Volunteers take a bath but is it art?

Nov 7 2009 by David Whetstone, The Journal

THE brand new Wunderbar Festival washes over us this weekend with a host of participatory events to freshen up our outlook on life – or maybe just to freshen us up.

That’s certainly the attraction at the Fenham home of Peter and Katy Merrington who are offering to give people relaxing baths as part of a project called Tours of People’s Homes.

“But is it art?” queried a radio phone programme yesterday, knowing fine well that they would get calls from people angry because they thought it was and angry because they thought it wasn’t.

The art question aside, it is my belief that you will emerge from the Merringtons’ feeling fresher, cleaner and smelling of roses – or maybe peaches.

Tours of People’s Homes, masterminded by artist Joshua Sofaer, called for volunteers to offer a memorable experience in their homes to ticket-bearing members of the public .

You can listen to stories, discuss pop music and even have a food fight. But the Merrington siblings – Katy is 26 and Peter 24 – came up with the bath idea.

“What was interesting for us was that at certain times of people’s lives they do get bathed by other people,” said Peter.

“We thought it would be nice to offer that experience to people – say an able-bodied 30-year-old – who don’t normally experience it.” Katy added: “I think because we are brother and sister we were thinking back to childhood bath nights.

“There are things that are quite nice that you forget, like putting your head back when you are having your hair washed so the soap doesn’t get in your eyes.”

The pair have 17 bath time slots to fill during the festival, with their first client due this morning.

But if you are the frazzled parent of three grimy kids, you should know that the experience is offered to people aged 16 or over.

Katy said they had had several trial runs with friends and other Tours of People’s Homes volunteers.

They had taken advice from Pauline Frost, who is also keeping open house during the festival.

Pauline has suffered a catalogue of health problems during her life and for a time was reliant on others for baths.