Artist Charlie Whinney of Creative Communities CIC art collective is announced as the artist who will instal the largest section of the Sycamore Gap tree in The Sill.
Artist commission
The artist commission is in two phases and is led by Northumberland National Park in partnership with the National Trust, the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership, and Historic England.
The first phase will see an anniversary exhibition created and a public consultation, which will open at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre a year on from when the tree was felled.
Community feedback will then inform the second phase of the commission, which will provide an artistic response and permanent setting for the trunk as part of Northumberland National Park Authority’s permanent exhibition at The Sill.
The team of artists
The team of three successful artists are Charlie Whinney, lead-artist, maker of large projects in UK, Asia, USA, and Laurent-Perrier Design Award winning product designer. Nick Greenall, project manager, environmental education provider, film maker and archivist, and Matt Sowerby, a climate activist and celebrated poet. Matt was the 2018 National Youth Slam Champion and 2023 Uni-Slam Champion. He has performed in the Houses of Parliament, BBC Radio 3, and his work has been exhibited by the United Nations in 2022.
Creative Communities UK is a community interest company known for creating eco-friendly objects, sustainable art projects, community projects and courses in sustainable design practice. Charlie Whinney Studio’s work straddles fine art, architecture and design and is grounded in making and ecology, and they are also leaders in steam-bending wood.
Charlie Whinney’s successful idea centres on documenting and archiving people’s feelings and memories and asking what promises, oaths and vows they could make that would make a difference to the Sycamore Gap tree’s descendants or to the tree itself, were it still intact. The artist is hoping it will reveal unexpected connections between the tree world and human society.
The anniversary exhibition will include the tree, a short film, and an opportunity for the public to contribute to plans.
Charlie Whinney said:
“I’m feeling humbled to be given such a big responsibility, and I’ll do my very best to honour the amazing context around this wonderful tree. Our project involves both the creation of beautiful art as well as being a form of practical environmental activism. Our sycamore tree, with all other trees, plants, and all of nature, was in constant state of exchange and renew, and with this project we will create a unique opportunity for people to enter into this same system of reciprocity resulting a legacy of real positive ecological change.”
Funding
The Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland is providing £50,000 for both phases, including from North East Roots fund, which enables people living elsewhere to give back to the region. The Linden Family, Michael and Christine Heppell and Duncan and Sarah Davidson funds at the Community Foundation are also contributing alongside a dedicated gift from Ventient Energy.
This article is based on a media release
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