New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) is a non-profit media arts organization that operates the fully accessible NAISA North Media Arts Centre and Café at 313 Highway 124 in South River, Ontario, Canada. Arts presentation with a focus on sound and listening are the basis of its year-round exhibitions, online broadcasts and performances.
New Adventures in Sound Art is located in the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki peoples covered by the Williams Treaty (1923) and Robinson-Huron Treaty (1850). New Adventures in Sound Art recognizes the significant ongoing contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples to aural culture in Canada.
Read MoreThe objectives of NAISA are to foster awareness and understanding locally, as well as nationally and internationally, in the cultural vitality of experimental sound art in its myriad forms of expression. This objective is achieved through the exploration of new sound technologies in conjunction with the creation of cultural events and artifacts.
NAISA’s annual events include the Deep Wireless festival of Radio & Transmission Art, the Sound Travels Festival of Sound Art, the SOUNDplay festival and Springscapes. These events each have their individual artistic focal points while collectively they provide a comprehensive 12 month overview of experimental sound-based media art in Canada and beyond.
NAISA is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Canadian Heritage as well as contributions from its supporters. Click Here to make your contribution.
Current & Upcoming Events
By Joan Sullivan and Robin Servant
September 26, 2025 to January 5, 2026. Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Join the artists for the opening launch on September 26 at 7 pm where they will be giving the talk Probing the Sounds of Climate Change.
PART 6 - Earth (2025)
December 12, 2025, 12 noon to 12 midnight
In-person at USask Galleries, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Online Livestream on NAISA Radio and other streaming partners.
Visit the project website for full details.
"EARTH (Okâwîmâw Askiy - ᐅᑳᐧᒫᐊᐧᐢᑭᕀ)” is the sixth in a series of twelve annual events taking place on December 12 from 12 noon to 12 midnight. Each year the event moves through each word of the 12-word phrase, You And I Are Water Earth Fire Air Of Life And Death, to activate the word of the year in myriad ways.
Featured artists for Earth include Christina Battle, Joshua Bonnetta, Tanya Doody, Michaela Grill / Karl Lemieux, Jessica Karuhanga, Masha Kouznetsova, Cassie Packham, Danielle Petti, Laura St Pierre, Aurora Wolfe, Worried Earth, and many more.
Call NAISA or Email to make a 2 hour (maximum) appointment. All types of weather. Dress Appropriately.
FREE
Go on a listening expedition to record underwater sounds in South River and vicinity. Equipped with a recorder, hydrophones and other sensitive microphones you will explore the sounds of water in intimate listening proximity. The sounds you record will be added to the Voice of the Water installation.
Interactive Installation
By Eric Powell
Permanent Installation open Thursday to Monday, 10 am to 4 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Voice of the Water is an interactive rotary telephone-based listening station. Using sounds collected from inside the lakes and rivers around South River, Voice of the Water encourages listeners to connect with the local waterways as they explore the boundaries and overlaps between planes of existence. The Artist's goal is to create a venue for contemplation, catharsis, and a deeper engagement with the surrounding environment.
NAISA has a quiet co-working space with reliable internet that can be rented by the hour or the day. Useful for Zoom Meetings, Podcasting, Laptop work and Small private meetings. Click Here to Learn More.