YORK’S Arts Barge is coming home.

The floating arts centre housed in a refurbished grain barge will be sailing into York next week from Knottingley, where for the last 14 months it has been undergoing an extensive refit.

It is due to arrive in York on Friday or Saturday, and will moor at Tower Gardens, where it will host a free Riverside Festival from July 16-August 8.

The festival will feature a host of events, ranging from live jazz to singing workshops; brand new theatre shows to stand-up comedy, a ukelele workshop and a ‘Wild West Medicine Roadshow’.

But first the barge - once a working river barge called the Selby Tony, which was part of a fleet of barges carrying grain and animal feeds between the BOCM factory in Selby and Hull - will need to get here.

Over the last few days, boatyard workers in Knottingley have been completing installation of the floor and two staircases, says Arts Barge project co-director Hannah West. Volunteers have also been busy painting the barge in colours close to its original livery. “And a piano has been donated and craned on board!” Hannah said.

Now there’s just the small issue of sailing the barge to York. Which actually isn’t that small an issue, Hannah admits. At Great Heck, there’s a very low bridge - which the Selby Tony will be too tall to get under.

Never underestimate the Arts Barge, however. They’ve come up with a solution.

“We’re going to bring five family-sized swimming pools on board - three in the hull and two on deck - and will fill them with water,” Hannah said. “That will ballast the barge down enough to get her under the low bridge - fingers crossed!”

When the Tony does get here, there are plans for an ‘open day’ on July 16 when people can have a look around. Then it will be straight into the festival.

Volunteers will still be needed, however, for any last minute preparations, and with the festival itself.

Anyone who wants to help out can contact Hannah by email on hannah@artsbarge.com

To find out more about the Riverside Festival and what’s on, meanwhile, visit www.artsbarge.com