Preserved wood from the Sycamore Gap tree, illegally felled in 2023, will be transformed into a "living archive" through a new multimedia arts project. The community arts charity Helix Arts and George King Architects won a public vote on Saturday for their proposal, 'The People's Tree', which will use participatory storytelling, sound, and sculpture to commemorate the Northumberland landmark.
Winning Proposal
The National Trust announced the commission in September 2025, two years after the tree was cut down beside Hadrian's Wall, sparking widespread public anger and grief. George King said: "The tree as it was can never be replaced. But what we can do is create a place for reflection and connections." The winning project received the highest combined score from the public vote and judges, who praised its national resonance and local sensitivity.
Interactive Strands
Rather than a single static memorial, the project features several interactive elements. One strand invites people from Northumberland and across the UK to contribute reflections on their relationships with trees and nature. These recordings will form a national sound archive capturing memory, grief, and connection inspired by the loss of the Sycamore Gap tree.
Cheryl Gavin, director of Helix Arts, said the idea grew from a belief that the project should respond to loss through participation rather than monument-making alone. "When tragedy strikes, you often lean into resilience, and a participatory arts programme felt like the right response," she said. The team will work with diverse communities along the full stretch of Hadrian's Wall and beyond.
Use of Preserved Wood
Parts of the preserved tree will be used to create "seed pods" to store digital recordings of spoken contributions. Other sections will be used to create a soundscape by translating the tree's growth rings into audio format. Additional wood will be used to co-create artworks with communities and local artists, which will be developed into exhibitions and workshops across the UK. A website will allow international participation.
Sound Sculpture and Time Capsule
A combined sound sculpture and time capsule, to be located near Sycamore Gap, will protect a large section of the felled tree and include its own audio archive for visitors. The precise location will be chosen in consultation with local communities. Gavin noted: "Artwork polarises people, doesn't it? We're trying to demonstrate a complex idea."
Legacy Programme
The commission, expected to begin public engagement in summer 2025 and be completed by autumn 2027, is part of a wider legacy programme that includes planting 49 'trees of hope' saplings across the UK. The National Trust confirmed that shoots have been observed growing from the Sycamore Gap stump for a third consecutive year.
Annie Reilly, public engagement director at the National Trust and chair of the judging panel, said: "What stood out about this proposal was how it puts a real conversation between people and the tree at its heart. 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."
