In October last year a unique creative venture involving Marsden-born poet laureate Simon Armitage, his LYR band and Marsden Mechanics was launched. The project invited the people of Marsden to engage in a series of workshops, where together they aimed to uncover untold stories of the West Yorkshire village’s rich heritage, to inspire a series of new poems and lyrics to be written by Simon. These poems were then to be returned to the community for artistic interpretation, culminating in an unforgettable Cuckoo Day 2025 performance, when the village traditionally welcomes the cuckoo back.

Wind forward six months and over 100 personal stories and contributions from the children of Marsden Infant and Nursery School and Marsden Junior school have been collected, delivered and converted into four new poems.

In an interview with Write Out Loud, Jonny Kelly, the programme manager at Marsden Mechanics, explained the process for collecting people’s stories.

“We started by inviting the people of Marsden community to participate in a series of workshops and events. These were designed to encourage people to share their personal stories, local myths, and memories of the village. The process was very organic - conversations, reminiscences and anecdotes all helped to build a picture of Marsden’s unique character. Simon Armitage and the band LYR then worked with these contributions, shaping them into poetry and music.

“The response was fantastic. It brought people together in a meaningful way. Residents have had a chance to reflect on their shared history and there’s been a real buzz around the creative opportunities that have emerged. It has also given a platform to voices that might not always be heard, making cultural engagement more accessible to the whole community. People have really embraced the poems. There’s something powerful about seeing your own experiences or local legends transformed into art. It makes people feel valued and heard. The combination of poetry and music has resonated with people emotionally and we have had wonderful feedback from those who feel a renewed sense of pride in their community.”

The Tenterhooks project has been generously supported by Arts Council England and thanks to the support of One Community, Kirklees funding, Write Out Loud will be providing two days of poetry workshops in Marsden infant and nursery school, Marsden junior school and Holmfirth high school. Children and young people from these schools and Colne Valley high school will be presenting work and performing at the launch evening with Simon Armitage and other performers.

The launch event will coincide with Marsden’s Cuckoo Day Festival on 26 April, 2025, and will showcase the creative outputs of the project, performances, exhibitions, and interpretations of poems in various forms.

Jonny summed up: “This funding has enabled us to bring this vision to life and ensure that high-quality cultural experiences remain accessible to rural communities. The heart of this project is the people of Marsden - their stories and creativity and enthusiasm. We can’t wait to see how the project continues to inspire new artistic expressions in the future. Thank you, Marsden.”

Simon Armitage with his LYR band