The Art Boat

It’s our aim to make positive change in our society. There is a housing crisis, cost of living crisis, a health crisis and an environmental crisis all happening right now, and our project - The Art Boat addresses all of these issues.We acquired a canal barge and our plan is to turn it into a floating community centre/ event space/art gallery/ cinema. We also plan to clear overgrown stretches of the canal to create space for people to meet. We are aiming to get our project started in Spring and hope to run it throughout the summer and into late autumn. It is widely known that the boating/traveller community in Wiltshire have worse health outcomes, living 10-12 years less than the general population. 42% of adults have long term health conditions and 25.9% suffer from depression compared to 9.4% of the general population. Art in nature can increase social engagement and improve health by reducing stress, boosting mental health, increasing immunity and creating overall feelings of wellbeing. If successful, this project would run throughout the year, with a timetable of events. It would also give artists, musicians, dancers, actors, comedians and film makers a free platform to showcase their work.