This week sees the launch of the 2018 version of the Noiseborder Festival, with performances, screenings, installations, and workshops running from May 14-June 1 in the School of Creative Arts’ new facility on the downtown campus. All of the events are free, and most are short with lots of chances for discussion and socializing.

“We are excited this year to have Chris Myhr from McMaster University in Hamilton and Megumi Masaki from Brandon University in residence for part of the festival. And of course we have our community of local artists that make the event something we share with our friends, students, and colleagues,” says NMPL and festival co-director Prof. Sigi Torinus.

The festival opened Monday evening with a free workshop with local DJs Justin James and Anthony Gomez for electronic musicians focused on Ableton Live 10 software and Push hardware.

“Like last year’s festival, this year we will present a series of short events: performances, installations, screening s and workshops,” explains Brent Lee, co-director of the Noiseborder Multimedia Performance Lab (NMPL) and prosonic arts . “Our idea is to share our research and creative work with our local community and to prepare for presentations at festivals nationally and internationally.”

Tuesday evening features the first of three different performances by the Noiseborder Ensemble. They will perform two recent pieces at 6 pm, in an open recording session. Outer Drive (8 minutes) is composed by Brent Lee with video by Chris McNamara; Epiphanies (20 minutes) is composed by Douglas Finch with video by Sigi Torinus. Both pieces feature Megumi Masaki on piano.

All events take place in either the Multimedia Studio, room 107 in the Alan Wildeman Centre for Creative Arts, Freedom Way building, or the SoCA Gallery located at the north entrance of the Windsor Armouries, 37 University Avenue East.

Info on this year’s festival can be found at: http://www.uwindsor.ca/visualarts_nmpl/430/noiseborder-festival-2018

A highlight reel of last's year's festival is available at: https://vimeo.com/269360440