'This Was Our Year': Exhibition celebrating city's culture, heritage and community to open at Wakefield Exchange

Our Year saw over 350,000 people attend over 1,000 successful events and activities with thousands more welcomed to activities and support from cultural partners including Yorkshire Sculpture Park, The Hepworth Wakefield, Theatre Royal Wakefield, National Coal Mining Museum for England, Nostell Priory National Trust and The Art House.

From moments of wonder, including a visit from The Hatchling, to hundreds of incredible community-led activities, the year saw people of all walks of life getting involved in creativity and culture on their doorsteps and thousands of visitors were welcomed to the district.

Coun Hannah Appleyard, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “Our Year 2024 amazed and inspired our communities, engaging people in activities which showcased the depth and breadth of our district’s culture and creativity.

“It was our time to shine and show visitors and locals alike all the brilliant things that the Wakefield district has to offer from art, music and performance to food and drink.

“This exhibition gives us the opportunity to look back on the last 12 months and celebrate all that was achieved and those who got involved. And to be able to do it in the fantastic new WX events space, is even better. So come along and check it out.”

WX will host the free exhibition from March 14-23 with an opening event on March 13 from 6pm-8pm, which will include live music and drop-in art activities and performances from the Yorkshire Prose, Ben Taylor.

Yorkshire Prose has created a new poem reflecting on Our Year which will be revealed on March 13 during the initial screening of the Our Year documentary film.

The event will also showcase the next generation of talent that the district has to offer as nine-year-old Max, from Pontefract , is West Yorkshire’s Young Poet Laureate, a scheme supported by WYCA, and will perform his first ever commissioned poem written to celebrate Our Place.