大象传媒

In these days of Covid-19 and social distancing, one thing that many of us are missing is being able to touch other human beings. Claudia Hammond reveals the results of the world's largest study on the topic of touch - the Touch Test. 40,000 people from a hundred and twelve countries took part. Professor Michael Banissy of Goldsmiths, University of London, led the analysis of the Touch Test and he explains the findings on who likes touch and who doesn't, and who feels they don't get enough touch. Claudia discusses these results and how much of a difference culture make to our attitudes towards this neglected sense with Michael and with touch researcher Juulia Suvilehto, from Linkoping University in Sweden, and Suddha Bhuchar, an actor and playwright working with the arts organisation Revoluton on a series of monologues on the topic of touch. Claudia also talks to Zahra and Hasina at the Pink Diamond Martial Arts club in Luton, who are using touch to build confidence.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald

Main Image: Pink Diamond Girls
Credit: Ferdusi Jahan furdewsyphotography.com for @revolutonarts