- Play Hard
- 20th Mar 2026
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Shape Sycamore Gap’s future by supporting the only North East shortlist
No one in the North East will ever forget the moment we heard about the Sycamore Gap tree.
It wasn’t just a tree, was it? It was our tree. A landmark, a meeting point, somewhere that felt quietly special, whether you’d visited once or a hundred times.
So when it was cut down, it felt personal.
Now, two years on, something meaningful is coming from that loss. The National Trust has launched a major creative commission to honour the tree’s legacy, and we get a say in what that looks like.
Six proposals have been shortlisted, including one from right here in the North East.
Helix Arts, a brilliant North East community arts charity, has been shortlisted alongside George King Architects. They are the only local organisation in the running. If there was ever a moment to get behind North East creatives, it’s this.
Their proposal, The People’s Tree: A Shared Story, just feels right.
It’s not about putting up a single sculpture and calling it a day. Instead, it’s about capturing what the Sycamore Gap tree really meant to people – the memories, the stories, the emotional connection so many of us had with that place.
Their idea brings the tree back to life in a powerful way, using the wood itself to create pieces that hold recorded stories, alongside a soundscape formed from the tree’s rings so you can quite literally hear its life. There’s also a sculptural time capsule near the Gap, preserving voices and memories for future generations.
What makes it even more special is how inclusive it is. Through workshops with communities and schools, the story of the tree isn’t told about us – it’s told by us.
And that feels important.
Helix Arts has spent decades creating meaningful, community-led work across the North East. If anyone can do this justice with care and authenticity, it’s them.
The final decision isn’t just down to a panel, either, there’s a public vote. This is our chance to have a real say in what comes next.
Because this feels bigger than just choosing an artwork. It’s about making sure the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree stays rooted in the North East, shaped by the people who loved it most.
Voting is open now and closes on Saturday 28th March.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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