A poem carved into Ilkley Moor rocks, playground games in Lister Park and street corner dance routines in Bradford city centre are part of an ambitious cultural project celebrating the 2012 London Olympics.

More than 50 events encompassing music, dance, site-specific performance and creative writing are taking place in unusual locations as part of imove, a celebration of human movement rolled out by the Legacy Trust for the Cultural Olympiad.

Stanza Stones is a series of stones, starting at Ilkley Moor, carved with words by Yorkshire’s Simon Armitage. Over the past 12 months he has been exploring the Pennine Watershed, and his new poem, In Memory Of Water, has been inscribed on seven stones between Ilkley and Marsden, his home village, near Huddersfield. Stone artist Pip Hall will carve the final stone in May.

An online trail guide is being published and a series of events will involve young writers, film-makers and dancers working with Mr Armitage.

Games in the Park invites everyone out to play in Lister Park and Cartwright Hall from May to August. A series of indoor and outdoor events will examine how games have developed around the world; mass participation will revive games that grandparents used to play, visitors will be taught new interactive games, and storytellers will weave histories through songs that games are played to.

In June, Belfast-based dance company Ponydance will spring up in Bradford’s parks, bars and street corners, allowing people to discover contemporary dance in public places they least expect it.

North Yorkshire villages of Bentham and Ryedale will be home to My Last Car, an interactive performance exploring our love of the motor car. At its heart is the interior of a Rover 216 Cabriolet, lovingly disassembled and animated by digital displays.

Tessa Gordziejko, creative director of imove, said: “London 2012 has been a catalyst for artists to work in completely new ways and places, and imove has given them opportunity to stretch their practice and produce projects on a bigger scale. We hope that as the public are engaged by the sporting excellence this year, they’re also inspired by creative talents we’re showcasing.”

Imove is funded by Legacy Trust UK – a charity set up to create a cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympics – Yorkshire Forward and Arts Council England.

Other events include Synchronised – a performance in Sheffield blending synchronised swimming and Indian Kathak dance, coinciding with the Olympic synchronised swimming championships – and Sea Swim; a mass sea-bathing event involving 500 people in Scarborough.

For more about, imove visit the imoveand.com.