24/03/2026
Please help our wonderful neighbours win this project !!
Did you know we're one of 6 finalists for the National Trust Sycamore Gap Tree Commission - and you can vote for us online! (Voting closes 28th March 2026.)
You can find out more and make your vote here:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sycamore-gap-commission
Helix Arts is delighted to announce that we, in partnership with George King Architects, have been shortlisted for the National Trust's Sycamore Gap commission, creating a new artwork using wood retained from the Sycamore Gap tree.
The tree stood for more than 120 years on Hadrian's Wall and held deep meaning for local communities, visitors and people across the world. Its loss in 2023 was widely felt, and this commission represents an opportunity to honour its legacy and contribute to a thoughtful, hopeful response.
Our proposal is called The People’s Tree: A Shared Story.
Helix Arts has a proud and long history of working with community members to co-create powerful public artworks, so we’re very excited to be the only shortlisted applicant from the North East for the National Trust People’s Tree Commission!
The National Trust is inviting the public to help select the final artist for the commission.
Overview
North East community arts charity Helix Arts and George King Architects propose an ambitious collaborative project working with communities, rooted in sharing stories, and enabling people from near and far to take part.
What the Artist Will Create
Through inclusive workshops with local artists in communities and schools across the UK, people of all ages and backgrounds will be invited to tell the story of the Sycamore Gap Tree in three interconnected ways.
First, we are telling the story of the people who loved the tree. Working with local communities, the artists will use the wood to co-make eighty seed pods - each unique and containing digital recordings of stories shared during their creation.
Second, telling the story of the tree. By translating its rings into a new soundscape, artists and communities will interpret and reveal the hidden narratives within its grain, enabling visitors not just to see its legacy, but to hear it.
Third, a permanent sculptural time capsule will be installed in the iconic landscape close to the Gap. This sound sculpture will preserve and protect a large section of the tree at its heart while the canopy above holds an audio archive of sounds and stories that will be shared throughout the journey - inviting reflection before visitors walk to the place where the tree once stood.
How People Will Be Involved
Through workshops with local artists in communities and schools across the UK, people of all ages and backgrounds will be invited to tell the story of the Sycamore Gap Tree.
Use of the Sycamore Gap Wood
The wood will be used by community members to co-create the 80 sycamore seeds and audio tree rings. A national touring exhibition will allow audiences to encounter these creations while listening to the song of the tree alongside the voices it has inspired.
Meanwhile the sculptural time capsule will permanently preserve a large section of the tree in its native landscape.
Legacy and Long-Term Impact
Together, these elements will create lasting legacies: the tree protected close to home; a living archive of memories carried in people’s hearts and minds; and artworks and stories shared with schools across Britain.
The project will empower people to tell their stories, reflect, remember, be inspired by each other, be amazed by nature, and to share what it means to be human.
https://www.helixarts.com/news/sycamore-gap/
