There’s still this stubborn idea floating around that culture is something rare. Something polished and precious. Something you have to travel for or apply for or sit quietly in a theatre for. That it’s produced in cities, usually London, and occasionally shared with everyone else when there’s time or funding.

But real culture isn’t like that at all.

Culture is what happens when people tell stories about where they’re from. When someone starts singing a song their dad used to sing. When a bit of village folklore turns up in a painting. It’s not something you buy tickets for. It’s something people already live and breathe, and that’s especially true in small towns like Marsden.

Tenterhooks began in Marsden with a few cups of tea and an idea. Simon Armitage came to Marsden Mechanics wanting to do something that celebrated the village he grew up in. Marsden is part of his DNA. And instead of building a project that arrived pre-packaged, we decided to do it differently. We started with the community, asking questions, collecting memories, listening.

The stories people shared were rich and full of character. Tales from the mills. Family traditions. Long-gone buildings and the names people still use for hills and fields. One man talked about restoring the old village mangle and discovering a little cuckoo carved into it. Marsden’s symbol, tucked away in the ironwork. It was a perfect metaphor for what the project was trying to do: reveal what’s already there, hidden in plain sight.

Simon took those stories and turned them into poems and lyrics. Then, instead of presenting them back as a finished product, we handed them over. People responded with paintings, sculptures, songs of their own. They made something new out of something familiar. The creative power shifted into their hands, exactly where it belonged.

That’s the difference. This wasn’t a cultural gift bestowed from above. It was a collaboration. And the response from the community proved just how much that matters. People told us they felt seen. That their lives and histories were being recognised. This is culture.

Too often, rural communities are overlooked in the national conversation. Arts funding and media attention still tilt heavily towards London. There’s a baked-in assumption that the big ideas live in the capital and everything else is follow-up. And when rural places do get attention, it’s often framed as outreach, as though we’re being invited to borrow culture for an afternoon.

But that model misses something vital. Marsden didn’t need culture to be delivered. It already had it. What it needed, and what many places like it need, is the chance to shape and share that culture on its own terms.

That’s what real decentralisation looks like. Not just access to art, but ownership of it. That means asking people what matters to them. It means recognising that unpolished stories are still powerful. That you don’t need a gallery or a theatre or a formal arts education to create something meaningful. You just need to be trusted.

And yes, having Simon involved helped. He brought visibility and genius to the project, but then he stepped back so others could be heard. That kind of leadership is rare but it makes all the difference. When people are given the space to create, they do. Every single time. Marsden didn’t need convincing. It just needed the invitation.

Culture isn’t a luxury. It’s not a reward for living in the right postcode. It’s how people express who they are, what they’ve been through, and what they hope for next. It doesn’t need to be polished. It just needs to be honest.

Tenterhooks began as a conversation. What it became was a village-wide expression of identity. Not something brought in, but something drawn out, and if there’s one lesson to take from it, it’s this: Don’t assume culture only happens in cities. Don’t wait for permission. Listen to the people who are already making it and give them the tools and trust to make it louder.

Tenterhooks takes place on Saturday 26th April 2025 as part of Marsden’s annual Cuckoo Day celebrations, with a full day of performances, exhibitions and events created by and for the local community. For more information and to see the full programme, visit:

www.marsdenmechanics.co.uk/events/tenterhooks-2


This article was conceived and written by Jonny Kelly