The Calls (Toronto)

Sail Toronto's Harbour in an Immersive Sound Performance

First performed in Denmark in 2023, Brendan Fernandes' The Calls (2023) was composed in collaboration with Niels Rosing-Schow. It was conceived during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and it remarks on moments of civil unrest and state violence through the enduring sounds of police and ambulance sirens. Developed amidst the anxieties of that moment, the performance resonates to this day.

Toronto Biennial of Art 2026 curator Allison Glenn invited Brendan to consider Lake Ontario as a location for the second iteration of this work, resulting in The Calls (Toronto), which emphasizes the idea of an embodied journey or encounter. To experience this performance, situated on the Kajama Tall Ship on Lake Ontario, attendees will board the ship and sail around the harbour for one hour.

The Modern Sound Collective Choir of eighteen voices is accompanied by two dancers who act as guides; together, they combine abstract sounds and vocal sirens as the ship moves across the lake.

Schedule:

Sailing 1:

• Boarding: 12pm

• Depart: 12:30pm

• Return: 1:30pm

• Disembark: 1:45pm

Sailing 2:

• Boarding: 2:15pm

• Depart: 2:45pm

• Return: 3:45pm

• Disembark: 4pm

Accessibility

The entrance to the Kajama from the boarding dock is wheelchair accessible. The performance can be fully experienced from the accessible areas of the tall ship. Please note that the onboard washrooms are located below deck and are only accessible via a flight of stairs; they are not wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair-accessible washrooms are available near the docking location before boarding at Harbourfront Centre and the Power Plant. Gangplank widths: 91 cm (36 in).