This program takes place in the Hart House Debates Room, located on the main floor of the building, near the building’s west entrance (located on Tower Road).
Six Turntables is a series of experimental music/sound workshops with youth participants that has been organized by Christopher Willes, in collaboration with Akash Bansal, in various neighbourhoods in Toronto since 2017. In each session, a group of young artists is brought together to listen to, reflect on and remix recordings of 1970s “Canadian” avant-garde music found in the vinyl record collections of the Toronto Reference Library, the Music Gallery Editions, and the Canadian Music Centre. Using turntables, amplifiers, and custom-made vinyl records participants develop techniques for physically transforming fragments of the archive into new sonic compositions together. Through a facilitated process that blends somatic practice, sound-making and listening exercises, writing and dialog, the workshops explore practices of collective listening that treat records not as commodity objects but as shared experiences.
This iteration is a three day workshop with students from the University of Toronto. The workshops will conclude with an open rehearsal event in which members of the public are invited to witness elements of processes and outcomes, durationally and experimentally, with the facilitators and workshop participants. We invite visitors to witness this ongoing outcome and turntablism in effect.
Note: This program is drop-in. Registration is not required.
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Six Turntables presented in partnership with Hart House and developed with support from Public Recordings, the Canadian Music Centre, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Toronto Arts Council – Artists in the Library Program (2017-23) on the occasion of TBA 2024.
Project by Christopher Willes
Created in collaboration with Akash Bansal (dramaturge and co-facilitator)
Special thank you to past participants/performers: Aliyah Aziz, Jada Fleming, Julianna Angheloni, Ky Gray, Nikki Gilani, Will Carriere, Gian Caracciolo, Gianluca Occhipinti, James Wells, Jason Li, Lucas McCarten, Maria Patricia Abuel, Taggart Quinn, Ximuna Diego, and Nanthini Namasti
Custom vinyl records fabricated by Jackson Darby (Personal Touch Vinyl)
November 7
5:00pm – 7:00pm
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
This program has loud and/or complex sounds.
Artist Bio
Akash Bansal
Akash Bansal is an artist from Toronto. Rooted in cinema, sound and poetics, they practice in multi-dimensional forms. They work as a curator, DJ, sound artist, dramaturge, filmmaker, (story) editor, writer, production coordinator, sound technician and facilitator. Their work examines borders— both real and imagined, between people and places, and especially those within ourselves. Over the years, they have worked with countless organizations including The Music Gallery, Standard Time, Toronto Dance Theatre, TO Love In, MOCA, Nuit Blanche, Toronto Public Library, The Ace Hotel, Art Spin, Seance Centre, Swimmers Group, The AFC, SummerWorks and more. In 2017, they completed a BFA Double Major in Screenwriting and Poetry.
Together, Christopher Willes and Akash Bansal present the program Six Turntables.
Artist Bio
Christopher Willes
Christopher Willes is an artist, musician/composer and facilitator based in Toronto and Montreal. His interdisciplinary work focuses on the subject and practice of listening, and encompasses performances, exhibitions, music/sound works, publications, and educational projects. His work has been presented across North America, in the UK, Europe and Japan. Recent projects include Resonance Gathering (2023), a collective publication on the work of Pauline Oliveros, and MANUAL (2022), a one-on-one performance that is staged covertly in public libraries and which continues to tour internationally. Christopher studied Music at the University of Toronto and holds an MFA from Bard College. He is an associate artist and producer with Public Recordings (Toronto). He is currently studying Conflict Mediation through the University of Waterloo.
Together, Christopher Willes and Akash Bansal present the program Six Turntables.
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