Greater Manchester stroke survivors bring challenges of stroke to life with new film

Greater Manchester stroke survivors have lent their voices and experiences to a powerful new animation to help raise awareness of stroke during Make May Purple.

All of a sudden something popped was created as part of Stroke: Stories of Self, an arts/science project led by the University of Manchester and the Stroke Association.

Produced by visual artist Daksha Patel, the animation uses interviews with a group of stroke survivors who have all been supported by the Stroke Association. With interviews led by Stephanie Snow, Project Lead and using photography by Caroline Edge, the film has been released to coincide with Make May Purple for Stroke, the Stroke Association’s national awareness month.

Ray Garner, 70 from Bramhall, had a stroke in December 2008, which left him with weakness in his side and affected him emotionally. Ray said: “Taking part in this journey has seen me shift from being ambitious and wanting to do more after my stroke, to understanding what makes me tick. Being involved in the project has helped me realise why I can no longer do things I did before. The whole experience has been superb and if I could do it all over again, I would. I’m now writing poetry in my own time and have a real interest in photography.”

Daksha Patel said: “The soundtrack for the animation is the voices of a group of people describing sudden and profound changes in their lives. My drawings are inspired by the complex emotions and shifts in perception they evoke. It is an intimate portrait of a group of individuals who are negotiating a journey through the social, psychological and physiological impacts of an unexpected event. I deliberately avoided using the word stroke throughout the animation."

Stroke: Stories of Self involved a series of workshops over 18 months, organised by the Stroke Association and the University of Manchester and supported by the Wellcome Trust. The project aimed to show the importance of using the creative arts to support recovery after stroke. The workshops explored life after stroke through a series of interactive sessions, which brought together stroke survivors, clinicians, artists, researchers and students from the University of Manchester.

Joyce Booth, Life After Stroke Coordinator at the Stroke Association, said: “It’s been fantastic to see local stroke survivors taking part and developing their skills as part of Stroke: Stories of Self. Stroke is a devastating condition, but through the workshops, our participants have been sharing their experience in new ways. The final animation is a very powerful way of exploring the impact of stroke and we’re incredibly grateful to Daksha and the team for creating the film.

“Across the UK, more than a million people are rebuilding their lives after stroke. By supporting Make May Purple you can help us to make sure stroke gets the attention it deserves and to raise vital funds for innovative research into stroke care and treatment.”

Daksha Patel (www.dakshapatel.co.uk) is a UK based visual artist whose practice encompasses drawing, printmaking, animation and installation. Residencies and research within scientific institutions regularly inform her practice, and her work engages with systems of measurement and medical imaging technologies. She is an AHRC practice-led researcher at Northumbria University, and gained her MA at Manchester School of Art in 2008.

During the month of May, the Stroke Association is calling on everyone in Manchester to go purple and raise vital funds, to show their support for people who have been affected by stroke. To get involved with Make May Purple and help to change the story for stroke survivors, visit www.stroke.org.uk/makemaypurple