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
Almaguin Community Soundscapes
April 3 to May 31, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm everyday except Tuesdays and Wednesdays
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Almaguin Community Soundscapes is an exhibition that surrounds one with the sounds of spring using a multi-channel speaker system and recordings made by residents of the Almaguin Highlands. The spring season is a special time of the year in the region as the snow melts, the ice breaks up on the lakes and the arrival of insects and birds is loudly announced by the sounds made by peepers.
If you live in the Almaguin Highlands and wish to contribute spring soundscapes from your home then please get in touch (naisa at nasia dot ca). Listen to a selection of the recordings by visiting Aporee.org
To contribute sounds from a location you know in the Almaguin Highlands consult these guidelines or visit us at NAISA.
April 3 to May 31, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm everyday except Tuesdays and Wednesdays
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Almaguin Community Soundscapes is an exhibition that surrounds one with the sounds of spring using a multi-channel speaker system and recordings made by residents of the Almaguin Highlands. The spring season is a special time of the year in the region as the snow melts, the ice breaks up on the lakes and the arrival of insects and birds is loudly announced by the sounds made by peepers.
If you live in the Almaguin Highlands and wish to contribute spring soundscapes from your home then please get in touch (naisa at nasia dot ca). Listen to a selection of the recordings by visiting Aporee.org
To contribute sounds from a location you know in the Almaguin Highlands consult these guidelines or visit us at NAISA.
NAISA 2025 Call for Submissions
Sound Culture
Deadline May 31, 2025
$5 submission fee
New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) invites artists of all ages and nationalities to submit works on the theme for consideration in New Adventures in Sound Art’s 2026 programming.
How do the sounds of a community reflect and convey its ethics, philosophies and general way of life? How does the design of space and the sounds found there form the sonic identity and character of a community?
Sound Culture
Deadline May 31, 2025
$5 submission fee
New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) invites artists of all ages and nationalities to submit works on the theme
How do the sounds of a community reflect and convey its ethics, philosophies and general way of life? How does the design of space and the sounds found there form the sonic identity and character of a community?
Radiophrenia Redux
Monday to Friday, 6 PM EDT
Tune in on our web player or using your streaming player
NAISA Radio is delighted to announce that it will be broadcasting past highlights of the Radiophrenia Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. Catch the next edition of Radiphrenia April 7 to 20, 2025 with 24 hours of broadcasting on 87.9 FM in Glasgow and Online.
Monday to Friday, 6 PM EDT
Tune in on our web player or using your streaming player
NAISA Radio is delighted to announce that it will be broadcasting past highlights of the Radiophrenia Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. Catch the next edition of Radiphrenia April 7 to 20, 2025 with 24 hours of broadcasting on 87.9 FM in Glasgow and Online.
Haptic Voices by David Bobier and Jim Ruxton
June 12 to September 15, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Lean back against a wall of vibro-tactile speakers to experience sound vibrations through your body. Haptic Voices is equally accessible to the Deaf, hard of hearing and able-bodied communities.
June 12 to September 15, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Lean back against a wall of vibro-tactile speakers to experience sound vibrations through your body. Haptic Voices is equally accessible to the Deaf, hard of hearing and able-bodied communities.
Artist Talk
Opening for Haptic Voices installation
By David Bobier and Jim Ruxton
June 12, 2025, 7:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Learn about how sound can be experienced through the body as artists David Bobier and Jim Ruxton introduce visitors to the new Haptic Voices exhibition at NAISA. They will share background on the VibraFusionLab in Hamilton where their research and artistic productions with vibro-tactile audio is done.
Opening for Haptic Voices installation
By David Bobier and Jim Ruxton
June 12, 2025, 7:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Learn about how sound can be experienced through the body as artists David Bobier and Jim Ruxton introduce visitors to the new Haptic Voices exhibition at NAISA. They will share background on the VibraFusionLab in Hamilton where their research and artistic productions with vibro-tactile audio is done.
World Listening Day
Weekend celebration with Performances, Workshops, SOUNDwalks and Talks
July 18 to 20, 2025
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
$225 for Weekend Pass which includes 2 nights On-site Accommodation.
Enjoy a weekend sound escape in the North by joining a global community to celebrate World Listening Day - an annual summer event that highlights the importance of listening.
On Friday July 18 at 7 pm at Warbler’s Roost, Burk’s Falls vocalist Corinne Alice, In Wonderland will perform Echoes Between Us, an immersive and participatory experience combining Deep Listening, SOUNDwalking and a solo musical performance. On Saturday July 19 there will be an underwater sound recording workshop led by Eric Powell at 1 pm and a 7 pm concert of one of Annea Lockwood’s river sound map pieces. The weekend will conclude on Sunday July 20 at 1 pm at NAISA with an artist talk by Eric Powell introducing his new installation Voice of the Water.
Weekend celebration with Performances, Workshops, SOUNDwalks and Talks
July 18 to 20, 2025
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
$225 for Weekend Pass which includes 2 nights On-site Accommodation.
Enjoy a weekend sound escape in the North by joining a global community to celebrate World Listening Day - an annual summer event that highlights the importance of listening.
