting on a Spanish beach a couple of hundred metres apart. The assistant removed all possession, except a metro (underground train) ticket from them, and then walked via a direct route to a metro station.

The male and female model waited a few minutes and then set off in opposite directions, one heading north along the beach and the other south. The intention was for both models to walk for around 300m along the beach, before turning onto residential and commercial streets for a 1km walk to a metro station. The models would then attempt to ride the metro for one stop to meet the assistant and their possessions outside another metro station that was in the middle of the two they intended to catch the train at. A quiet location had been chosen in the hope that there wouldn’t be guards on the entrances/exits to the metro – if there were then the performers were on their own and would either need to walk the whole distance or talk the guards into letting them in/out. It was expected that the entire journey would take around 20 minutes.

The best laid plans are always open to ruin. The female performer took the wrong turn off the beach area and ended up walking for some distance down a very busy pedestrianised high street type area. After a few blocks she turned off this onto quieter residential streets and decided to walk straight to the meet point (which was closer) rather than attempt to catch the metro. Despite this she still arrived a few minutes after the male model, and had spent just over 30 minutes completely nude and alone walking the streets. Several people expressed concern, asking the performer is she was ok – this is the first time we have received this reaction (which possibly means our discreet observers aren’t as discreet as we’d like them to be!).

The male performer completed the whole journey, receiving a couple of very positive reactions and one very negative reaction (a passerby in a car shouting at him to return to the beach). There were also a few people/groups who seemingly crossed the street to get out of the path of the male performer. That said the route taken by the male performer was quieter, and whilst he would pass people or vehicles every minute or so it would have been very different to the female performer who, whilst on the pedestrianised high street area, would have been amongst a constant flow of people. The metro ride went smoothly, with the other passengers paying little attention. However, the train pulled into the station as the performer was walking down the platform – the train driver looked very shocked! The doors took a long time to close but fortunately no security was called.

Both performers found the experience very different from the other performances they’d been involved in. Standing up on the beach at the start was hard, as until that point no-one had noticed they were nude. Both models had a difficult and scary moment; the female model when she realised she’d taken a wrong turn and was slightly lost and now on a very busy street (but well done to her for sticking with it for a few blocks!) and the male model when he was seen by the train driver. However, both also found it very exhilarating – there was no artistic aspect and no friends to cloak the nudity so it was an experience that challenged and tested our performers’ confidence and resolve.

November 9, 2025
Brownfield 1 – May 2018

Context

Brownfield is a series of completely nude journeys by foot and public transport in major cities and towns. Brownfield has been performed twice, both in Barcelona during 2018. The performer acts as if there is nothing unusual about the event and only interacts with the public if approached. The first performance took around 30 minutes, including a short tube ride, with the second lasting 20 minutes. In both cases the performer was followed at a discreet distance by an observer who carried an emergency set of clothes and tried to gauge the public’s reaction.

Realisation

In our first performance we started walking from a beach, through a residential area to the tube. After riding the tube for a few steps we got out and and walked for a few minutes in a very busy city centre area. The performer had to briefly cover up in a sarong when exiting the tube station due to a security guard on the gate.

The performance attracted a lot of attention, with people obviously stopping and staring. There was no overt negative reaction, although some people looked uncomfortable and would occasionally try to move out of the way. One man approached as we entered the tube station and spent the duration of the ride talking to us about what we were doing and why. The confined space of the train also prompted more interaction with the public, with several taking photos, something that had been noticeably absent during the start of the performance.

The exit from the tube was the most nerve wracking part for the performer, as we exited directly on to a very busy street filled with both pedestrians and cars. We were fortunate that two motorbike police officers on the other side of the square didn’t spot us!

The second performance was carried out in the Gothic Quarter. A clothed assistant walked ahead with the performer following a few paces behind. The route wasn’t set in advance with the freedom to choose the path left with the assistant. The streets walked were small and busy, creating an intimate feel with the public. This time there was more negative reaction with two people shouting aggressive remarks.

