MATURE art students are furious at plans to cut live model sessions at Blackburn College.

Night class students from an Open College art course were dumbfounded when they arrived at college with their pencils and paper only to find there was no nude model to draw!

"All the students feel very angry and let down by the Blackburn College," said furious Ian Hall, of Quebec Road, Lammack in Blackburn.

He added: "The human form is one of the most challenging and rewarding of subjects to those who take up drawing and painting yet the college has just cut the service without any input from the students or advance warnings."

Mother-of-five Angie Blackledge, of Columbia Way, Blackburn, said: "As a working mother, I have sacrificed valuable time to take up this one-year art course, but the college has broken its contract and is not now providing the course I signed up for."

Blackburn teacher Angela Vidler, of Claremont Drive in Clitheroe, said: "Blackburn College do not fully understand the value of live models. They don't take it seriously but this is an important part of our work." Mr Hall added: "The college has gone for growth and expansion but it hasn't properly costed what the financial implications will be which is why such a valuable part of our course has been axed."

Mr Chris Osbourne, Dean of the Faculty for Creative Art at Blackburn College, said: "Blackburn College is the centre of excellence for art and we pride ourselves on our above-average access to live model work for students.

"Students' achievements come first but, because of the cost of live models, we have to reassess our use of them.

"We would never promise continued use of live models on a college curriculum but if it was found necessary to provide live models then these students could possibly have access to live models some time in the future."

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