Winners of Sycamore Gap commission announced following public vote, on the same day that several healthy shoots are confirmed to be growing from the stump

Their proposal, The People’s Tree, was chosen from six shortlisted artist teams and combines public participation, sound, architecture and storytelling to respond to the loss of the much loved Sycamore Gap tree, which was illegally felled from its viewpoint above Hadrian’s wall in Northumberland, in September 2023.

The proposal scored highest across the public vote and the judges, ensuring confidence in the commission creating something meaningful for local and regional communities, as well as its ability to touch people nationwide.

Rather than centring on a single memorial, The People’s Tree aims to reimagine the tree’s legacy as something shared and living, with a UK-wide participative programme where people will be invited to record reflections on their own relationships with trees and nature – to pause, listen and reconnect.

Alongside these sound and spoken word recordings, the artists will create a digital sound-track by scanning the tree’s rings, transforming its history into sound. The final compilation of stories and audio will be presented through a series of exhibitions and workshops held to the north, south, east, and west of Sycamore Gap.

Sections of some of the seasoned wood will be used to co-create artworks with communities and local artists connecting to nature, landscapes and the tree.

The project will culminate in a sound sculpture, which will include a time capsule for the tree (including some of its wood and the living archive of stories and nature sounds), to be located somewhere accessible along Hadrian’s Wall, as chosen by stakeholders and communities.

Cheryl Gavin, Director Helix Arts said: “To be chosen by both the public and the judging panel feels phenomenal. This project comes from a belief that the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree lives not only in its wood, but in the relationships, memories and moments of connection it sparked.

“Connecting and collaborating with communities along Hadrian’s Wall and across the UK is key, we want to create places where people can pause, listen and feel part of something shared—where loss becomes a starting point for reconnection and care.

“Acknowledging the impact of the loss of the tree nationally – we also wanted to find a way to resonate beyond the north-east, and we’ll do this through the digital swapping of stories to understand one another’s experience with the Gap and connection to nature.”

George King from George King Architects said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected for the Sycamore Gap commission. It is a real honour to be entrusted with responding to a place that means so much to so many people.

“We are especially excited to be working in collaboration with Helix Arts, and to have the opportunity to engage with communities across the UK, developing the project together and shaping it through shared stories, memories, and experiences.

The tree as it was can never be replaced, but what we can do is create a place for reflection and connections. Drawing on our experience in exhibitions and installations, we aim to shape a thoughtful installation, to create a lasting legacy for future generations, that honours its meaning and gives people a place to reconnect.”

Commenting on behalf of the judging panel, Annie Reilly, Public Engagement Director at the National Trust and Chair of the Judging Panel, said: “Several artists drew inspiration from the distinctive ‘helicopter’ form of sycamore seeds, which carry life far and wide. This idea of reach, renewal and shared connection was central to The People’s Tree, and strongly resonated with the judges.

“What stood out about this proposal was how it puts a real conversation between people and the tree at its heart.
“The public response has been incredible and shows just how much the Sycamore Gap tree meant to people. In that context, the proposal stood out for its generosity, care and ambition.

“It doesn’t try to give one answer to loss. Instead, it invites people to listen, reflect and reconnect — with nature and with each other. The panel was especially excited by its strong focus on communities, and its potential to create a lasting legacy, locally and nationally.”

The project will now move into a development phase, with Helix Arts and George King Architects working closely with the National Trust, local partners and communities along Hadrian’s Wall.

The public participative aspect of the project is expected to get underway from Summer 2026. The completed work will form part of a nationwide programme is expected to be realised by September 2027.

This final artistic commission will sit alongside ongoing activity marking the legacy of the tree including the Trees of Hope sapling programme, community partnerships, exhibitions and touring artworks.

The National Trust has also confirmed that for the third consecutive year several shoots are regrowing from the stump, giving further confidence that one day a new tree will grow in the Gap.