KEIRA J. SIMMONS
Sound Designer | Composer | Creative
About
Keira J. Simmons (she/they) is a South Australian sound artist and sound designer based on unceded Kaurna Land. She creates projects that explore bodily engagement with ecology, place and sound, through speculative soundwalking and performing meditative ambient sets. As a freelance sound designer, they work with local and global artists on creative interdisciplinary projects that focus on queerness, ecology, neurodivergence and embodied theatrical experiences.
She is currently serving on the board of the Australian Forum for Acoustic Ecology, as Head Technician for Nexus Arts Venue, and as Chairperson of Creative Original Music Adelaide. In these roles they enjoy collaborating with artists on a wide range of performances and events, while facilitating projects that uplift marginalised and underrepresented voices. In their spare time, they love to crochet and walk in nature, play TTRPGs and video games, and are an avid amateur birder.
Image by Ben Searcy
Education
2023: Deep Listening Intensive, Deep Listening Institute
2021-: SAE Institute, Australia. Masters of Creative Industries.
2018: New York University Abu Dhabi, UAE. Bachelor of Arts (Music), minor Anthropology.
Affiliations
2025-: Board member, Australian Forum for Acoustic Ecology
2023-: Head Technician, Nexus Arts Venue
2023-: Committee Chairperson, COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide)
2020-: Guildhouse Accredited Member
2019-: Committee, General Operations (Development Programs), COMA
Image courtesy of Dr Jesse Budel
Grants, Residencies and Awards
2023: OSCA Artist in Residence, Post Office Projects Gallery + Studios, Port Adelaide
2023: Fellowship, Funding Recipient, Carclew, South Australia
2023: Soundwalk September Awards (Shortlisted) – Listening to the Port, Walk-Listen-Create, Remote
2023: Artist Development Residency, Attendee, Connecting the Dots in Music, South Australia
2023: Emerging Artists Weekly Award – Shape of Play, Adelaide Fringe, South Australia
2022-2023: Sharehouse Resident, Carclew, South Australia
2017: Tokyo International Projection Mapping Awards, Jury Award, Tokyo Big Sight, Japan
Image courtesy of Dr Jesse Budel
Image courtesy of Samuel Graves
Conferences and Community Engagement
2026: APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards, Judge – Luminary Awards
2025: APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards, Judge – Work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art
2024: International Symposium of Electronic Art, Short Paper Presenter, Queensland
2024: Making Music in the Classroom, TPL Workshop, Carclew, South Australia
2023: APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards, Judge – Work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art
2023: Rock Camp, Electronic Music Instructor, Girls Rock!, South Australia
2022: When We Speak, Teaching Artist, Room of Her Own + Carclew, South Australia
2022: Transforming Everyday Sites, Participant Artist, OSCA + Onkaparinga Arts, South Australia
2019: Sound::Gender::Feminism::Activism, Presenter, CRiSAP, Japan
2019: National Youth Arts Summit, Attendee, Carclew, South Australia
2019: Riverlands Biospehere Acoustic Ecology Lab, Attendee, Jesse Budel + Country Arts SA, South Australia
2019: Telematic Studio, Participant, CEMENTA + Christy Dena, Remote
2018: NYU Abu Dhabi Research Conference, Presenter, NYU Abu Dhabi, UAE
2018: International Ecoacoustics Congress, Attendee, Australian Chapter of Ecoacoustics, Queensland
2017: Perspectives on Listening Symposium, Attendee, Biosphere Soundscapes, Queensland
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Image courtesy of Emma Luker
Industry Experience
2026: Sound Alliance Mentor (mentoring Joseph Simons), COMA, South Australia
2026-: Audio Engineer, COMA, South Australia
2024-: Stage Sparks Studio Coordinator, Carclew, South Australia
2023-: Head Technician, Nexus Arts Venue, South Australia
2021: Audio Engineering Mentorship, Martin Jones + COMA, South Australia
2020: Venue Technician, Adelaide Fringe, The Treasury 1860, South Australia
2019-2022: Creative Consultant, Carclew, South Australia
2019: Sound Alliance Participant (Mentor Adam Ritchie, r.domain), COMA, South Australia
2018: Research/Archives Assistant, Music and Sound Cultures Research Group, NYU Abu Dhabi, UAE
2017: Audiovisual Intern, Roulette Intermedium, New York, USA
2017: Archiving/General Operations Intern, Issue Project Room, New York, USA
2015: Archives + Fieldwork Intern, Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology, Gurgaon, India