Without the artistic element of some of the other performances (e.g. The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Power of Words) the nudity of this performance is more striking and raw. The performer was consciously more nervous, and the reaction of the public, whilst not often negative, still showed less support for the activity.

November 9, 2025
Immaterialism 1 – September 2018

Photos courtesy of rhealise

Modelling courtesy of allihillart

Context

We carried out this performance four times on the same day in Barcelona; a male and female model each completing the performance in underwear and then nude. We varied the location for each performance, but kept the ‘type’ of the location consistent. The models wore blindfolds and earphones, and signage was put up to state that they were standing for body confidence, and encouraging the public to draw a heart on their body.

Realisation

Our first attempt at this, with a female in model was ended quickly. We’d set up in a small square but about 5 minutes later one of the buildings emptied and the quad filled with young children – it doubled as a school playground! The children didn’t seem particularly bothered, and no-one had complained, but we decided it was probably best to cut our losses and try again elsewhere!

There was very little difference in reaction when the models were in underwear as opposed to when they were nude. We ended up setting up on a small pedestrianised street (although we moved for each new performance) and in some cases the immediate shop-keepers complained to us, mainly because they felt we were damaging their trade. However, otherwise the response was mainly positive, with people actively thanking the models for what they were doing. The one exception was one lady who complained to the observers when it was a male nude perform that it was inappropriate and that there were children around. This was unusual as it was the only time whilst performing in Spain that someone has drawn a distinction around nudity between an adult and a child; whilst this would be common in the UK it is not something we’d previously experienced in Spain.Just after the male model dressed and started to walk away a police car cruised by. We’re not sure if this was just by chance of whether the aforementioned lady had complained – we knew there was a police car stationed a couple of blocks away and the timings would have been about right for it to be a complaint. If the police car did arrive as a result of the complaint, rather than just part of a standard patrol, then this is the only time the police have been pro-actively called on us (I write this about 2 years after we first started). They have however ‘caught’ us a couple of times by chance though!

Overall people interacted more with the male model than the female model. More people stopped and took photos, and more people actively participated by drawing on the model. This was true in both the underwear and nude performances. We’re not sure why this was the case, as we assumed this performance in particular, where we are overtly promoting a message about body positivity, would resonate more with the female form. We can only assume that it ties into some of what we’ve seen in other performances, where people respect towards the female body has been more widely publicised in the media, thereby causing them to overt their gaze as if they’re doing something wrong, even in consensual performances such as this.

The most moving moment of the performances came for the male model when he was doing the underwear performance. Unbeknown to us but we’d set up just round the corner from a care-home for disabled people. The ‘director’ off the care-home saw us on her coffee break and immediately brought everyone from the home out, along with their carers, to participate. All of these people had significant physical and mental disabilities. In the UK nudity law penalises individuals more severely in instances where vulnerable people are likely to be present. This definition of vulnerable people includes both children and the disabled. As already mentioned, in Spain people don’t seem to differentiate the appropriateness of nudity by age, and, out of all the reactions we had, the response from this group of disabled individuals was by far the most enthusiastic and positive out of any we received that day. For them, there may be an element of always feeling trapped by the unfortunate limitations of their own bodies, and our performance, where we made our own bodies vulnerable, and stood for the support of all body types, however abled, coloured or shaped, raised a clear desire for expression. The excitement and positivity of this group raised tears from many other people observing in the street. So why in the UK would we assume that vulnerable people, such as the disabled, need protecting from this? Is it sensible as a precaution, or are we actually just labelling and stereotyping them in a way that they’ve never asked for?

November 9, 2025
Sweatshop Shackles 1 – September 2018

Context

The performer is body painted, as in the The Power of Words, with words representing clothes across their body. Otherwise they are completely nude. They are then loosely tied to a bench, their arms to the each of the far ends and their feet bound together under them. They are deprived of their hearing and vision. A single pair of scissors lie at their feet, point outwards. Observers watch from a discreet distance but are too close to intervene immediately and, due to the nature of the tying, the performer is unable to free themselves. The performance was set to last for 30 minutes, or until the performer was freed.

