Leo Crane

Jay is trapped in the relentless City until he is forced to confront his relationship with Time and himself.

An untold tale of abandonment and dreams. J— dreams of a family where wild birds are his brothers and sisters and he can escape the urban chaos of London. He lives with his adopted dads in a loving home, but can’t forget his past and the violent emotions he feels towards the young mother who abandoned him. In times of anger and sadness, he turns to the piano and the music that allows his dreams to flourish.

This mini-opera, animated in charcoal, reimagines Georges Bizet’s Carmen and its enduring relevance to issues of sexuality and conflict. In this new work, Carmen is stripped of her usual associations, including gender, race, place and time, leaving only a universal human figure and Bizet’s oiseau rebelle (rebel bird), two alter egos competing for love. This struggle leads to rebirth and a new future.

In a world rife with consumerism, where online dating promises risk-free romance and love is seen only as a variant of desire and hedonism, Alain Badiou believes that love needs reinventing.

It is here, on this connected Earth, that we re-discovered peace. A youthful Gaia recounts the struggle and determination that made this possible.