22/08/2025

The Climb Back Exhibition

Around 100,000 people will experience a stroke this year in the UK. What then happens to the 1.3 Million stroke survivors?

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.