Realisation

This started out as an investigation into the public response. The performer would only be free if the public proactively participated, without prompts or inducement. This was performed on a busy beach promenade, with both vehicles and pedestrians passing. A lot of attention was gained, with many people stopping to take photos and watch. Several people were noticed passing a few times, obviously wanting to see or understand more, but without being asked to do so. Overall the most common reaction was to walk past with a few quick glances, sometimes veering closer to the performer whilst on the move, but without actually stopping.

However, very few people approach the performers, preferring to take photos or look from afar. Indeed, some people were observed crossing to the far side of the promenade, so as to be safe from this nude body. This juxtaposition; the nude, immobilised and deprived of senses performer placing themselves vulnerable at the hands of the public, and the public seeking the greatest distance between themselves and the threat of nudity; has not yet been elicited so clearly in our other performances.

After about 20 minutes the male model was freed by a family (man, woman and teenage son) who had already passed once. The woman approached the performer what they were doing, why, and what they should do (the hearing deprivation mechanism wasn’t working particularly well for this performance!). The performer responded and the woman cut him free whilst the rest of the family watched from several metres away. When talking to this woman she had interpreted the performance as a piece about Chinese slave labour in the clothing industry – our piece was retrospectively named after her insights and participation.

With the female model potentially fewer people seemed to stop and take photos but overall the reactions weren’t particularly different. After about 20 minutes a police car arrived and the observers came forward to free the performer and provide her with clothes. In the end the police didn’t mind and they hadn’t been called, they were just on a routine patrol. They said they had to stop because it wasn’t clear if the woman was in distress. They gave us the impression that we could have carried on if we’d like but given that we’d already freed the model we choose not too – next time we will have to slow down our reaction to a police presence but, given that it was our first police involvement, I think we were all worried about the repercussions. Whilst we were carrying out the final clear up another two policies officers in a buggy drove past, took a look at as us, and then drove off – seems like the first officers radioed in the sighting of a naked girl to their friends!

November 9, 2025
Blank Canvas 2 – November 2018

Photos courtesy of Daf Owen

Context

We were fortunate to be invited to perform Blank Canvas at Torture Garden in London. Torture Garden is a ‘lightweight’ fetish party; by that we mean it is less intense than a full-on fetish party, and attracts a diverse crowd of open minded vanilla types and complete kinksters. However, it’s a great start for people looking to experiment – it’s big enough that there’s plenty of space to make sure it’s a gentle introduction. We set out a table with loads of different items on it; some were nice and decorative (e.g. body paints), some were sexual (e.g. whipped cream), some were messy and unpleasant (e.g. brown sauce) and some were painful or uncomfortable (e.g. candles and hot sauce).

We didn’t know how the crowd would react to this, as it was a fetish party we thought it could get quite intense. The models were blindfolded and wore earphones, so every action taken upon them would be heightened because of the sensory deprivation. We kept the signage as implying this was a “decoration” rather than a full-on sexual escapade, but we really had no idea where this would go and had to be prepared for every eventuality.

Realisation

A huge range of items was put out for the other guests to use on us, and in retrospect there was probably too much out and we would have been better with a smaller selection. We had two friends acting as table monitors (mainly to try to make sure nothing went missing!) and they were able to provide a number of useful observations on the difference in treatment between the male and female model (we performed one after the other, with the female model going first). We do however recognise that the actions on the male model may have be influenced by what had already been done to the female model, and that the different timings of the two performances may have also had an impact.

In general group self-moderated more for the female model than the male model. For the female, if an individual started to take things too far then a friend or stranger would generally speak up and tell them to stop, but this was less evident for the male model. In particular there were one group of women at the start who particularly took advantage of the model. It wasn’t just as who felt the models were treated differently as after the event TG released an Instagram posting stating “Our crowd are generally quite respectful, but one comment that was made by them is that women were much more brazen than men. So just a reminder that we do have strict rules on etiquette – no groping, touching or anything else without prior permission, or we will ask you to leave. This applies regardless of your gender or orientation”.

