{"id":480590,"date":"2026-03-17T15:46:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/480590\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T15:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:46:09","slug":"sycamore-gap-artwork-contest-shortlist-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/480590\/","title":{"rendered":"Sycamore Gap artwork contest shortlist revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

The public has been invited to vote for its favourite finalist concept<\/a> in the contest, which will commemorate the lost tree with a new intervention constructed using wood saved after its felling.<\/p>\n

The contenders include George King Architects, which in 2023<\/a> won an open design competition for a willow tree-inspired Covid memorial<\/a> in Sheffield city centre.<\/p>\n

Planned to complete in 2028, the project aims to \u2018honour what the Sycamore Gap tree meant to so many, while inspiring deeper connections between people and nature\u2019.<\/p>\n

Sycamore Gap was a 120-year-old tree which served as an important landmark in the North East until it was illegally chopped down three years ago.<\/p>\n

The six shortlisted artists or\u00a0collaborations are:<\/p>\n

Helix Arts x George King Architects,\u00a0based in\u00a0the\u00a0North East\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The People\u2019s Tree, A Shared Story
\nAlex Hartley and Tom James,\u00a0based in\u00a0Devon & London\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Viewpoint
\nMary Dalton,\u00a0based in\u00a0Hampshire\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Sycamore Gap Black
\nnon\u00a0zero\u00a0one,\u00a0based in\u00a0London\u00a0\u2013\u00a0SEEDS
\nSam Williams Studio,\u00a0based in\u00a0Sussex\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Stories of 1000 trees
\nTrigger,\u00a0based in\u00a0Bristol\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Twirl<\/p>\n

Annie Reilly, public engagement director at the National Trust\u00a0and chair of the judging panel, said:\u00a0\u2018Over the past two years,\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0heard extraordinary stories about what the Sycamore Gap tree meant to people \u2013 from moments of celebration and milestones to quiet memories of loss,\u00a0connection\u00a0and reflection. It became more than a tree; it became part of the emotional landscape of the nation.<\/p>\n

\u2018We always wanted to make sure that the tree had an extraordinary legacy, and the wood is now ready for artists to work with, after being carefully stored so it could season over the past 28 months.<\/p>\n

\u2018This vote is now the opportunity for the public to help shape the ongoing story. Each of the six proposals honours the tree in a different way and we want people to choose the idea that captures what the Sycamore Gap tree meant to them.\u2019<\/p>\n

The final\u00a0selection\u00a0will combine\u00a030 per cent public vote and 70 per cent judges\u2019 score.<\/p>\n

Other members of the judging panel include Sarah Munro, Creative Director at The Baltic, Newcastle; Miles Richardson, expert in nature connectedness, Derby University; Sandy Nairn, National Trust Trustee; and Rosie Thomas of the Northumberland National Parks Authority and representative of the Sycamore Gap Board.<\/p>\n

The shortlist<\/p>\n

Alex Hartley and Tom James \u2013\u00a0Viewpoint
Viewpoint is an elevated platform, made from the Sycamore Gap wood, which will lift people up into the space where the tree once stood, before going on a national tour. The artists want to use this platform \u2013 and the power of this wood \u2013 to hold a conversation about the future of the UK. They say: \u2018Come and climb the Viewpoint and get a new perspective on the country.\u2019<\/p>\n

Helix Arts x George King Architects \u2013\u00a0The People\u2019s Tree: A Shared Story
A community engagement programme across the north of England, building an archive of\u00a0stories, national touring exhibition and a sound sculpture near the Gap where people can listen and reflect on what the tree meant to the region and the nation.<\/p>\n

Mary Dalton \u2013\u00a0Sycamore Gap Black
Using the wood to create artists\u2019 materials \u2013 including charcoal, inks and pigments \u2013 leading to the production of new works and a resulting touring exhibition that shares the story of the tree across the UK.<\/p>\n

non zero\u00a0one \u2013\u00a0SEEDS
A nationwide artwork where participants enter a lottery to receive a specially made sycamore seed\u00a0inlaid with wood from the tree,\u00a0and take part in an interactive experience, inviting them to connect with nature and consider our changing landscapes.<\/p>\n

Sam Williams Studio \u2013\u00a0Stories of 1,000 Trees
A nationwide storytelling project collecting the stories of 1,000 trees and bringing them back to Sycamore Gap, creating a shared space for reflection, memory, and reconnection with the landscape.<\/p>\n

Trigger \u2013\u00a0Twirl
An\u00a0event at the\u00a0Gap \u2013\u00a0participants will carry large,\u00a0paper wind-powered sycamore seeds\u00a0in a live sonic experience: a sound bath made up\u00a0of\u00a0instruments made from the tree, a human\u00a0chorus\u00a0and a\u00a0temporary\u00a0wind harp\u00a0installation. Participants will receive a special sycamore seed carved from the wood of the tree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The public has been invited to vote for its favourite finalist concept in the contest, which will commemorate…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":480591,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,73017,1120,96,4918,2680,22185,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-480590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artwork","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-national-trust","tag-northumberland","tag-public-realm","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=480590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/480591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=480590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=480590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=480590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}