Art as Creative Engagement for Stroke

"The CEI has 5 component stages which map the participant's journey with the Artist~1. Meeting with Artist, discuss interests, stroke and explore initial creative goals.~2. Introduction to materials and mark making to create interpretations of established images.~3. From mark making and interpretations to developing personal project ideas.~4. Turning personal project ideas into creative finished pieces.~5. Review of completed work, mounting and display of work, future plans.~It is recognised that participants will progress differently. Components may be repeated or retuned to or may be addressed simultaneously. Participants may progress rapidly and so move from stage 5 back to stages 2, 3 or 4 to progress new work or experience new materials or processes."

The Portfolio group will receive conventional rehabilitation activity at each site. In addition, to control for effects of art related attention received by the intervention group, after baseline assessment and randomisation, this group will receive from the research assistant, a portfolio of work produced by previous participants of the Tayside CEI, with details of community programmes that people with stroke can attend after hospital discharge. Participants will be invited to view the portfolio during their stay. Prior to outcome assessment, the research assistant will visit participants again to answer questions and to discuss options for community programmes, if the person is interested.