IMAGES: PHOTO CALL WITH DESIGNERS TAKING PLACE 2PM, FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2025 AT CITY CHURCHES, DUNDEE, DD1 4DG. PRESS WELCOME TO ATTEND.
PRESS RELEASE
Designer Christmas Trees return for a fourth year
In cities all around the world, festive tree displays are a highlight of the season. Beautiful and inspiring trees are created by designers who combine festive traditions and contemporary design.
Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees celebrate our UNESCO City of Design status, presenting designs developed locally. Part of Dundee’s Festive Celebrations, in partnership with Dundee City Council, 17 designs have been commissioned through the project since its start in 2022. All elements of the final trees (and their decorations!) must be made from 100% reused or recycled materials and utilise multiples of an object or material. Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees will appear on Wednesday 12 November 2025 and will remain on display until Wednesday 7 January 2026. This year’s brand-new designs are:
‘The Christmice Tree’ by environmental science based creator Hollis Crowe
The Christmice Tree is made from old wooden bed slats, reused chicken wire and household electrical waste. Here you can see all those things found in that old box of mystery cables that seems to sit in every home – USB cables, charging plugs, computer mice, ethernet cables and more.
So much everyday technology is disposable by design but the tech in your life should be high quality, durable, and repairable. 6 million tonnes of e-waste is generated annually in the UK, but we only recycle 31.2% of it.
Hollis Crowe is a creator with a background in environmental science, an interest in green space usage, and a belief in art and design as a science communication tool.
‘ARE WE THERE YET!!!’ by street artist John Fairley, also known as ZX81art
Saved and given new life, these road signs have been reimagined as a Christmas Tree by John Fairley (ZX81art). Evoking memories of family road trips and the annual anticipation of holiday celebrations, ‘ARE WE THERE YET!!!’ feels like an apt title!
These road signs have been kindly donated by The James Hutton Institute, a world-leading scientific research institute for the sustainable management of land, crops, and natural resources that support thriving communities. Marking former roads across their campus in Invergowrie, these signs fell out of use and were removed to make way for new infrastructure.
John Fairley (ZX81art) is a Dundee-based installation artist on a mission to raise a smile. Working primarily with every day public items, ZX81 looks to transform the mundane into moments of joy for the viewer to pass along.
‘My Christmas Tree Was A…’ by wood-worker Louise Forbes and jeweller Islay Spalding, known together as Man Pin
Constructed from broken and discarded musical instruments, Man Pin’s Christmas Tree design highlights the beautiful shapes and materials seen within these once loved objects. The Tree even makes its own music! When the wind blows, you may just hear it sing…
Man Pin is a collaboration between wood-worker Louise Forbes and jeweller Islay Spalding. Using old wooden objects such as instruments, whisky casks or sports equipment, they create limited collections of wooden pins and accessories.
Featured musical instruments were collected from ScrapAntics’ ScrapStore and Vintage Strings, a music shop that specialises in the sale and repair of orchestral instruments and pianos, both in Dundee’s West End.
‘Tinsel Trash’ by visual artist Zoe Gibson
Made from tin cans, biscuit tins and reclaimed garden netting, this tree is bursting with movement. The netting has been cut into strips to create tassels, exactly like tinsel! This tree even jingles in the wind with bells placed throughout the design.
Zoe Gibson is a Dundee-based visual artist whose work combines sculpture, filmmaking, installation and drawing. Her work is inspired by folk art, craft, festival culture and the Scottish landscape, underpinned by a belief that art should be a deeply embedded part of our everyday surroundings.
The garden netting (ripped and damaged by bad weather) has been kindly donated by Ninewells Community Garden, a therapeutic garden based at Ninewells Hospital.
Zoe Gibson, visual artist, said
“I’ve really enjoyed sourcing the materials for this tree, it’s nice to let the quirks and irregularities of second-hand materials guide what you make!”
Hollis Crowe, environmental science based creator, said
“Anything can be taken apart and changed, and anything that can be changed has potential.”
John Fairley, street-artist known as ZX81art, said
“It’s been so much fun reimagining the directions that we’re told to take in life. From the magic of being little at Christmas, growing up and recycling that magic into new directions for everyone, it’s been a great experience and I hope everyone enjoys it.”
Louise Forbes & Islay Spalding, designers at Man Pin, said
“It has been really exciting taking apart these instruments and seeing all of the craftsmanship involved in the making. We hope creating this tree is an inspiring way to show the wide range of materials used in the creation of musical instruments.”
Lizzie Day, Project Coordinator at UNESCO City of Design, said
“At UNESCO City of Design Dundee, we believe in the power of design and the essential place of designers in the life of our city. 2025’s Designer Christmas Tree makers have all excellently portrayed this ethos whilst showcasing the importance of sustainability in design.”
Returning designs from 2022-2024 are:
‘Spiral Tree’ (2022) by Helm Young Team
Young people aged 16-18 from local charity Helm designed and built this tree with support from the charities technical team, using old pallets to create an impactful giant spiral.
‘Retro Celebrations’ (2022) by Billy Hutchison
Made from hundreds of aluminium juice cans, the shiny design references vintage Christmas Trees from the 1960s.
‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ (2022) by Caishnah Nevans
Constructed from vinyl records, this design celebrates the importance of music throughout the festive season.
‘The Absentree’ (2023) by Lyle McCance
This build shows the silhouette of a tree and brings to light issues around deforestation here and abroad.
‘The Material Christmas’ (2023) by Lee Johnstone and Aymeric Renoud
Constructed from air vents and lumber scraps, this tree asks us to consider waste’s potential.
‘The Exploding Tree’ (2023) by Suzanne Scott and Louise Forbes
Made with leftover materials, this tree is adorned with stars, robins, hearts and toadstools (often said to be the inspiration behind Christmas colours). It also wiggles softly in the wind!
‘Make Trees Trees Again!’ (2023) by Blair McCafferty
Made entirely from skateboards, this tree uses broken boards from the local skateboarding community.
‘Silent night, holy bike’ (2024) by Camillo Atlas with pupils from Braeview Academy and Craigie High School
A Dundee Christmas Tree made from broken bike parts – welded together by 14 high school students
‘A Fast Fashion Christmas’ (2024) by Dreamland
Created using thrown away textiles and fast fashion garments, Dreamland’s Christmas Tree highlights just how wasteful and impactful the fast fashion industry is.
‘Adrift’ (2024) by Steve Page
Using material found along the Dundee shoreline, Adrift shows the juxtaposition of natural maritime materials with the litter we produce.
‘Cone home for Christmas’ (2024) by Jo-AMI
A waste product of the knitting process, vibrant, multicoloured plastic spools have been stacked together to create Jo-AMI’s Christmas Tree.
Since 2014, Dundee has been the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design. This global designation as a Creative City acknowledges Dundee’s rich design heritage, its thriving contemporary design sector and a city committed to using design to solve problems and make Dundee a better place to live.
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For media enquiries, please contact elizabeth.day@leisureandculturedundee.com
Dundee’s Designer Christmas Tree project is supported by Dundee City Council and delivered by UNESCO City of Design Dundee.
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