There was an interesting mix of reactions; generally people were bemused and interested but how they participated varied. Some would just do what they wanted, whereas others would ask permission, either of the table monitors or of the models (when the earphones fell out). For the female model there was more interest in making her look pretty or sexy, and much of her performance focused around this, with degrading actions being quite light-touch and only coming later on in the performance. The male model was degraded straight away, although it did seem to be women that were more interested in degrading the male model with men, on the whole, being more respectful. We’ve seen this theme in some of the other work we’ve done, for example where the female model was less drawn on in Immaterialism 1. It’s possible that this is because media has been more vocal about the male gaze, whereas for women there has been less explicit and so the naked male can still be laughed at and ‘abused’.

Conversely the female model was much more sexualised. Within the first couple of minutes someone was spraying whipped cream on her and licking it off; and that same person eventually made out with her. We have to admit that at this stage we weren’t sure if we’d be able to keep the performance going for the allotted time; we knew roughly what the models were and weren’t comfortable with, but we hadn’t really discussed the possibility of them being used as sensualised sex objects for 90 minutes! Anyway, the model seemed comfortable with what was going on, and it the sexual element became less intense shortly after, although it did keep cropping back up throughout the performance. The male model received no sexual attention at all.

The crowd seem very reluctant to undress the female model, but the male model’s thong was pulled aside within minutes. The table monitors eventually half removed the female model’s bra, but still no-one touched it and so the table monitor’s took it off completely after another 10 minutes or so had elapsed. As soon as it was off though people were touching and licking the model’s breasts. This both reinforces and conflicts with the point made in the earlier paragraph; the crowd seemed uncomfortable with undressing the female model, possibly because society has told us to avert our gaze and our hands, but as soon as her breasts were exposed they seemed to become ‘fair game’ and were heavily sexualised.

November 9, 2025
Blank Canvas 1 – September 2018

Photos courtesy of rhealise

Modelling courtesy of allihillart

Context

The models posed for around 30 minutes on Poble Nou beach in Barcelona, with a number of items laid out in front of them. Most of these items were fairly ‘innocent’ but there were some that (mostly clothes peg and duct tape) that could be used to cause pain/discomfort.

Realisation

Very few people participated in this performance. Due to more ‘extreme’ nature of it we’d decided to do this on the beach walkway, rather than in the centre of town (as we figured we were less likely to be stopped by the police this way). However, in retrospect it may not have been the best location as the walkway had limited footfall and was wide – the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter would have potentially ‘forced’ people to get closer and engage.

Our female model had 3 or 4 people stop and decorate her. One woman got really into it; staying for around 15 minutes and very much immersing herself in the artistic process.

Only a couple of people got involved with the male model, and one of these only did as a result of a dare. Most of the ‘decorations’ on the male model came from the female model (who was watching) and her friend, rather than genuine members of the public. The male model did start to get an erection during this performance, probably as a result of the bondage element, and that may have impacted on the public’s willingness to participate.

This report has been written some time after the event and Blank Canvas 2 has already been performed. Looking at these two events together we can see a very similar outcome with the female model being respected and made to look pretty, and the male model ‘humiliated’.

November 9, 2025
The Emperor’s New Clothes 1 – May 2018

Body painting courtesy of bodypaint barcelona

Context

The models were body painted in fake clothes and spent over 2.5hrs on Barcelona’s streets and public transport. For the first part of the performance the models were wearing thongs and pasties, but these were removed halfway through (and the painting touched up).

Realisation

This was carried out in two parts. In the first part the performers retained their underwear and visited a public market (for which permission had been obtained), before walking 350m through a busy city centre location with high pedestrian and vehicle traffic to the metro, and then riding several stops to a quieter beach and residential area where they walked for around 1.5km. The route was then reversed, but with the underwear removed. The models completed these journeys separately with an observer following at a discreet distance watching reactions and carrying a spare set of clothes.

