Arts Barge project hope for Skeldergate Landing on River Ouse in York

9:26am Saturday 5th January 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Stead, Political Reporter

A PROJECT to create a floating arts venue on the River Ouse in York has moved a step forward.

Organisers behind plans for the Arts Barge have asked City of York Council for permission to use Skeldergate Landing as the base for the scheme, which has recently received financial backing.

The council confirmed last month that it would allocate £25,000 from its Economic Infrastructure Fund (EIF) towards the venue so a boat can be bought, with three further £25,000 payments to be made at later stages as the business plan proceeds.

The Arts Barge Project was set up in 2009 with a fundraising appeal subsequently being launched and a four-week trial run taking place during the 2011 Festival Of The Rivers.

The cost of the boat is likely to be about £50,000, with the overall project, including renovation work, expected to be about £275,000 and sponsors set to be sought.

In their application to change the use of Skeldergate Landing to accommodate the barge, the project team said it would be moored in a way which would ensure it was not affected by rising or falling river levels and it would be inspected at least twice a day if flooding struck York. Tables and chairs would be placed on the adjacent quayside.

Refitting the barge is expected to lead to at least six temporary jobs, with ten permanent posts being created once it is operational to run music and arts programmes as well as its cafe and bar. The council’s Labour cabinet approved the EIF funding at the start of December, with a report by council officials saying the barge would be “a key attraction for both residents and visitors” and would boost “social inclusion” in the city, with York firms being commissioned to carry out the work.

Since the application was lodged, more than 40 people have written to the council to support the project, saying it will be a cultural asset for the city.

However, the authority’s Conservative group has questioned the “long-term sustainability” of the project and the use of council money to back the plans, while the Liberal Democrat group has claimed the expenditure is “irresponsible given the financial position of the council”.

Comments(16)

ouseswimmer says...
9:54am Sat 5 Jan 13

An excellent project much needed within the city now that we have no art gallery for two years. Not so sure about the location though. Feel they could find one with a higher footfall to ensure success.

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roskoboskovic says...
10:18am Sat 5 Jan 13

don t be so silly.in times of austerity and cutbacks,when ycc are pleading poverty and looking to make more savings what we don t need is these pathetic arty **** money wasting projects.time to get their priorities right.try donating it to the foodbank.

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jorvik says...
10:54am Sat 5 Jan 13

What the hell has a barge with art in it got to do with social inclusion? Wouldn't the money be better spent on socially including disabled York residents or the poor

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bob the builder says...
11:51am Sat 5 Jan 13

It'll sink every time the Ouse floods Skeldergate, so that's at least 4 times a year.

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Torkie says...
6:16pm Sat 5 Jan 13

Someone must be benefiting from it personally. That's a lot of public money to spend against the wishes of the majority, i know it's against the majority because there's no way you can hammer us with austerity then excuse spending 75000 on cosmetic project we don't need.
The people are well and truly peeved atm, even those with enough cash to get by feel impoverished because the caliber of politician's/media have dragged us down to that level.

We'll give you more freedom to spend our money when you loosen the rope around our necks a bit.

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Minsterred says...
7:37pm Sat 5 Jan 13

Big fan and supporter of the arts and of course we need culture and quality to life in these tough times, I get that, but seriously, an arts barge? £275k ? This project may have not been noticed ten years ago but right now many people are struggling, front line services are being cut and the elderly,vulnerable and children suffering as a result. This is a vanity project for people who really need a reality check. Its not needed and the money is badly needed elsewhere. If you really want this to happen fund it yourselves, my sons football club provides sport and inclusion for lots of children and serves a very worthy purpose, we want it to happen so we raise the money ourselves and thats what you should do,

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inthesticks says...
11:15am Sun 6 Jan 13

COYC - Read these comments, the majority of residents don`t want you to spend their money on this in the current climate.
It`s a lovely idea; but so is me going to Barbados for two weeks, I can`t afford it so I`m not going.
You could issue a statement saying due to public feeling and the current climate we will not be supporting this project financially at this time. Simple.
As has been said earlier a lot of projects have to raise funds themselves; how about they apply for lottery funding?

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Old_Man says...
2:11pm Sun 6 Jan 13

roskoboskovic wrote:
don t be so silly.in times of austerity and cutbacks,when ycc are pleading poverty and looking to make more savings what we don t need is these pathetic arty **** money wasting projects.time to get their priorities right.try donating it to the foodbank.
There is an art to trolling. You don't seem to have mastered it at all. Or maybe you are just the retard you come across as!

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Buzz Light-year says...
2:42pm Sun 6 Jan 13

inthesticks wrote:
COYC - Read these comments, the majority of residents don`t want you to spend their money on this in the current climate. It`s a lovely idea; but so is me going to Barbados for two weeks, I can`t afford it so I`m not going. You could issue a statement saying due to public feeling and the current climate we will not be supporting this project financially at this time. Simple. As has been said earlier a lot of projects have to raise funds themselves; how about they apply for lottery funding?
Um.... 8 comments is a majority?

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CRWPROJ says...
8:18pm Sun 6 Jan 13

Waste of money.
Make that 9!

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Buzz Light-year says...
9:21pm Sun 6 Jan 13

CRWPROJ wrote:
Waste of money. Make that 9!
Still got a looooong way to go before it's a majority.

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/kev/null says...
9:31am Mon 7 Jan 13

bob the builder wrote:
It'll sink every time the Ouse floods Skeldergate, so that's at least 4 times a year.
It's a boat. Anyone care to inform this gentleman of the primary design goal of a boat?

To reply to another comment: The barge won't need to be in an area of high footfall - it will be a destination. And to the majority: Would there ever be a set of economic circumstances that would see you support public funding for an arts project? I doubt it.

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York CC Worker says...
11:10am Mon 7 Jan 13

When the last 'arts barge' was trialled - I tried on 2 occassions to go there for coffee/lunch. (I work very close by, so it was convenient). On both occassions my companion and I were completely ignored. There were no signs about getting onto the barge to see the art, and quite frankly the 'clientelle' that were sat at the tables and chairs make me think this is a purely a Social Inclusion project, with no real benefit to the majority of us. The outside of the Barge was also very poor and unkempt, so I hope that any new project is better looked after.

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binsysmith says...
7:54pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Total waste of money and resource.

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songbird1 says...
4:58pm Wed 9 Jan 13

I attended the trial in 2011 and wa completely enchanted. I introduced my then 9 year old daughter and my parents to it too who also loved it. My parents walked down every day for coffee and a riverside sterol which they would not have done if the barge hadn't been there and my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the range of activities they held including a fantastic singalong film night with live music. This will be, if the 'majority' would give it the chance, a fantastic asset to our beautiful, cultural city

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RRiley says...
2:10pm Thu 10 Jan 13

This proposal is a *fantastic* opportunity for York. It offers that rarest of things - great art and entertainment, but community led and with strong community support. I didn't realise how strong and vibrant an arts community York had - and after spending the previous decade in Bristol, it had been a bit of a sadness! - but once the funding projects for the Barge began I saw what a wealth of musicians, performers and artists we have. This is exactly what York needs. And hubs like the barge will encourage more creativity to spring up in other parts of the city too - snowballing into more much-needed revenue for the city and an increased diversity of entertainment, great for locals and visitors alike. Who's to say that in 10 years we're not rivalling Edinburgh as an arts-destination? With projects like the barge springing up, it feels like a great time to be in York.

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