Stroke survivors get creative for new exhibition in Manchester

Dramatic art work created by stroke survivors from across Greater Manchester will be displayed at Victoria Baths, in a new exhibition from Saturday 10 September – Sunday 11 September.

Stroke: Stories of the Self through Art and Science featuresunique art work created by stroke survivors in a series of workshops over 18 months, organised by the Stroke Association and the University of Manchester. The project aims 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. The group used creative writing, music, visual arts and photography to share their experiences and depict the challenges they faced after stroke.

The most recent sessions saw Manchester based Brighter Sounds support stroke survivors to write two original pieces of music over six weeks. The songs, The Moment I Remember and The Happy Song, will be performed at the exhibition by the charity’s North West Community Choir on Saturday.

Joyce Booth, Life After Stroke Coordinator at the Stroke Association, said: “The songs written by the groupare very emotional and are the result of stroke survivors sharing their personal experiences.

“Stroke survivors commonly talk about a loss of identity as an emotional challenge after stroke. This exhibition explores this aspect of stroke and reveals the challenges faced by stroke survivors through their own creative work.

“The workshops have given stroke survivors the chance to express themselves, while also encouraging social interaction and helping to build confidence. We hope to see lots of people from across Manchester at Victoria Baths when they can gain a greater understanding of using the creative arts to enjoy a life after stroke.”

Elisa Artesero, Visual Arts Workshops and Exhibitions Curator, said: "As both a workshop facilitator and a curator, it’s been an inspiring journey taken with these survivors. Reflecting on this, I decided to curate the work around the theme of ‘transformation’. A stroke is a profound and life changing event. It creates challenges, both practical and emotional, that need to be faced and processed by both the survivor and those close to them.

“The group has tried new creative techniques to explore their feelings about their stroke, the memories of their life before it and the journey afterwards, together with hopes for the future. A transformation has taken place, and on many levels. The process has not always been easy, but many times it has been enjoyable, as the group have learned that they have talents they didn’t know they possessed; a new life after stroke has emerged for all of them."

Dr Stephanie Snow, Senior Research Associate at The University of Manchester, added: “It is only since the 1990s that stroke has been seen as a medical emergency. Despite the huge efforts around acute care there is still limited emphasis given to longer term rehabilitation. Stroke survivors often talk about their loss of identity as the biggest emotional challenge after stroke. This exhibition reveals the challenges and joys of recreating lives after stroke. It will give visitors a unique opportunity to share the journeys of these stroke survivors.”

The exhibition will run from Saturday 10 September – Sunday 11 September at Victoria Baths, Manchester and is free to enter.

The exhibition will be followed by a second event at Whitworth Art Gallery on Friday 04 November. Health professionals, stroke survivors and others involved with the project will come together to celebrate the project and evaluate the impact of using creative arts during rehabilitation after stroke.

For more information about Victoria Baths, including opening times, visit www.victoriabaths.org.uk. For more information about stroke, ring the Helpline on 0303 30 33 100 or visit www.stroke.org.uk.