UK Top 10 News

Wood from the felled Sycamore Gap tree, an iconic landmark near Hadrian's Wall, is being offered to artists and organisations in a public art commission by the National Trust.
The move comes two years after the tree was illegally cut down, an act of criminal damage that led to the conviction of the two perpetrators at Newcastle Crown Court.
The National Trust's commission seeks to turn the profound ‘loss into a sense of hope, creative possibility, and reconnection with the natural world.’ Ms.
Reilly, a representative for the initiative, announced that artists are being invited to submit proposals that will ‘inspire the public to connect with nature and the landscapes around them’ by using the timber as a symbolic focal point.
The scope for the artwork is broad, allowing for a design for a single piece at one location, several pieces, or something more ‘dispersed or participatory.’ The ultimate goal is to reach and engage as many people as possible, and the National Trust stated they ‘can’t wait to see the ideas.’ The largest remaining section of the tree, the stump, is currently located at the visitor centre near Sycamore Gap, and another piece of art is already being managed by Northumberland National Park.
In addition to the wood being offered, saplings from the tree, referred to as the ‘49 trees of hope,’ have already been distributed to various good causes across the UK, including Alder Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool and a facility in Leeds.
Information detailing how to bid for the commission will be made available on the National Trust website, with a shortlist of proposals expected to be drawn up before the winner is announced in February.