Earthrise Image

Taking inspiration from The Earthrise photo from the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, the ENO Youth Company imagined looking at our planet in 2020 from afar. Rather than looking at the specifics of their experiences of lockdown and of the changes currently happening in society, the group discussed ideas about what the Earth might look like in this period in time, whether the pandemic was visible from afar, what was still tangibly uniting us all. To understand the times we live in, is it sometimes necessary to look at ourselves from a distance? They explored their ideas of a global vision or message through poetry, music, design and movement.

This piece was made as part of ENO's Lockdown Aria challenge. Children and young people across the country made work inspired by the concept of an Aria "a single character sharing their inner emotional world and thoughts with an audience."

The work was created as part of Arts Council England's The Way I See It project which captures the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the lives of children and young people, articulated in their own voices, through their own creativity.

English National Opera is the national opera company dedicated to one simple aim: making opera for everyone.