July/August 2025 | Resurgence & Ecologist, Alicia Hayden

Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism directed by Fiona Cunningham-Reid 2025
When it comes to artists working with Nature and activism, Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, co-founders of Culture Declares Emergency, are two of the most influential. Their living portraits harness photosynthesis and chlorophyll to create striking and natural – albeit impermanent – works of art. Known as Ackroyd & Harvey, since first coming together they have been pioneering the placing of ecology at the creative epicentre of their work.

In her latest documentary, Fiona Cunningham-Reid follows the two artists in an intimate portrayal of both their work and their relationship in which the artists’ charisma and person- alities shine through. Shot in a style reminiscent of a home movie, and opening with the pair at home together working on a piece for the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, it feels warm, cosy and hopeful. In a society that can feel overflowing with climate doom and gloom, this is a refreshing take on a climate and activism documentary.

The film tracks the artists from early 2019, documenting the founding of Culture Declares Emergency and their involvement with Extinction Rebellion, throughout the pandemic and into the turmoil within their romantic relationship in more recent years – hopping backwards to highlight some of their earlier pieces, reminiscing on their roots as young, individual artists. Seeing how the pair work together, influencing each other – even when times are difficult – is inspirational, albeit bitter-sweet at times. The film dips humour and light into even the melancholy moments of the narrative. Interviews with people who know Ackroyd & Harvey best offer a rare insight into the creative minds behind some of the most experi- mental ecological art of the century, as well as shining a light on the complexities of working with someone you love in something as demanding as climate and ecological activism.

For me as an artist and filmmaker, this film is a beautiful and expressive depiction of how to use art to communicate about the climate and ecological emergency. One of the most moving scenes for me is the launch of Culture Declares, when Ackroyd & Harvey’s living grass coats are worn by models and activists – one of whom rides a white horse into Tate Modern. The documentary ensures that this moment of activism, accompanied by music and speeches, is pressed into history as one might press a flower.

It is also notable that Cunningham-Reid’s documentary is itself a form of artistic activism, or ‘artivism’. Film, especially when portraying art such as that of Ackroyd & Harvey, that by its very nature is impermanent, allows it to have a new lease of life and impact a whole new audience. Despite being a wildlife artivist myself, I didn’t know much about Ackroyd & Harvey.

This documentary allows us to see and experience their work, even though much of it no longer exists in physical form.

One of the highlights has to be following the pair as they work on a series of huge living portraits. Created using grass, each portrait grows in different shades of green, according to the amount of light energy the chlorophyll absorbs. This completely novel technique is breathtaking. The portraits are striking and powerful, but also intimate, and are sometimes tinged with sadness at their impermanence.

Throughout, the documentary reflects on how things must always come to an end – the temporary nature of Ackroyd & Harvey’s art a parallel to their fracturing relationship. So perhaps the question posed by their work is, if things must end, how can we make that ending beautiful?

Alicia Hayden is a creative conservationist and wildlife artist who specialises in wildlife artivism. In 2021 she won the Human Impact category in the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year awards. Alicia has a degree in Biological Sciences and a masters in Wildlife Filmmaking, and has worked for the BBC Studios Natural History Unit. aliciahayden.co.uk
Instagram: @aliciahaydenwildlife

https://www.resurgence.org/magazine/article6518-the-art-of-declaring-a-climate-emergency.html