Review: Life Drawing at the Pianodrome, Fringe 2026

I suppose there are more conventional ways to spend an evening than drawing a (naked) model inside an amphitheatre made of old pianos, with live music playing a few metres away. 

But that was the setting for the life drawing session I went to at the Pianodrome at St Oswald’s Centre… and I enjoyed it so much, I would love to go back again. 

The venue itself makes the experience quite unusual. For those who have never been there, a Pianodrome is an amphitheatre built almost entirely from disused pianos, turning instruments that might otherwise be thrown away into both architecture and a space for performance.

Sitting inside this strange circular structure, drawing with live music felt very intimate and welcoming. The Pianodrome is inside of an old Church, which adds another layer of visual interest, with tall lancet arches and dramatic vertical lines typical of neo-gothic architecture. 

Finding a rhythm 

The whole session felt well-paced: it started with a few minutes of guided meditation to get everyone into the right headspace, before moving through a series of increasingly long poses. 

I thought this was a brilliant way to start, because it helped dissolve all tension I was carrying with me from the day and transition into a lighter state of deep focus and flow. 

We began with very quick one-minute sketches, then five-minute poses, followed by some medium-length ones of around 12 minutes. After a 15-minute break for tea and a chat with the other participants, we came back for a few longer 20-minute drawings. 

The model was in the middle of the circle, alternating facing one side and then the opposite to guarantee everyone had a variety of front and back poses to draw. Cool tattoos were also a bonus element to draw. 

Drawing to live music 

I normally love the silence of life drawing sessions; there is something so soothing about hearing nothing but pencils scratching on paper… but, the piano drowned out all the little background noises that can normally become distracting, while still leaving enough space to concentrate. It also gave me a rhythm to draw to, which was surprisingly good for avoiding overthinking. 

Between the friendly atmosphere, the intimacy of the venue and the live music, I left feeling uplifted. 

Overall

Spending that time focusing on unfiltered shapes of the body of a stranger, straight lines, curved forms, in glorious, confident presence, as an external observer with a pencil, gave me an unexpected sense of peace with my own body. 

That reminded me that beauty is all around us, when you allow yourself to slow down and look. But – of course – noticing beauty is a lot easier when you’re surrounded by the Pianodrome, live music and a group of gorgeous people!