Forest of Imagination Returns to Bath with “Enter the Chrysalis” at Entry Hill This June

A free ten day celebration of art, imagination, nature and transformation is returning to Bath this summer as Forest of Imagination unveils its 2026 programme at Entry Hill. 

Running from 13th to 21st June, with an Opening Night on Friday 12th June at 6pm, this year’s event is themed “Enter the Chrysalis” and explores transformation from the inside out. 

Inspired by the remarkable biological process inside a chrysalis, organisers describe the event as a story of “dissolution, renewal and emergence”, using creativity and community to imagine new ways of connecting with nature and each other. 

Set against the backdrop of Entry Hill, the former golf course overlooking Bath, the event forms part of a wider long term vision to create a permanent Art and Nature Park for the city. Organisers say 2025 represented “the caterpillar”, 2026 is “the chrysalis”, and 2027 will become “the butterfly”. 

This year’s programme includes eight installations and a packed series of free workshops for schools, families, home educators and the wider public. 

Among the featured works is Perpetual Forest by Martyn Ware, founding member of The Human League and Heaven 17. The immersive audio installation brings together a retrospective of his celebrated 3D soundscapes within the landscape of Entry Hill itself. 

Other installations include Imaginal Soup by Matthew Leece, Chrysalis Classroom from Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, and two works from internationally recognised landscape architects Grant Associates. 

The programme also includes workshops such as Becoming Creature, What Do the Trees Think and From Earth to Wing: A Muddy Metamorphosis, all designed to encourage creativity, exploration and connection with the natural world. 

Forest of Imagination has now been developing for more than twelve years and has become known for transforming public spaces into immersive creative environments that bring together artists, educators, children, ecologists and communities. 

Dr Penny Hay, Professor of Imagination at Bath Spa University and co-founder of Forest of Imagination, described the project as “a creative dialogue about the ecological emergency and imaginative responses to a sustainable future.” 

Forest of Imagination 2026 takes place at Entry Hill Park in Bath from 13th to 21st June. Entry is completely free and no booking is required.