NAISA presents workshops that help people new to sound art acquire training and skills and learn from artists that NAISA is presenting. Workshops are accessible to people of all ages and abilities and they can take place online or in-person. Contact us if your organization or group are interested in hosting one in the future. Upcoming workshops are listed below.
Sound Travels 4-day Workshop Intensive
July 16 to 20, 2026
Warbler’s Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario
$678 with 4 nights accommodation and $495 with no accommodation
July 16 to 20, 2026
Warbler’s Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario
$678 with 4 nights accommodation and $495 with no accommodation
Advance Registration Required
This Sound Travels 4-day Workshop Intensive is for artists of all levels of experience to create sound art works in situ and/or that include outdoor elements embedded in their works. This will be a creative and very personal way to celebrate World Listening Day, an occasion to reflect on the sound-making of all organisms that inhabit the soundscapes we have the privilege of experiencing.
The workshop will be located at Warbler’s Roost and will be facilitated by NAISA Artistic Director Darren Copeland as well as workshop components delivered by guest artists Fred Pinto, Christine Charette and Gordon Monahan.
Participants should bring any portable materials or equipment they wish to use. Audio Playback equipment will be provided.
Warbler’s Roost is located in the unorganized rural Township of Lount which is 22 KM west of the village of South River, Ontario, Canada and is in the same biosphere as Algonquin Park and equidistant between the cities of North Bay and Huntsville. There are comfortable indoor accommodations at Warbler's Roost with kitchens and bathrooms that are shared among the guests. Breakfast is provided each day. Participants are responsible for self-catering other meals.
This Sound Travels 4-day Workshop Intensive is for artists of all levels of experience to create sound art works in situ and/or that include outdoor elements embedded in their works. This will be a creative and very personal way to celebrate World Listening Day, an occasion to reflect on the sound-making of all organisms that inhabit the soundscapes we have the privilege of experiencing.
The workshop will be located at Warbler’s Roost and will be facilitated by NAISA Artistic Director Darren Copeland as well as workshop components delivered by guest artists Fred Pinto, Christine Charette and Gordon Monahan.
- Fred Pinto, naturalist, forester, and birder in North Bay, will lead a workshop on the geologic history of the Parry Sound region and how it shapes the vegetation around Warbler's Roost. He will lead a walk striking rock pebbles to uncover different bedrock types.
- Christine Charette will share background on her multi-disciplinary approach of combining text, soundscape recording and visual art to create outdoor site-specific works, two of which include pieces made for Warbler's Roost.
- Gordon Monahan will join online to talk about his sound installations using pianos in outdoor sites. He will set the framework for a workshop activity using the Weathered Piano site at Warbler's Roost.
Participants should bring any portable materials or equipment they wish to use. Audio Playback equipment will be provided.
Warbler’s Roost is located in the unorganized rural Township of Lount which is 22 KM west of the village of South River, Ontario, Canada and is in the same biosphere as Algonquin Park and equidistant between the cities of North Bay and Huntsville. There are comfortable indoor accommodations at Warbler's Roost with kitchens and bathrooms that are shared among the guests. Breakfast is provided each day. Participants are responsible for self-catering other meals.
The Decomposing Piano Jam
August 9 and September 13, 1 to 3 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
FREE
August 9 and September 13, 1 to 3 pm
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
FREE
An interesting way to learn about improvisation is to play an instrument that is always changing. The Decomposing Piano has been transforming outdoors since December 2022. It continues to challenge expectations and transform possibilities, revealing new sound colours and tunings as time passes on. People of all ages and abilities are welcome to join NAISA Executive Director Nadene Thériault-Copeland in the discovery process. Visit the Decomposing Piano page for an archive of past improvisations and performances.
48 Hour Sound Art Challenge
October 16 to 18, 4 pm to 4 pm
Warbler’s Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario
$339 with 2 nights accommodation and $215 with no accommodation.
October 16 to 18, 4 pm to 4 pm
Warbler’s Roost, 3785D Eagle Lake Road, South River, Ontario
$339 with 2 nights accommodation and $215 with no accommodation.
Advance Registration Required
This weekend intensive invites artists to create a sound art miniature in a 48-hour period on the theme "Sound Culture."
The 48-hour Sound Art Challenge will take place at Warbler’s Roost, a 14-acre rural, forested and lake-side property in the Almaguin Highlands. NAISA will provide assistance with access to its supply of equipment. Participating artists should bring their own portable recording devices and computers and other tools necessary for their creation.
Peer learning and sharing will be encouraged throughout the process and NAISA Artistic Director Darren Copeland will facilitate and assist participants.
The schedule of the weekend is open-ended in order to accommodate individual work and learning needs. There will be three group meetings beginning with an Orientation and SOUNDwalk from 5:30 to 7:00 pm on Friday October 16, a Check-In and Sound Sharing from 4 to 6 pm on Saturday October 17, and the weekend will conclude with a Listening and Feedback session from 2 to 4 pm on Sunday October 18. The remainder of the time is for individual work and for arranging any one-on-one instruction and consultation.
Photo by Anton Pickard
This weekend intensive invites artists to create a sound art miniature in a 48-hour period on the theme "Sound Culture."
The 48-hour Sound Art Challenge will take place at Warbler’s Roost, a 14-acre rural, forested and lake-side property in the Almaguin Highlands. NAISA will provide assistance with access to its supply of equipment. Participating artists should bring their own portable recording devices and computers and other tools necessary for their creation.
Peer learning and sharing will be encouraged throughout the process and NAISA Artistic Director Darren Copeland will facilitate and assist participants.
The schedule of the weekend is open-ended in order to accommodate individual work and learning needs. There will be three group meetings beginning with an Orientation and SOUNDwalk from 5:30 to 7:00 pm on Friday October 16, a Check-In and Sound Sharing from 4 to 6 pm on Saturday October 17, and the weekend will conclude with a Listening and Feedback session from 2 to 4 pm on Sunday October 18. The remainder of the time is for individual work and for arranging any one-on-one instruction and consultation.
Photo by Anton Pickard