On Friday July 18 at 7 pm at Warbler’s Roost, Burk’s Falls vocalist Corinne Alice, In Wonderland will perform Echoes Between Us, an immersive and participatory experience combining Deep Listening, SOUNDwalking and a solo musical performance. On Saturday July 19 there will be an underwater sound recording workshop led by Eric Powell at 1 pm and a 7 pm concert of one of Annea Lockwood’s river sound map pieces. The weekend will conclude on Sunday July 20 at 1 pm at NAISA with an artist talk by Eric Powell introducing his new installation Voice of the Water.
Echoes Between Us by Corinne Alice, in Wonderland
World Listening Day Outdoor Concert and SOUNDwalk
July 18, 2025, 7:00 pm
rain or shine
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
$15 or Free with $225 Weekend Accommodation Pass
Echoes Between Us is an immersive outdoor SOUNDwalk and solo performance by Corrine Alice, in Wonderland. She is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Almaguin Highlands.
World Listening Day Outdoor Concert and SOUNDwalk
July 18, 2025, 7:00 pm
rain or shine
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
$15 or Free with $225 Weekend Accommodation Pass
Echoes Between Us is an immersive outdoor SOUNDwalk and solo performance by Corrine Alice, in Wonderland. She is an interdisciplinary artist based in the Almaguin Highlands.
Sound Map of the Housatonic River by Annea Lockwood
World Listening Day Indoor Concert
July 19, 2025, 7:00 pm
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
$15 or Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225)
Created in 2009 "A Sound Map of the Housatonic River" takes the listener on an imaginary voyage from the source of the Housatonic River in the Berkshire Mountains to the river’s mouth in Long Island Sound, Connecticut.
World Listening Day Indoor Concert
July 19, 2025, 7:00 pm
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
$15 or Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225)
Created in 2009 "A Sound Map of the Housatonic River" takes the listener on an imaginary voyage from the source of the Housatonic River in the Berkshire Mountains to the river’s mouth in Long Island Sound, Connecticut.
Underwater Sound Recording Workshop by Eric Powell
World Listening Day Outdoor Workshop
July 19, 2025, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
$45 or Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225)
What does the world sound like underwater? Cast a hydrophone into the lake and find out.
World Listening Day Outdoor Workshop
July 19, 2025, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Warbler's Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario.
$45 or Free with Weekend Accommodation Pass ($225)
What does the world sound like underwater? Cast a hydrophone into the lake and find out.
Artist Talk on Voice of the Water
World Listening Day Talk
By Eric Powell
July 20, 2025, 1:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Eric Powell will introduce the Voice of the Water installation at NAISA and talk about the evolution of his project which uses a rotary telephone to connect listeners to underwater recordings.
World Listening Day Talk
By Eric Powell
July 20, 2025, 1:00 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Eric Powell will introduce the Voice of the Water installation at NAISA and talk about the evolution of his project which uses a rotary telephone to connect listeners to underwater recordings.
Sound Fishing Invitation
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 included in the Voice of the Water installation opening July 18.
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 included in the Voice of the Water installation opening July 18.
La Croche Oreille Mondiale
Monday to Friday, 11 AM EDT
Tune in on our web player or using your streaming player
Monday to Friday, 11 AM EDT
Tune in on our web player or using your streaming player
La Croche Oreille Mondiale is the echo of a sound adventure presented on CKRL 89.1 radio in Quebec City. Produced and hosted by Gaëtan Gosselin, the show features artists and works from the latest trends in sound and musical experimentation. Interviews, live performances, thematic content, and new releases are at the heart of the radio program.
Making Waves Suggested Listening
Listen online at wavefarm.org
Here is a selection of Making Waves episodes with content related to soundscapes, sound ecology and underwater sound. Making Waves is a monthly radio show produced by New Adventures in Sound Art for WGXC Wave Farm.
1. 20250510 – Remembering Andra McCartney with Hildegard Westerkamp, Wendalyn Bartley and Gayle Young
2. 20250111 – Omar Reyna's Sounds of Turbulence
3. 20240608 – Spring Soundscapes from the Almaguin Highlands
4. 20230708 – Importance of Environmental Sound with Alëna Korolëva, Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise
5. 20210710 - World Listening Day with Eric Leonardson and Raquel Castro
6. 20200808 - Reciprocal Listening
7. 20180618 - Jana Winderen and the art of underwater recording
8. 20170513 - Soundscapes of Algonquin Park and Warbler's Roost
Listen online at wavefarm.org
Here is a selection of Making Waves episodes with content related to soundscapes, sound ecology and underwater sound. Making Waves is a monthly radio show produced by New Adventures in Sound Art for WGXC Wave Farm.
1. 20250510 – Remembering Andra McCartney with Hildegard Westerkamp, Wendalyn Bartley and Gayle Young
2. 20250111 – Omar Reyna's Sounds of Turbulence
3. 20240608 – Spring Soundscapes from the Almaguin Highlands
4. 20230708 – Importance of Environmental Sound with Alëna Korolëva, Mike Hoolboom and Heather Frise
5. 20210710 - World Listening Day with Eric Leonardson and Raquel Castro
6. 20200808 - Reciprocal Listening
7. 20180618 - Jana Winderen and the art of underwater recording
8. 20170513 - Soundscapes of Algonquin Park and Warbler's Roost
Need a Quiet Work Space?
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.
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.