Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism Brings Creative Resistance to Cinemas
- Horror Movies Uncut
- Aug 12, 2025
- 5 min read
Ever wondered what it looks like when the boundaries between art, activism, and science blur in the name of humanity’s future? The new documentary Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism isn’t just another climate change film—it’s an immersive dive into the creative resistance, ecological urgency, and artistic brilliance of Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, two of the UK’s boldest visual artists.
Documenting the Art as Protest
Brought to UK and Irish cinemas by Tull Stories from 19th September, this feature is the work of award-winning filmmaker Fiona Cunningham-Reid, known for her raw, intimate portraits. Across its runtime, the documentary follows Ackroyd and Harvey—life partners and artistic collaborators renowned for bending biological, ecological, and material boundaries to wake the world up to the climate crisis.
The film asks: When does practice become protest? Or protest, poetry? It doesn’t just tell you; it shows you, chronically their journey from ambitious creatives to environmental icons with global reach. Their story is told through beautifully shot footage, exclusive interviews, and glimpses into both their remarkable installations—some living, others living on only in memory.
Who Are Ackroyd & Harvey?
If you’re unfamiliar with Ackroyd & Harvey, they’re not your average artists. Their collaborative practice fuses sculpture, architecture, biology, and environmental activism in ways that are sometimes breathtaking, sometimes haunting. Imagine growing monumental portraits out of living grass, or transforming iconic buildings into green, living canvases—these are just a couple of their signature moves.
Their body of work is both a warning and a hopeful manifesto. Ackroyd & Harvey have produced pieces for galleries throughout the world and outdoor locations that use nature not only as inspiration but as essential material. Photo-sensitive grass, living facades on the exterior of London's National Theatre, participation in international art biennales—you name it, they’ve greened it. Their installations are living, breathing reminders of human impact and the need for urgent cultural transformation.
Uncompromising Climate Focus
One of the most compelling elements of Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism is how it captures the pair’s relentless preoccupation with t
he climate and ecological crisis. The film doesn’t shy away from controversy or the personal and professional sacrifices made in pursuit of activism-through-art. It covers their artistic process, from inception to installation to public response—much of it framed within the broader climate movement sweeping across the UK and beyond.
The documentary zeroes in on Ackroyd & Harvey's collaborations with groups like Extinction Rebellion, and their co-founding role in the movement Culture Declares Emergency. These initiatives smash down the wall between high art and grassroots rebellion, placing the artists at the heart of both cultural and environmental revolution. Their work becomes a lens through which we see both the beauty of possible futures and the starkness of imminent collapse.
Behind the Scenes: Making of a Movement
Director Fiona Cunningham-Reid spent several years following Ackroyd and Harvey, providing unprecedented access to their lives and work. The result i
s an intimate portrait, not only of the creative process but also of a partnership challenged and strengthened by the very chaos they’re fighting to remedy.
The film delves into the emotional toll of activism: the anxiety, the burnout, the constant threat of overwhelming odds. But it also finds moments of hope, laughter, and genuine wonder—reminding us why this fight matters in the first place.
It takes a candid approach to documenting the real cost (and the incredible rewards) of creative activism. Whether Ackroyd & Harvey are leading public demonstrations, secretly sowing grass in forbidden urban spaces, or simply conversing about what the next big thing must be, you feel the stakes—and the love—at the heart of their journey.
The Collaborators and the Soundtrack
Ackroyd & Harvey’s fight is never theirs alone. The film includes insights from renowned contributors such as:
Louisa Buck (Art Critic and Contemporary Art Correspondent)
Frances Morris (Former Director of Tate Modern)
Ben Okri (Poet, Novelist, and Artist)
Cornelia Parker (Contemporary Visual Artist)
Love Ssega (Artist and Musician)
Emma Thompson (Acclaimed Actress and Screenwriter)
These voices add artistic perspective, personal anecdotes, and cultural context, deepening the film’s exploration of what it means to be an artist in a world that often doesn’t want to listen. All of this is set to a soulful, thought-provoking soundtrack by composer Richard Durrant, whose music weaves a sonic thread through the themes of loss, action, and hope.
Screenings, Events & Reception
The film had its world premiere at Tate Modern in June 2025, launching with a sold-out event that included an open discussion between the artists, the director, and leaders from the cultural and ecological sectors. Since then, it’s been on a tour of UK venues, from independent cinemas to major art institutions, delivering Q&As, panel talks, and up-close meetings with Ackroyd & Harvey themselves.
Feedback from critics and audiences has been overwhelmingly positive. Described as “an intimate narrative of the most urgent story of modern times,” the documentary has been praised for its careful, thoughtful storytelling and its ability to make the ecological crisis feel both universal and deeply personal.
Why You Should Catch Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism
This isn’t a film only for art lovers or climate activists. It’s for anyone who’s ever wondered what can be done in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds—or who’s simply felt the quiet conviction that beauty and hope aren’t irrelevant in a world on fire.
Experience uncompromising art in action. Watch how protest becomes poetry and practice turns to revolution.
Go behind closed doors with some of the world’s leading voices in contemporary art and environmentalism.
Get inspired to see your own creativity in a new light—maybe even spark your own protest, big or small.
If you missed the sold-out premieres at Tate Modern and other venues, don’t worry. Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism is rolling out in UK & Irish cinemas from September 19th. It’s more than a film—it’s a call to action, and a reminder that even in the hardest times, art (and artists) can be an unstoppable force for good.
For more info on new releases, reviews, and all things boundary-pushing in the world of cinema—horror or not—check out our latest at Horror Movies Uncut.
Got thoughts on climate cinema? Want to discuss revolutionary art and its place in protest, or share your own activist stories? Join the conversation in our General Discussions Forum and keep the spirit of activism alive—one post at a time.
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