"playful, surprising and occasionally profound group experiences that help you connect – not with your screen, but with the people around you"
"playful, surprising and occasionally profound group experiences that help you connect – not with your screen, but with the people around you"
The Smartphone Orchestra in Ithaca NY
Program Details
Vie Cycle is proud to introduce The Smartphone Orchestra, an interactive theatre group from the Netherlands!
Put your smartphone habits to good use and join this fun and unique 2-part event!
Break the ice in a room full of new friends with a short interactive show called “Music for Smart Phones. ” This short, meditative piece has been translated into multiple languages and performed all over the world, captivating audiences along the way.
After the performance, creative director Steye Hallema will talk about the Smartphone Orchestra and their innovative approach to community building through technology and theatre.
The main event for the evening is Ancestors, a 75-minute Interactive Journey into the Future! Ancestors is an interactive and immersive group experience that will make you profoundly connect with your fellow players and with future generations.
Put your smartphone habits to good use and join this fun and unique 2-part event!
Break the ice in a room full of new friends with a short interactive show called “Music for Smart Phones. ” This short, meditative piece has been translated into multiple languages and performed all over the world, captivating audiences along the way.
After the performance, creative director Steye Hallema will talk about the Smartphone Orchestra and their innovative approach to community building through technology and theatre.
The main event for the evening is Ancestors, a 75-minute Interactive Journey into the Future! Ancestors is an interactive and immersive group experience that will make you profoundly connect with your fellow players and with future generations.
Get your tickets to the event!
November 19th, 2025 at Cornell University
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The full event is from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Anabel Taylor Hall, One World Room, 548 College Ave, Ithaca NY 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM - Music for Smartphones and introduction from the creative director, Steye Hallema, is free to everyone! Donations welcome! Tickets not required. 7:00 PM- 8:30 PM - Ancestors (see details below) has limited capacity and tickets are required. The fee to attend the full show is $15. Free tickets are available for Cornell Students who are North Campus Residents thanks to the Faculty Living-Learning Program! Register on Campus Groups |
Are you affiliated with Cornell University? Register for this event using the link above!
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November 20th, 2025 at Ithaca College
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The full event is from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Dillingham Center, Room ST 4, 953 Danby Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM - Music for Smartphones and introduction from the creative director, Steye Hallema, is free to everyone! Donations welcome! Tickets not required. 7:00 PM- 8:30 PM - Ancestors (see details below) has limited capacity and tickets are required. The fee to attend the full show is $15. Free tickets are available for Ithaca College Students thanks to the IC MBA program! |
Are you affiliated with Ithaca College? Register for this event using the link above!
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November 21st, 2025 at The Downstairs, Ithaca
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The event will be 4:00PM-5:30PM, drinks and mingling from 5:30 PM-6 PM
The Downstairs, 121 W State Street, Ithaca Ancestors (see details below) is an audience-participatory show with limited capacity. Tickets are required. Please arrive by 4:00. No one will be admitted after 4:15. The fee to attend is $18. |
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Ancestors: An Interactive Journey into the Future
Take a selfie and become the great great grandparent of a human 200 years in the future. Ancestors is an interactive and immersive group experience that will make you profoundly connect with your fellow players ánd with future generations.
What kind of world will we leave for future generations? In Ancestors, you’ll embark on a thrilling, collective journey six generations into the future. Guided by your own smartphone, this interactive experience uses AI to create connections between you and others in the room. Together, you’ll explore the challenges of tomorrow, discovering how collaboration is key to shaping a better world. Join this immersive, fun, and thought-provoking adventure that brings people together in an entirely new way!
In Ancestors, you and your fellow participants tell the stories of those who will come after us, stepping into a future shaped by the actions of today. Your smartphone becomes your guide, leading you through a world where the impact of climate change, technological advancements, and social challenges have taken hold. Together with your coparents, your decisions and interactions shape the narrative and influence the collective outcome of the experience.
This isn’t just a passive performance; it's an immersive, participatory journey where the audience is as much a part of the story as the content itself. As you explore these possible futures, you'll find yourself questioning your relationship with technology, society, and the planet. The unique combination of speculative fiction, interactive storytelling, and real-time decision-making will leave you with plenty to think about long after the experience ends. Will humanity find solutions to these pressing challenges? And what role will you play in shaping that future?
Why Experience Ancestors?
- Engage in a one-of-a-kind, collaborative experience that challenges you to think about the future.
- Explore important themes, including climate change, social justice, and the impact of technology on society.
- Interact with your fellow participants in unexpected ways, as your smartphones and AI guide you through thought-provoking scenarios.
- Have fun and be inspired while considering how collective action can influence the future.
Whether you come alone or with friends, Ancestors is an experience that sparks conversation and connection—both during and after the event. It’s perfect for anyone curious about the future, eager to engage with big societal questions, and excited by innovative uses of technology in storytelling.
Ancestors is made possible thanks to Film Fonds Immerse/Interact, Fonds21 and Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.
More about The Smartphone Orchestra
What happens when you throw a bunch of people together and give them something completely unexpected to do? At Smartphone Orchestra, we create playful, surprising and occasionally profound group experiences that help you connect – not with your screen, but with the people around you. Your smartphone is turned into a guide, a game controller, and even a conversation starter. Before you know it, you're laughing with strangers and bonding over the weirdest things. Our experiences are fun, surprising, and just the right amount of kooky. You’ll laugh, connect, reflect, and might just leave the room feeling like you’ve become part of something bigger. Find out more at smartphoneorchestra.com |
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