Research participant creates artwork depicting life after stroke and how this Bradford led research can benefit stroke survivors across the UK.
Mark Chappell, a stroke survivor from Skipton, has created original artwork that powerfully depicts what it feels like to have had a stroke and the journey back to meaningful life. His new exhibition named ‘The Climb Back’ also reflects his journey in the ADAPT study, a one-year research project exploring how to reduce sedentary behaviour after stroke.
The research, led by Dr Jess Johansson from Academic Unit for Ageing and Stroke Research that is part of the University of Leeds and based at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, identifies four distinct types of stroke survivors and tailors support accordingly. Through creative workshops involving stroke survivors like Mark, carers and NHS staff, the team developed new approaches to help people spend less time sitting after stroke.
Mark’s creative contributions help make the study’s results more accessible to other stroke survivors, including those with aphasia.
The exhibition opens to the public from 10 am to 2 pm weekdays at Mind the Gap Studio, Lister Mills, Bradford, running from 12th – 22nd August.
Dr Jess Johansson highlights:
“Working with Mark to produce all this creativity has been a really wonderful addition to the ADAPT project, I am excited for the exhibition. I love the energy in Mark’s drawings, the way he can bring such powerful messages to life in a way that really appeals to other people who have had a stroke is just brilliant.”
Mark Chappell says:
“ It has been brilliant to be part of this research where people like me have been asked to be involved and researchers have been genuinely interested in what we have been saying. It is so easy to eventually disappear after your stroke. I have met so many people, and it is the same old story.
You know your life has changed, so just seeing positive people being given the time and the space to communicate and an opportunity to be listened to is such a positive thing.”
