New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) is a non-profit organization, formerly based in Toronto but now in South River ON, that presents performances and installations spanning the entire spectrum of electroacoustic and experimental sound art. NAISA operates the NAISA North Media Arts Centre, located in the centre of the village of South River at 106 Ottawa Ave., a short distance from Algonquin Park, at the building formerly known as Renée’s Café and Bean There Café.

The NAISA North Media Arts Centre includes a large exhibition/performance space, a small café, and an artist residency space suitable for media art production/creation as well as visual art creation. The café offers fresh baked goodies by local baker Lois McLaren, homemade soup by Nadene Thériault-Copeland and serves Muskoka coffee by Muskoka Roastery Coffee Company.

NAISA’s annual events include: the Deep Wireless festival of Radio & Transmission Art from January 17 to mid-April, the Sound Travels festival of Sound Art from June to Labour Day, and the SOUNDplay festival from late-September to late-November.

The 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.

Upcoming Events

Listen In
April 4 to June 17, 2019, Open 8 am to 4 pm everyday except Tuesdays and Wednesdays
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 106 Ottawa Ave, South River

Explore a wide variety of soundscapes through two interactive media artworks on exhibit at NAISA. Listen(n) is a virtual reality nature experience that provides full 360 spherical images and ambisonic sounds of protected ecosystems in Arizona, California, Mexico and Germany. The radio aporee Geomixer uses an online map to mix soundscape recordings captured globally by hundreds of volunteers and professionals.

NAISA would love to populate the radio aporee sound map with as many spring soundscapes of the Almaguin Highlands as possible. Want to add sounds from your own backyard to the radio apogee map? Click here to learn about an upcoming workshop at NAISA to get you started.

Elektrik Bugs - Opening Performance
By Stephanie Castonguay
June 21 at 7 pm.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 106 Ottawa Ave, South River
Pay by Donation

For the opening of the Elektrik Bugs installation, Stephanie Castonguay will give a performance on the new sound and light installation created from electronic workshops with students at South River Public School. She will also give a talk about her past work and about how Electric Bugs was created. Elektrik Bugs is produced with the support of Perte de Signal and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

Elektrik Bugs - Exhibition
By Stephanie Castonguay
June 21 to July 22, 2019, Open 10 am to 4 pm everyday except Tuesdays and Wednesdays
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 106 Ottawa Ave, South River
Pay by Donation

Elektrik Bugs is a sound and light installation created by Stephanie Castonguay from electronic workshops with students from the South River Public School where they experiment with the concept of how sound waves are transformed into electric signals, allowing this energy to travel through light and be converted back into sound by the means of an amplified solar panel. Elektrik Bugs is produced with the support of Perte de Signal and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.