West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate Programme
In 2023 we partnered with the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin and National Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to inspire the next generation of young poets in West Yorkshire with a week of poet-led school activities and a subsequent programme to appoint the first-ever Young Poets Laureate for West Yorkshire. We delivered the second round of the programme this year and have now appointed our new Poets Laureate for 2025. Download our free poetry resources below to help inspire your students with our creative writing lessons.
About the post of West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate role
The Young Poets will be ambassadors for poetry across West Yorkshire, helping to inspire a new generation of poets and creatives. The two Poets Laureate for 2025 were appointed at a celebratory event in January and they will remain in post for one year following their appointments. They will have the opportunity to:
- Take part in a poetry mentoring programme
- Engage their peers in poetry sessions
- Work with the West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and the National Poet Laureate Simon Armitage
- Attend several key and exclusive cultural events across the region, with opportunities to perform
- Write poems for commission
- Have their work promoted and amplified by West Yorkshire Combined Authority and partners.
Our shortlisted poets will have the opportunity to:
- Attend a full day Masterclass with professional poets
- Attend a elebratory event
- Attend three open mic events, across West Yorkshire, to share their poetry on stage alongside professional poets.
- Have their work published in an anthology
Free poetry resources for schools
Download our poetry lesson plans and classroom resources to help you deliver inspiring poetry sessions with your pupils.
Children and young people's engagement with poetry research
Our recent research into children, young people and poetry found that:
- 1 in 2 (48.8%) children and young people aged 8 to 16 told us in 2024 that they engaged with poetry in some form, meaning that over half are missing out on the benefits.
- In line with our previous findings, more children and young people who received free school meals (FSMs) said in 2024 that they engaged in poetry in their free time compared with their peers who did not receive FSMs.
Read the full research report.
Poetry changes lives: a true story
Written for the inaugural West Yorkshire Poetry Week, Bradford-based poet Sharena Lee Satti's blog, explores the misconceptions around what poetry is and who it is for.
