City Tech’s Center for Holistic Integration (CHI)

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City Tech’s Center for Holistic Integration (CHI) started in spring 2024 as a small pilot project. It brought together Dr. David B. Smith and Professor Christopher Swift , along with Samuel Cheung, Tshari Yancey, and several other students from New York City College of Technology. Dr. Smith is a composer, sound designer, and inventor who has been part of the City Tech faculty since 1997. His work includes helping to develop one of the first virtual orchestra systems for live performance. Professor Swift is an associate professor of theatre whose research includes performance, puppetry, and theatrical space.

One of CHI’s first projects was a Wayang kulit shadow-puppet performance presented as part of City Tech’s response to anti-Asian hate. The project combined traditional Javanese shadow puppetry with digital backgrounds and other modern tools. Samuel Cheung worked on the virtual backgrounds and puppet designs, while Tshari Yancey developed the story, characters, and script.

What began as a small project has continued to grow into a space for experimenting with performance, storytelling, technology, and AI. CHI continues to explore Wayang kulit and other creative ideas while looking at different ways traditional and digital approaches can work together.