The brief
Touch was a collaborative art therapy initiative developed with The School for the Visually Impaired in India, in partnership with the National Association For The Blind. The school had never facilitated a tactile art program before, and traditional visual arts activities often left students without an accessible way to express themselves.
Early conversations revealed two challenges. Many students were unsure where to begin, uncertain how to translate imagination into form without visual cues. At the same time, parents and staff were seeking new ways to build confidence, participation and creative agency. The opportunity was clear: design a tactile-first art experience that encouraged self-expression through touch, rhythm and movement, proving that art can be felt, not just seen.
What we did
We explored materials and techniques that translated texture, pressure and shape into expressive tools. Custom stencils and patterned templates offered guidance without limiting individuality, giving every student a starting point while preserving creative freedom.
Hands-on workshops encouraged experimentation and play, supported by facilitators who adapted activities to each student's sensory strengths. As confidence grew, hesitation shifted into focus, calm and collaboration. Throughout the sessions we documented interactions on film to capture the energy, joy and nuance of tactile expression, insights that informed a multisensory approach centred on feeling, rather than seeing.
The outcome
The students' work was digitised and transformed into a series of postcards, posters and merchandise available globally, with sales contributing funding toward new art and sensory programs within the school. A short film, produced and directed by AiD, helped raise awareness and served as a key artifact for outreach and fundraising.
The impact was both immediate and lasting: AUD $10K raised to support new art and sensory initiatives, parents requesting continued participation in tactile workshops, and student confidence growing as more learners engaged over time. The school has since adopted ongoing multi-sensory art sessions inspired by the program.
Touch demonstrated that creativity is not limited by sight. Expression can be felt, shaped and shared through hands, movement and imagination.
