A new National Poetry Centre, spearheaded by Professor of Poetry and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, is to receive a significant cash injection after ministers confirmed funding.
The £5million funding, originally announced under the previous Conservative government in March 2024, has now been reconfirmed after a further government consultation.
The new centre will make its home in the University of Leeds’ Trinity St David’s Church – once the home of Halo nightclub – on the edge of campus on Woodhouse Lane.
The University’s Professor of Poetry Simon Armitage, who was appointed Poet Laureate in 2019, said the new centre will give poetry a national home.
“We are a nation of poets, the home of the English language, and poetry has been the voice of Britain for 1500 years, but until now it has never had a proper home.”
Caption: Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate and Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds
“Thanks to this excellent news, the National Poetry Centre will become a reality. Poetry is enjoying a surge of popularity, offering people from every walk of life an accessible and memorable means of expression. Leeds, at the heart of Britain and the crossroads of the country, is the perfect place for a national and international headquarters."
The centre will include a 250-seat performance theatre as well as a bookshop, library, café, offices, recording facilities, rehearsal spaces and study rooms.
Professor Shearer West, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Leeds, welcomed the news.
She said: “Our university has a long-standing and significant relationship with poetry, and we are proud to see this being recognised in the government’s renewed funding pledge.
“The new centre, in the heart of Leeds and on the edge of our campus, will help many more people access the arts and culture, and will play a significant part in the University’s commitment to making a positive difference in the world. We are proud to be playing a part in this major new cultural centre which will serve the whole country and beyond."
The new centre will also work closely with the University’s Special Collections, home to thousands of rare books and manuscripts, as well as the Cultural Institute and the University of Leeds Poetry Centre.
The new centre, in the heart of Leeds and on the edge of our campus, will help many more people access the arts and culture
Students and researchers in the School of English, which offers degrees in Creative Writing taught by internationally recognised poets and authors, will have the opportunity to take up placements at the centre, as well as joint research projects and creative outreach activities.
The funding confirmation was announced on Monday, February 17, as part of a wider £15 million commitment to cultural projects in Leeds. The further £10 million will support the redevelopment of Temple Works in Holbeck, Leeds, earmarked to become the home of the new British Library North.
Centre director Nick Barley said the money will allow them to develop the capital project, secure further investment and bring widespread cultural and economic benefits.
He added: “Above all, this will be an organisation that exists for poetry in all its diverse forms: for creators, listeners and readers. Encouraging open access to the arts across the nation’s diverse communities will be central to our work: the National Poetry Centre will stand as a beacon of creative endeavour for many people whose voices are currently unheard.”
Further information
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Main image: Trinity St David’s Church on Woodhouse Lane, the future home of the National Poetry Centre. Credit: David Lindsay/ National Poetry Centre.
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For further information about the National Poetry Centre and the University of Leeds, please contact press officer Victoria Prest via email on pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk.