IF YOU'VE ever wondered what York's Arts Barge project is all about, the Great Yorkshire Fringe offers you the perfect opportunity to find out.

The community-based arts initiative - which ultimately wants to moor a barge on the River Ouse to act as a floating arts centre for the city - will be setting up shop in the White Rose Rotunda on the evening of Sunday, July 26 for a night of "great Yorkshire swing".

It will be an evening of great swing tunes from the 30s and 40s, promises Arts Barge co-director Hannah West, brought to the stage by the wonderfully-named Rinkadon Jukeboy's Blind Tiger Dance Band. Rinkadon is perhaps better known as Richard Ormrod, the 2012 Yorkshire jazz musician of the year. "He's always been a supporter of the Arts barge, and he'll be doing all the arrangements," says Hannah.

There will also be dancing from the Lindy Hopping dancers of Pure Lindy who will, promises the programme, be "a hoppin' and a poppin' and a shakin' a tail feather!" There will be plenty of chances to learn some of the dances, too, promises Hannah - both for those who have got themselves up in retro 30s and 40s dress, and those who haven't.

And it is all for a great cause. The money raised from the tickets (which are £12.50 apiece) will go towards preparing the Arts Barge' project's barge, the Selby Tony - currently moored in Rotherham - so it can come to York as soon as possible.

The White Rose Rotunda won't be your only chance to see the Arts Barge in action during the Fringe.

From July 29 to August 2 the Arts Barge will be setting up in a marquee in Tower Gardens as part of a free 'Fringe of the Fringe' riverside event.

They'll be there from 11am-11pm every day. Here are just a few highlights: - Wednesday July 29: York Arts Seen PechaKucha Night. Six local artists will talk about York's art scene, each giving a presentation of 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each - Thursday evening, July 30: The Arts Barge Gypsy Jazz jam session - Friday evening, July 31: Sixties night, featuring a Pulp Fiction dance workshop; Project Groovy Baby, playing cheesy Sixties music (often with a Bond theme) to the accompaniment of a Hammond Organ; and Jonny and the Dunebugs - Saturday August 1: All-day Hillbilly Honky Tonk, including 'old time', western swing, contemporary bluegrass and Appalachian clog dancing - Sunday August 2: events all day, including a sacred harp singing workshop, Shape-Note singing with Cath and Phil Tyler, folk music workshops, The Bramble Napskins, and Sofa sessions with musicians Dan Webster and Sam Griffiths, who will effectively become human jukeboxes...

The Arts Barge presents The Great Yorkshire Swing! White Rose Rotunda, Sunday, July 26, 7.30pm. Tickets £12.50 from greatyorkshirefringe.com or call 01904 500600.

The Arts Barge at the Free Fringe of the Fringe, Riverside Marquee, Tower Gardens, July 29 to August 2. Free.