Students at Flinders University’s drama school say they have a right to appear nude in their school’s theatre productions.

Two drama students told InDaily they had never felt pressured to appear in nude roles during their studies – and that as adults they had a right to appear nude if they wanted.

Last Thursday the mother of a Flinders uni drama student told the ABC her daughter felt pressured to accept nude roles in performances.

After the report, the course came under fire from Education Minister Jennifer Rankine and Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni, who described the course content as possibly inappropriate.

Second-year Flinders drama student Sarah Dunn told InDaily she felt media coverage of the story had treated her and her fellow performers like children.

“We’re adults, we’re allowed to make decisions based on our artistic integrity, our personal integrity,” Dunn said. “Flinders drama centre absolutely respects our decisions regarding those things.

“Interviewing people’s mothers, talking about concerned mums, and talking about us as if we’re children and incapable of making choices about our bodies is far more damaging than allowing us to make a choice about whether or not we appear naked in a theatre production.”

The mother who spoke to the ABC said her daughter felt she wouldn’t be able to succeed in the course if she declined to play nude roles.

“She was asked by her teacher within recent weeks if she was prepared to be naked in the upcoming university play,” the mother told the ABC.

“My daughter said no. But she’s under the impression that this is obviously risking losing lead roles – which is unfair.

“If they want to pass, they have to be part of this to pass – it’s part of their grading.”

The university, and both students interviewed for this article, said that was not the case and there was no pressure exerted from faculty to do nude roles.

“It’s (nudity) treated with the utmost respect,” third year Eliza Oliver told InDaily.

“It’s very gentle. It doesn’t occur very often at all. And when it does it’s very tasteful, it’s not at all sexual, and it’s about furthering the art. if you don’t want to do that, then there’s no pressure on you to take part.”

Oliver said she’d participated in a play that involved nudity during her studies, although only two had been run in her three years at the school.

Scripts calling for nudity were first discussed with students. If the students were uncomfortable with the nudity it was cut or replaced, Dunn said.

“There’s always ways to replace nudity, but there’s not always a need to. And nudity is a very powerful theatrical image, and one that I don’t think should be denied us. And frankly I don’t really see why it needs to be justified.”

State Theatre Company CEO Rob Brookman told InDaily nudity in theatre was like “breathing”.

“You might as well ask what role drugs or politics play in theatre, or what role does breathing?

“The theatre is about life. And sometimes people have got their clothes off in life.”