To mark the launch of its 366-day programme of celebrations, Our Year – Wakefield District 2024, Wakefield Council enlisted the help of Royal Navy Petty Officer and Wakefield-born poet Ben Taylor with an exclusive poem capturing the spirit of the District.
Written under his pen name Yorkshire Prose, Ben performed the piece live for the first time on Saturday 13 January in Wakefield Cathedral. This was part of a 24 in 24 event which saw 24 events take place across the district as a taste of what’s to come throughout Our Year.
The poem’s proud celebration of what makes the Wakefield District great in the eyes of those that live there, was met with an incredible reception at the live cathedral performance.
Filmed against the iconic backdrop of Wakefield’s Hepworth Gallery and the stunning scenery of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, amongst other quintessential local places, Ben’s recorded performance of the poem is not to be missed.
Keen to break down barriers around art and culture, in line with the ethos of Our Year, Ben Taylor has lent his signature Yorkshire Prose dialect verse to a number of projects close to his heart. They include a Remembrance Day poem for The British Legion and a collaboration with Yorkshire Brewery, T&R Theakston on the emotional attachment to the pint.
To find out more about the full Our Year programme head to ouryear2024.co.ukOur Year
“As a Wakefield lad myself, I had so much to go at for this piece. As part of the writing process, we invited the community to give us their favourite things about the district to create something that’s not only for Wakefield people but by Wakefield people.
We wanted to get across that it’s not just art, heritage and famous things that make Wakefield great. It’s the people and their local pride which put the heart in Wakefield.”