The performers also went out in the evening as a pair wearing just the body paint and visited three bars (for one we had permission, for one we asked upon entering and for one we just went in).

In general in was interesting how few people realised the performers were body painted. This was true even once the underwear was removed, although it did become more noticeable for the male model. This therefore gave an interesting insight into the ‘humanity bubble’; the normalcy of being completely wrapped up in ourselves and removing our attention from those around us.

Translators helped question the public about how they felt about the situation; and we conducted quick surveys to ask people if they felt ‘good’, ‘bad’ or ‘indifferent’ about the models. In all cases we received a ‘good’ response although when questioned further several people did comment that the ‘next stage’ (removing underwear when body painted with underwear, just being in underwear when body painted and nude, being fully nude when in underwear) would be strange and/or uncomfortable.

However, as we progressed down this path, both in this performance and other associated performances such as Brownfield, the public reaction did not change to the extent that people had implied it would when questioned. When asked about it in advance there was a perception that anything ‘more’ than the current situation would be weird, but that weirdness did not seem to arise even when we pushed it further. Why is it then that we have these preconceived notions that aren’t borne out in reality? Should ‘more’ be weird or is there media imaging and embedded cultural values that make us afraid of the unknown, afraid of change?

We did sometimes find a slightly adverse reaction upon trying to enter shops or cafes, although we were able to purchase items in both and did sit outside one café (nude in body paint) for over an hour, although in neither case was the experience particularly welcoming. The reaction seemed to stem from the desire for a person to “protect their castle”. The street was a public and unowned space so we were accepted there, but on entering a building we were sometimes seen as invaders that needed to be dealt with. Having now carried out our first performance of Society Cut-Out, it is interesting to look back on the body painting experience and question whether owners were less inviting of us out of a genuine distaste on their part, or as part of the circular loop we saw in Society Cut-Outof feeling the need to take action to protect others who weren’t offended, upset or uncomfortable.

When out for the night we had some really great conversations, and some very welcoming hosts, in all the bars we visited. Thank you to everyone who let us in, and to all the customers who spoke, danced and drank with us.

The Emperor’s New Clothes is probably the most enjoyable performance we have done to date. There was more interaction with the public and less risk of adverse police involvement (on the basis that the models would notice them before the police realised the models were nude). This is something we definitely want to try again and for a much more extended time period (i.e. all day).

November 9, 2025
Society Cut-Out 4 – September 2019

Context

This was the first time we’d received proper advance permission for Society Cut-Out (at Love Shack London, an amazingly friendly and considerate bar and restaurant, so make sure you give it a visit regardless of your views on nudity). We took along two models, one male and one female, and started at opposite ends of the venue before eventually meeting and continuing on past each other. Definitely the most welcoming reception we’ve had!

Realisation

The female model was really well received throughout this performance, with every group she approached decided to cut something off her. She ended up completely naked, and stayed that way for approximately 30 minutes before re-dressing, and received no negative comments through-out the evening.

The reaction to the male model was slightly different, but still overwhelmingly positive overall. The male model started in the far corner of the garden area. When he spoke to the first couple he was facing only them, with his back to everyone else in the garden. This first couple were really intrigued by the concept, and actually approached the model a couple of times to speak to him later during the night, and chose to cut a square out from his genital area. When he turned round to approach the rest of the garden, the next two closest groups immediately rejected him – this was the only negative reaction received by either model during the night. Our assumption is that this was because no-one had been ‘normalised’ to the nudity at this point; as the model turned round all these two groups saw was a man with his penis out holding scissors – they assumed he was a threat and responded accordingly. The next group had time to see what was going on, participated, and from there people began to realise the nature of the event and the atmosphere relaxed.

A couple of groups politely challenged the male model’s motivations, but nearly everyone was supportive. This is different from previous Society Cut-Out performances, where normally a couple of groups have suggested the models were motivated by exhibitionist or sexual behaviour.

