Deep Wireless is a month long celebration of Radio Art produced by New Adventures in Sound Art that includes performances, Radio Art Interventions broadcast throughout May, residencies at Charles Street Video, special radio art dissemination projects that get radio art on the radio, workshops and a conference.
-Deep Wireless in retrospect-
Transmissions sans Frontières
Another initiative by Victoria Fenner, the Transmissions sans Frontières conference was to follow the International Features Conference in May 2003 and it was again to be included in the now annual Deep Wireless festival produced by New Adventures in Sound Art. The date of the festival was permanently changed to May and included a month of activities ranging from performances at the Ambient Ping with a focus on radio to commission/residencies begun in collaboration with Charles Street Video and CBC's "Out Front", along with the already established presence on community radio stations and the performances surrounding the conference by radio and sound artists.
How the first Deep Wireless conference unfolded... Well, with Victoria's resignation from CSIRP in February 2003, the SARS outbreak in Toronto in March, and the eventual postponement of the International Features Conference to September 2003 because of the SARS outbreak, that first Deep Wireless conference was on shaky ground indeed.
New Adventures in Sound Art decided to take over the organization of the conference, retaining CSIRP as a major sponsor (rather than organizer) and to work closely with Barry Rueger (Victoria's partner) in order to ensure that the transition was painless for the already registered conference attendees. Barry proved to be an invaluable assistant throughout the organizational aspects of the conference as well as at the conference itself and Victoria was always willing to give advice when asked. Finding new speakers to replace the ones not able to come due either to the SARS outbreak or the cancellation of the International Features Conference, proved to be a far easier task than expected, as there were many national and very talented artists that we had to choose from.
That first conference included Steve Wadhams, Christos Hatzis, Garvia Bailey, Chantal Dumas, Victoria Fenner, Anna Friz, Julie Shapiro, Chandra Bulucon, Dan Hart, Reena Katz, Mark Brownell, Kathy Kennedy, Jim Metzner Barb Woolner, and Chris Brookes as speakers. Close to half of the registered attendees were from the US (even though SARS was still in the background, with another outbreak following the conference two weeks later).
Transom.org attended the conference and posted comments about the experience: you can check out the audio at http://www.transom.org/shows/ 2003/200305.audio_frontieres.html).
Radio Without Boundaries
In its second year (May 2004), the Deep Wireless conference - newly minted as Radio Without Boundaries - included an impressive roster of talented individuals who have been instrumental in promoting radio art either in their own work or in the way in which they present it. The speakers included: Gregory Whitehead, Hildegard Westerkamp, Sabine Breitsameter, Tom Wallace, Janna Graham, Tim May, Janet Russell, David Kattenburg, Chris Brookes, Richard Windeyer, Marilyn Lerner, Marian van der Zon, Michelle Nagai and Michael Waterman. The Canadian Society for Independent Radio Production was a major sponsor of the conference again this year.
Radio Theatre performances and the Deep Wireless Commissioning/Residency
In 2003 New Adventures in Sound Art launched the first Deep Wireless commissioning/residency co-produced with Charles Street Video and CBC's Outfront. Four new pieces were created and presented on Outfront and at the Deep Wireless festival. Artists commissioned during the past two residencies included Kathy Kennedy, Reena Katz, Dan Hart, Marian van der Zon, Richard Windeyer, Sylvi MacCormac and Marilyn Lerner. To learn more about the Deep Wireless commissioning and residencies visit: www.soundtravels.ca/ deepwireless/residency.html.
In 2004 we also commissioned four artists to create live performances in response to the Deep Wireless commissioned radio pieces. The Deep Wireless Radio Theatre ensemble was born! Members of the 2004 ensemble included Susanna Hood, Marjorie Chan, Evalyn Parry and Nilan Perera who each created, directed, as well as performed in these riveting live pieces.
Also included was the Radio Art Listening Room featuring Radio art from Germany, the UK, and Canada, as well as a sound installation created by Mark Laliberte called threetimesfalling.
The Deep Wireless 2005 festival included many of the same initiatives as were included in Deep Wireless '04. Popular radio theatre performances were back with performer/creators Anna Friz, Chris Brookes, Eric Leonardson and Susanna Hood. The Deep Wireless commissioning/residency was continued, co-produced by CBC’s “Outfront” and Charles Street Video. We also produced another Deep Wireless radio art compilation CD (Deep Wireless 2). A new installation was presented as well as another Radio Art Listening Room. The group of speakers at the Radio Without Boundaries conference included Helen Thorington, Steve Wadhams, Chris Brookes, Anna Friz, and Eric Leonardson. AND Gregory Whitehead performed once again!
New Adventures in Sound Art is a non-profit organization that produces performances and installations spanning the entire spectrum of electroacoustic and experimental sound art. Included in its Toronto productions are: Deep Wireless, Sound Travels, Sign Waves and SOUNDplay. To learn more about Soundplay visit: www.soundplay.ca
2004
