Photo: York Press
It was great to meet Christian and Hannah from The Arts Barge Project recently and to find out what’s happening there.
I don’t know about you, but we are very excited at the prospect of this exciting new venue, arts centre, creative hub, call it what you like, docked, (yes docked!) in our city. The opportunity for regular music, art making, dance, theatre, arts for wellbeing and fun, or just watching the world go by from the water, is tantalising.
Many of you know that the Arts Barge have been raising funds for a while now and a fair few of you will have been involved in one way or another; whether it is getting crafty with the kids down at the Riverside Festival or blowing your own trumpet with Bargestra, the Arts Barge community band.
So I thought a bit a of a recap might be good.
So far the Arts Barge have raised funds through grants and donations to purchase ‘Selby Tony’ (the actual barge) and done a lot of structural work to the hull to get her shipshape. They’ve also gained planning permission for a permanent mooring and developed working drawings for the conversion.
All that in itself is a massive achievement, but what’s next?
Happily they have secured a barge builder to work on the steelworks and the funding to pay for it, a nice chap at Hirst Boatbuilders in Knottingley was the right man for the job! So Selby Tony is heading down the Ouse for the next 18 months, to have all her steelwork done followed by her internal fit-out. She’ll be returning to York in the Spring of 2020, if not before, for her long awaited public opening!
The Arts Barge is most definitely somewhere for everyone, and we can’t wait to go to their events, drink at their bar and ensure this project blossoms.
To keep in touch with the Arts Barge and all their news, sign up to their mailing list here http://theartsbargeproject.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9db060d2e4fd40f4f953d18bd&id=3ab628fbdd
or follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/artsbargeproject/
or twitter @ArtsBargeYork