Another noticeable difference at this venue compared to some other events we have don’t is that we didn’t notice anyone taking photos of the models. Usually there have been instances of groups both taking photos without permission, and of groups approaching the models and asking for photos.

During the evening a few other people joined us by getting topless. Although the female model re-dressed after about 30 minutes, the male model remained nude for a few hours. This gave a different insight in itself, as many people new people arrived who had not participated in the dress cutting previously. We didn’t notice any discernible anger, fear or shock from new arrivals upon seeing a naked person in the venue, possibly due to the calm of everyone else around (by this point a number of people were engaging in long conversations with the model).

One group questioned the male model as to whether he spoke to his work colleagues about this; and questioned whether he was a hypocrite for promoting sexual openness if he wasn’t open himself. This was a fair challenge and one we unfortunately don’t have a good answer to. We would like the world to be a more accepting and tolerant place, and for people to define their value system based on personal reflections of right and wrong, rather than media, legal or family influenced definitions. But stepping outside society’s definition of ‘normal’ is still scary, and can still carry significant detriment for those who try to do so. Although completely polite and respectful, the group that questioned the male model about this ultimately revealed that it shouldn’t be discussed in the workplace, as is it wasn’t professional to talk about. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but to us, this is exactly the reason why we would struggle to be open about this in the workplace. In most UK work environments people would happily allude or directly reference being gay; but how many would open up about being a naturist, engaging in sub/domme relationships or enjoying swinging? Why do we treat various consenting sexual preferences differently?

Once again, a big thanks to Love Shack. We had a great evening and are thrilled to have been asked back for your ‘Eco Fashion’ event!

November 9, 2025
Society Cut-Out 3 – May 2019

Context

This was a slight twist on our standard Society Cut-Out performance, where we moved it to the street and placed the performer in a blindfold. We chose Brighton for our most public UK performance yet; we hoped it’s liberal reputation would stand us in good stead and we weren’t to be disappointed!

Realisation

The start of this performance was nerve wracking for the model as we had no idea how it would pan out, but felt certain the police would be called at some point. As it turns out we needn’t have worried; it was a very wholesome experience and we were made to feel very welcome.

That said, we did misjudge the situation slightly. We’d set this performance up as a public vote, whereby the model held 24 cards in their hand, and had 24 squares drawn on the dress. Signage was erected that the model would be there for 90 minutes or until all the cards had been removed from the model’s hand.

However, within about 10 minutes the model was basically completely nude; and the impact of what we were doing was diluted. People did still continue to come over, cutting smaller and smaller squares of the small pieces left on the model, and in some cases picking up pieces from the ground and cutting them.

As far as we can tell no-one took a card out of anger or upset. A couple were taken but we think these were instances where people thought it was all part of the activity, rather than a specific vote against the nudity. This is something we would need to rethink when repeating this performance, so as to make this aspect clearer.

One particularly heart warming moment was when a young child asked “Mummy, why’s that man not wearing any clothes?”. The mother brought the child over and helped the child read the sign and explained what we were doing and why. When we were planning this performance the reactions of parents had been one of our key concerns, as this was the first time we had done something so public in the UK, and this one small act immediately helped us feel so much more comfortable and settled in the performance.

Although the model was basically nude after about 10 minutes we carried the performance on for about an hour before stopping it earlier than planned; mainly because we felt the impact was diluted. So many people had said so many nice things whilst we were carrying it out, and it’s definitely something we’d look to repeat. Shop owners were even coming out of their stores to take photos and participate.

In the end we were disappointed the police didn’t show. We’d expected that they would but that they would potentially let the performance continue, particularly if it was being accepted by the public We were intending to attempt to leave the area nude, to see how that changed the police response – it would be interesting seeing if they would try to justify nudity on one street but not on another. Given that the police didn’t arrive during the performance, we felt it would be too risky to leave the area naked, as we would have less obvious justification if we were stopped by them. The model dressed and was invited for a drink by people in a nearby café; in retrospect it would have been good to have the model remain nude and see if they would still have been invited into the café, and whether the café would have allowed it.

November 9, 2025