Poetry is coming to Leeds
Actually, it's always been there, but now the West Yorkshire city is all set to play host to a national poetry centre
POETRY is everywhere. It flits around the world, envelopes the soul, drinks deep of the human condition, but the people who birth it are creatures of geography, rooted in time and space and place.
So, let's talk venues, and not just any kind of venue – but a veritable national focal point and treasure trove of all things poetry.
The city of Leeds – more precisely, the university – in West Yorkshire, is all set to become 'capital' of verse by hosting the UK's National Poetry Centre. It's very much a passion project for poet laureate, Simon Armitage.
Now the venture has received backing from the government with a £5 million investment from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC). Given ministers' patchy record for supporting the Arts nationally, with a heavy emphasis on cuts these last 14 years – especially in the regions – that's certainly noteworthy.
The National Poetry Centre will be based on the campus at the University of Leeds, in Trinity St David's Church (formerly a nightclub) on Woodhouse Lane, and will be led by Armitage.
“My highest ambition when appointed poet laureate was to create a national home for poetry in my native West Yorkshire,” said Armitage, who is also professor of poetry at the university.
“The award ... is a huge step forward in the building of the National Poetry Centre in Leeds; I’m thrilled that so many people see the good and the sense in this idea, and excited to be confidently planning the next stage of development.”
The funding is intended to advance plans for the centre to provide a space that offers an extensive poetry collection with research facilities, rehearsal and performance spaces, opportunities for writers to exchange ideas, event spaces for literary prizes, and a wide range of facilities and activities to encourage people of every age and background to enjoy poetry in all its many forms.
The centre, an independent charity, will work with partners including the university, Leeds City Council, and Arts Council England to give poetry a national home in Yorkshire.
“The university has a historically significant relationship with poetry, and we are extremely proud to see Leeds being recognised by the government as a national hub for this versatile art form, which has roots stretching across nations and cultures,” said professor Hai-Sui Yu, interim vice-chancellor and president of the University of Leeds, who is also a published poet.
“We recognise that investment in arts and culture, especially that which expands accessibility, is a key part of our ambition to make a positive difference to the world. The National Poetry Centre will provide a space where everyone can engage with the art form, cultivate interdisciplinary collaboration and celebrate new voices.”
Working closely with the university’s Cultural Institute and Special Collections, the new centre will tap into the seat of learning’s pioneering research, vast literary collections and its legacy of engaging with acclaimed poets.
“The University of Leeds is a key part of the city’s thriving arts and culture scene,” said professor Ben Walmsley, dean of cultural engagement at the university, and the director of the Centre for Cultural Value.
“[I]t’s fantastic that the legacy of our professor of poetry and poet laureate Simon Armitage will continue in the form of a national cultural organisation at the city-facing edge of our main campus, backed by significant government investment.
“As we rethink what poetry means and who it’s for, and continue to develop and diversify our cultural partnerships, this collaboration will bring us closer to the city’s communities, offering an accessible space for everyone to enjoy regardless of language, background and education.”
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “It is intended the venue will become a visitor destination for literary and poetry fans worldwide, hosting over 300 events annually and with a projected footfall of one hundred thousand people.”
The National Poetry Centre is currently undergoing a recruitment process for its new director, whose appointment is due to be announced later this year.
MC