Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust

'We're often mistaken for art therapists, but we're not' says Chris Kelly, who runs the Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust St/Art project.  The distinction is that although art classes are given to people who are recovering from stroke and acquired brain injury, the main purpose is not direct rehabilitation. 

Instead the project hopes that users will rebuild confidence and self-belief through discovering what they can do. Some of the best art is produced by people who always had latent talent, but haven't used their skills since they left school, perhaps half a century ago.

Patients can take part in classes both in hospital and when recovering at home.  Judy, one of the artists says she tries to accommodate even the most usual requests - to work with jewellery, clay or looms.  Sometimes the resulting art is a reflection on brain injury itself.  One former weaver designed a 'stroke tartan' - dark gloomy colours interspersed with flashes of red and yellow to denote the moment of stroke.  Another created a series of cartoons telling the story of his journey through hospital.  Chris Kelly hopes to eventually turn it into a book - a resource for healthcare staff needing to understand the patient experience.

Aphasia is a condition that affects speech after stroke. Some patients with aphasia have used the project to plan a DVD about the condition and the journey to recovery.  Working with the University of Abertay, who provided professional film and editing equipment, they interviewed clinicians, vox popped the general public, filmed on location and spoke on camera about their experience. 

The process gave them a long overdue ability to show authority about their condition.  The film is now being widely used in NHS Tayside speech and language therapy service.

The local health authority have been supportive of the innovative service.  As one co-ordinator of stroke volunteers says 'People come to us with difficulties with speech and physical restrictions - often both at once.  It's easy to understand why people just give up. The St/Art project opens doors.  Or rather, by participating in the programme, almost without exception, people find a new confidence in their abilities.'