Arts Barge Needs A Deckhouse!

Aim

The 1957 cargo barge Selby Tony is being repurposed as an arts venue. It needs a deckhouse to keep the rain out!

The long forgotten cargo barge Selby Tony was rescued and re-loved by The Arts Barge Project in 2013. Music, theatre, arts and barge lovers took her to heart and by 2019 she was shaping up and ready to launch her new found purpose in life as York's only floating community arts centre.

She arrived in York and gave her debut performance at The Arts Barge Riverside Festival in the summer of 2019 and everyone agreed she was an absolute star!

She has plenty of room in her heart and in her hold and is committed to offering a warm welcome to everyone. 

Just how helpful the arts can be in supporting mental health, emotional wellbeing and community wellbeing is being much more widely recognised now. People of all ages and backgrounds gather together on the barge to share experiences and skills in music, theatre, dance and art-making. Taking part in workshops, learning stuff, helping out, meeting old friends and making new ones.

But the Arts Barge needs to be up and running full time to spread the love and bring the benefit of the arts - to all of the people, all of the time. 

In 2022 we raised enough community good will and funding to insulate the barge to make year round usage possible in the future - and we bought some portholes to bring more light into the hold - these still need to be fitted. 

With the barge currently in a semi-converted state, ad hoc events are possible in the summer months...

We raised the money for materials to build the deckhouse roof through this original Crowdfunder in 2024 and volunteers built the deckhouse roof last summer. It was a brilliant community effort and a fabulous achievement! It's a beautifully designed and built curved roof and will eventually be fitted with solar panels.

But the deckhouse is still not complete. Water got in over the winter once again, due to having no windows, doors or walls. So this summer and into autumn we are aiming to complete the deckhouse. If you have relevant skills and can lend a hand, we'd love to hear from you. 

David Spencer, our now retired Architect is guiding us - and getting stuck in himself -  Workhaus have kindly donated glass for the windows and we will also aim to give her a new coat of paint due to a generous sponsorship from Brewer's Decorator's Centre. 

The deckhouse will keep the rain out, gather solar energy and provide an indoor upper deck space, ultimately to house an accessible loo and lift so we can invite every single member of our community on board - something we've been looking forward to from the beginning of this journey. 

What will happen on the barge and who will benefit?

The barge is located in York and is an inclusive, inter-generational community project. When the barge is fully converted with fully accessible lift, and can be used year-round, there will be a wide range of events in different art forms, aimed for a diverse demographic. Arts Barge will present experiences which are immersive, unusual and exceptional and opportunities to experience and participate in different forms of creativity including dance, music, theatre, creative writing and spoken word. Arts Barge will facilitate physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing through the arts. The space will also be used for Yoga and Tai Chi and other wellbeing classes and groups. There is no Arts Centre in York and the Arts Barge would address this gap in provision. The Arts Barge is for all the local community to meet, enjoy and benefit from all the arts together. Specific focus will be on supporting access for young people, families and the socially isolated. 

Who are we?

The Arts Barge Project is run by volunteers. It is a Community Benefit Society and has three Co-directors: Hannah West, Kai West and Rowan Evans. We have been delivering community arts events and festivals with creative partners since 2009 - always with a view to converting and using an ex-working barge as a base for events. Valued core members have come and gone and we couldn't have done it without them - but we're still here - we knew it then and we know it now - York needs this barge!!

From left to right: Karl Acaster: Waterman, Al Hamilton: Joiner, David Spencer: Architect, Christian Topman: Community Musician, Hannah Hutchinson: Furniture Maker, Marcia Mackey: former Children's Social Care Consultant, Hannah West: Art Therapist.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made