On Saturday 26 April 2025, the village of Marsden in West Yorkshire will become a hub of creativity and celebration.

Tenterhooks – a major new community arts project – will culminate in a day of performances and premieres during the town’s much-loved Cuckoo Day. Led by Marsden-born Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, his band LYR, and Marsden Mechanics, this ambitious venture is putting rural creativity on the map. Here’s why it matters.

1. Simon Armitage Brings It All Back Home
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage is returning to his roots with this powerful project, using his profile and poetic voice to uplift his home community. Drawing on Marsden’s rich history and traditions, he’s creating new work that speaks to the village’s past, present and future – all while championing the importance of cultural access for rural areas.

2. Poetry Meets Music with LYR
Tenterhooks is also a collaboration with LYR – the experimental band formed by Armitage, vocalist Richard Walters and producer Patrick Pearson. Their work blends spoken word with post-rock and ambient soundscapes, offering a moving and atmospheric way to bring poetry to life. Expect goosebumps.

3. Real Stories from Real People
At the heart of Tenterhooks are the stories of Marsden’s people. Through community workshops, locals have shared personal histories, memories and myths – all of which have been shaped into poems and lyrics by Armitage, then set to music by LYR. These works are now being interpreted by local artists through sculpture, theatre, songwriting and more.

4. A One-of-a-Kind Cultural Celebration on Cuckoo Day
The project culminates on Cuckoo Day – Marsden’s annual spring festival – with a day of performances and exhibitions that showcase the community’s creativity. It’s a chance to see how a village’s stories can be transformed into powerful art, and to experience top-tier culture without the need for a city postcode.

5. A Blueprint for Rural Arts Access
Tenterhooks isn’t just a celebration – it’s a statement. It shows what’s possible when ambition meets collaboration in a rural setting. With backing from Arts Council England, the project proves that world-class artistic experiences belong in villages and small towns just as much as in urban centres.