the yorkshire on-land boating club

We're all in the same boat!

High on the public and Government agenda is the question of social cohesion. In such a diverse nation, what is it that holds us together? What are the values that we share, and what are the things that divide us? Gordon Brown's intention to publish a book about Britishness in 2009 highlights the sense of urgency and priority being given to these questions.

The region in which Pointed Arrow is based is home to two of the most multicultural and multi-faith cities in the country, Leeds and Bradford. Surrounding these cities is Yorkshire's rural landscape, made up of farmland, expansive moors and hills, and smaller industrial towns. Through such a diversity of people, we will set out on a 21 day journey, asking the people we meet what things are important to them, what makes them who they are.

Beginning in one of Leeds' oldest immigration corridors, through which successive waves of populations have travelled, we will push a boat into the more rural surroundings at the south of the Yorkshire Dales. We will then head westwards through Bradford, before returning to Leeds. Those we meet will be encouraged to decorate the boat as a striking record of the region's values. The boat will become an arena of debate and camaraderie, an expression of who we are.

At the end of the journey the boat will be available for use in schools, galleries and public spaces, with a film of the journey projected onto its sail. The project will be undertaken in partnership with local initiatives such as Together for Peace, and members of the public, faith leaders and politicians will be invited to join us on the journey and even to help us push the boat for a while!