£12,000 funding for artwork
FUNDING to begin a series of artwork commissions aimed at ensuring a legacy for the Sycamore Gap tree has been announced.
The North of Tyne Combined Authority has donated £12,000 to the National Trust to support the first commission for an artist to develop a response to the felled tree.
Earlier this month, it was announced that a section of the tree, which was “deliberately felled” overnight on September 28 last year, would go on display at The Sill in Northumberland National Park.
Once developed, it is hoped the commission will give the public a space for reflection and an opportunity to continue to connect with the tree.
Jamie Driscoll, Independent North of Tyne mayor, who is also standing in the upcoming North East mayoral election, called the tree an “icon” of the North East
He said: “This for me is what devolution is all about – getting local people involved in making decisions that matter to local people – and in this case, a project which has had worldwide reach. I hope this commission is the first of many and that people can continue to enjoy Sycamore Gap for years to come.”
Andrew Poad, general manager for the National Trust at Hadrian’s Wall, said the charity was grateful of the support from the North of Tyne Combined Authority. He said: “The artistic response will give people the chance to connect with the tree again, in a special way, offering a space for reflection as well as a chance to respond and engage, building on our archive of personal emotional connections to the tree and its place in people’s hearts.”
Tony Gates, chief executive of Northumberland National Park, said he was delighted to receive funding for artwork which would help secure a legacy for the Sycamore Gap tree. He added: “This is the first commission giving artists the opportunity to respond to a creative brief to interpret the largest part of the tree at The Sill.”
The National Trust, which owns the land on which the tree stood, salvaged young twigs and seeds when the tree was felled.
They were in turn taken to a highsecurity greenhouse in Devon, which guards genetic copies of some of the UK’s most valuable plants and trees.