crys cole has been involved in radio broadcasting, curating and presenting events & exhibitions since 1999. Most notable was her period as Director of send + receive: a festival of sound in Winnipeg, Canada from 2008 – 2019. 

The send + receive festival (which was started in 1998) is dedicated to sound art and experimental music practices and culminates in an annual event as well as satellite  projects throughout the year. The festival includes a live concert program, artist lectures, workshops, film screenings, exhibitions, installations and more and features artists from across Canada and around the world. cole’s position as Director encompassed both the role of Artistic Director and Administrative Director.

The roles & responsibilities included:

• artistic direction; creating the overall vision for the organization and for each annual event, curating annual programs of concerts, film, exhibitions and more. 
• grant writing
• budget creation and financial management / bookkeeping
• liaison to the Board of Directors
• booking artists & negotiating all conditions/contracts
• staff management & hiring 
• advertising and sponsorship coordination
• travel booking and visa organizing 
• event coordinating
• exhibition coordination and installation
• logistics coordinating
• volunteer coordinating
• technical coordinating in conjunction with tech staff 
• venue booking – including event insurance & licensing as required
• design concepts created in conjunction with commissioned artists and graphic designer
• website & social media management 
• management of archives
• representing the organization in the National & global community
• program and exhibition writing
• Hosting / live MC’ing
• radio broadcasting

During my tenure with send + receive, I curated annual programs anchored by thematic frameworks that explored the evolving landscapes within sound art and experimental music practices. This curatorial strategy enabled the presentation of a wide spectrum of artistic practices and ideologies, highlighting the rich plurality within the field. Central to my approach was the intergenerational dialogue between established pioneers and emerging or historically underrecognized artists from across the globe—fostering meaningful connections through both historical context and ongoing experimentation. Artists I have presented include:

Charlemagne Palestine, Tony Conrad, Annea Lockwood, Akio Suzuki, Keith Rowe, Limpe Fuchs, Christine Sun Kim, Joe McPhee, Keiji Haino, Okkyung Lee, Graham Lambkin, Ellen Fullman, Marla Hlady, Olivia Block, Christof Migone, Mattin, Francisco Lopez, Junko, The Nihilist Spasm Band, Bruce Nauman, Heather Leigh, Walter de Maria, Chris Watson, Alvin Lucier, Henning Christianson, Thomas Brinkmann, Sarah Davachi, Tetsuya Umeda, Oren Ambarchi, Nate Wooley, Ami Yoshida, Aaron Dilloway, C Spencer Yeh, Sarah Hennies, Mark Fell, Kevin Drumm, Jana Winderen, Adam Basanta, Will Guthrie, Seijiro Murayama, The Sons of God, Tomoko Sauvage, Nmperign, Stephen Vitiello, Magali Babin, Manuel Lima, Julia Reidy and many more.