This is the heart of VOLUME 16 of the INSTITUT experiment. Every week, a different hypothesis. Underground at 620 Spadina Ave — around the back, through the lot to the steel doors, down the stairs, past the mechanical room, through the swinging wood laminate door...
Come early for an open folk session with KRYVA KOSA at 5PM. Stick around — Nastasia Y takes the stage at 9PM, followed by Shaunt Raffi on vintage vinyl at 11PM. But RSVP even though it's PWYC so we know who to expect.
5 PM | RESIDENCY | KRYVA KOSA
KRYVA KOSA is a collective of musicians and artists dedicated to sharing folk traditions from their diverse backgrounds. "Kryva Kosa" — meaning "crooked scythe" in Ukrainian — brings timeless village melodies from Ukraine and neighbouring Slavic, Baltic, Balkan and Finno-Ugric cultures to life through music, dance and communal exchange. They've performed and taught at the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival, Drom Taberna, Kosa Folk Arts Melanka, and recently completed a four-month residency at Hart House, UofT.
Open Rehearsals: A bi-weekly rehearsal open to everyone who wants to learn folk dance tunes from Ukraine and neighbouring Slavic, Baltic, Balkan and Finno-Ugric cultures. Learning material available online beforehand. During rehearsals we play, sing and dance to folky tunes without extensive teaching — creating an enjoyable atmosphere and learning environment.
RSVP
7:00 PM | LIVE SCORE | TAMAR ILANA × Blancanieves (Pablo Berger, 2012)
Vocal looping, Sephardic song, flamenco, and Indigenous motifs accompany Pablo Berger's reimagining of Snow White in 1920s Andalusia.
TAMAR ILANA is a Canadian Folk Music Award–nominated singer, flamenco dancer, improviser, and bandleader of Ventanas. Drawing on musical traditions from across the Mediterranean and Balkans, she performs in more than twenty languages. For Blancanieves, she creates a live improvised score using voice, percussion, and a loop station, making each performance unique.
RSVP
9:00 PM | CONCERT | Nastasia Y
Ancient songs. Modern grooves. Kyiv and Toronto heard through the same voice.
NASTASIA Y is a Kyiv-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter whose music bridges Ukrainian folk traditions with soul, jazz, and electronic production. Her debut album Kyiv Soul, co-produced with Grammy Award winner Justin Gray, earned two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations and recognition from CBC and World Music Charts Europe.
RSVP
11:00 PM | VINTAGE VINYL | SHAUNT RAFF
From Armenian folk to Ethio-jazz, desert blues and beyond. Shaunt Raffi closes the night with a vinyl set built on curiosity, tradition, and deep listening.
SHAUNT RAFFI is a Toronto-based Armenian music curator, DJ, and producer. He curates Tapestry Jam, an improvised music series, and hosts Sonic Salon, exploring experimental and boundary-pushing sounds. Through projects including Antikka, The Oud & the Fuzz, and Tapestry, he creates spaces where music, community, and cultural exchange meet.