'Permission to Touch' is an exhibition of art designed to be engaged with using the sense of touch. By inviting the public to experience art with this underappreciated sense, we hope to create an exhibition which will be both engaging and accessible. The exhibition forms part of Fringe Art Bath's 2026 Festival which will run between the 23rd of May and the 7th of June 2026.

Despite the recent surge in popularity of multisensory and immersive art experiences, the majority of art on display in exhibitions and museums is designed to be seen and not touched.

Indeed, the phrase ‘visual art’ is used as an umbrella term, referring to all art forms except music, performance and the written word, but this term is inherently exclusionary of works which are designed to be experienced using other senses and of people who cannot engage visually with the artwork.

The primary aims of Permission to Touch are to break down barriers between the art and the audience, challenge the notion of how we interact with works of art, and create an exhibition which is designed to work for people with different sensory abilities.

There is no set theme for the exhibition: all touchable work will be considered.

There are many facets of the tactile experience which could be used to invoke meaning in artwork, from dynamic stimuli such as rhythm, balance and vibration, to tactile sensations such as temperature, density, give and texture, or whatever else you can imagine!

Work in any medium will be considered, so long as it has a tactile component.

Artists will need to take into account how their work will be experienced, ensuring it is safe for people to touch and acknowledging that there is a risk that the work will get dirty or damaged.

Everyone can submit, from anywhere in the world.

Submission is free. If you are selected, FaB will ask for a £25 contribution per Artist (not per artwork selected) and some of your time.
(Your contribution goes towards hiring exhibition spaces, annual insurance, website hosting, tools and equipment, white paint, coffees for volunteers, printing and social media posts — functional stuff.) 

About Fringe Arts Bath:

Fringe Arts Bath (FaB) is a test-bed for new ideas, a platform for early-career curators & artists, and those who prefer to operate outside of the gallery-based arts scene. FaB aims to raise the profile of contemporary visual arts in Bath and beyond.

The FaB festival is a free, 2 week festival putting art in unusual places in unexpected ways for people to happen across and interact with, with exhibitions, interventions and events based in Bath, UK.

There will be over 20 different exhibitions and projects in this year's festival programme, and all of the exhibitions are currently open for submissions. Discover them all at the FaB website.

Where will the FaB Festival exhibitions be and how it will be promoted?

All around the city of Bath, in empty shops, on the streets, and sometimes online.

We never confirm exact venues until the spring, which is part of the excitement.

We work with our Curators to place our exhibitions and events in the best locations possible, combining shows which work well near each other, curating the festival as a whole.

The exhibition will be promoted through the festival website, social media (over 8000 followers on Instagram) and printed guides.

Bath is an international tourist destination, and the festival takes place in the heart of the old city. The festival has been running since 2007 and is the only visual arts festival in Bath.

The 2025 festival brought over 9000 visitors to the show.