Working Together to Preserve Cultural Identity in the …...Council (GCC) Iftah Ya Simsim was, and...
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©/TM 2014 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Afghanistan BAGHCH-E-SIMSIM Bangladesh SISIMPUR Brazil VILA SÉSAMO China BIG BIRD LOOKS AT THE WORLD Colombia PLAZA SÉSAMO Egypt ALAM SIMSIM India GALLI GALLI SIM SIM Indonesia JALAN SESAMA Israel RECHOV SUMSUM Mexico PLAZA SÉSAMO Nigeria SESAME SQUARE Northern Ireland SESAME TREE West Bank/Palestine SHARA’A SIMSIM South Africa TAKALANI SESAME Tanzania KILIMANI SESAME Working Together to Preserve Cultural Identity in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Iftah Ya Simsim was, and still is, the most successful children’s television program in the Arab World. Sesame’s proud history in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region dates back to 1979 with Iftah Ya Simsim, our first Arabic language adaptation. The original Iftah Ya Simsim was a call to children from a deep heritage of Arabic literature – an invitation to open a world of wonder, laughter and learning. The show was broadcast in the region for 11 years, delighting and educating young Arabic speaking children. Though the program went off the air nearly 25 years ago, the nostalgia and appreciation for the series remain extremely high, particularly for the generation who grew up on Iftah and are now raising their own children. In 2008, as the need for high quality Arabic language programming to address social and educational needs in the GCC and MENA region grew, Sesame Workshop made the decision to re-launch Iftah Ya Simsim for the 21st century. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) PARTNERSHIPS To bring Iftah Ya Simsim back, Sesame partnered with Mubadala, a development entity established and run by the govern- ment of Abu Dhabi. In 2012, the two organizations signed a partnership agree- ment to create a brand new production company Bidaya Media that would produce Iftah Ya Simsim. The project is also supported through the partnerships with Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), Twofour54, Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD), Zayed University and the original producer of the show, the Joint Program Production Institution (JPPI). ABOUT BIDAYA MEDIA Bidaya is a children’s educational media company that strives to create engaging, high-quality content that can be accessed by children, parents, and educators globally via any platform. Its mission is to create original and locally relevant Arabic language content that entertains and educates through a research-based approach to content development that aims to help children reach their full potential. Bidaya’s focus is to address the educational needs of Arabic-speaking children around the world with an initial focus on pre-school age children in the GCC and beyond through its multi-media flagship project, Iftah Ya Simsim.
Transcript of Working Together to Preserve Cultural Identity in the …...Council (GCC) Iftah Ya Simsim was, and...
©/TM 2014 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.
Afghanistan BAGHCH-E-SIMSIM Bangladesh SISIMPUR Brazil VILA SÉSAMO China BIG BIRD LOOKS AT THE WORLD Colombia PLAZA SÉSAMO Egypt ALAM SIMSIM India GALLI GALLI SIM SIM Indonesia JALAN SESAMA Israel RECHOV SUMSUM Mexico PLAZA SÉSAMO Nigeria SESAME SQUARE Northern Ireland SESAME TREE West Bank/Palestine SHARA’A SIMSIM South Africa TAKALANI SESAME Tanzania KILIMANI SESAME
Working Together to Preserve Cultural Identity in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)Iftah Ya Simsim was, and still is, the most successful children’s television program in the Arab World. Sesame’s proud history in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region dates back to 1979 with Iftah Ya Simsim, our first Arabic language adaptation. The original Iftah Ya Simsim was a call to children from a deep heritage of Arabic literature – an invitation to open a world of wonder, laughter and learning. The show was broadcast in the region for 11 years, delighting and educating young Arabic speaking children. Though the program went off the air nearly 25 years ago, the nostalgia and appreciation for the series remain extremely high, particularly for the generation who grew up on Iftah and are now raising their own children. In 2008, as the need for high quality Arabic language programming to address social and educational needs in the GCC and MENA region grew, Sesame Workshop made the decision to re-launch Iftah Ya Simsim for the 21st century.
Gulf Cooperation Counci l (GCC)
PARTNERSHIPS To bring Iftah Ya Simsim back, Sesame partnered with Mubadala, a development entity established and run by the govern-ment of Abu Dhabi. In 2012, the two organizations signed a partnership agree-ment to create a brand new production company Bidaya Media that would produce Iftah Ya Simsim. The project is also supported through the partnerships with Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), Twofour54, Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD), Zayed University and the original producer of the show, the Joint Program Production Institution (JPPI).
ABOUT BIDAYA MEDIA Bidaya is a children’s educational media company that strives to create engaging, high-quality content that can be accessed by children, parents, and educators globally via any platform. Its mission is to create original and locally relevant Arabic language content that entertains and educates through a research-based approach to content development that aims to help children reach their full potential. Bidaya’s focus is to address the educational needs of Arabic-speaking children around the world with an initial focus on pre-school age children in the GCC and beyond through its multi-media flagship project, Iftah Ya Simsim.
GOALSLike its 1979 predecessor, the new Iftah Ya Simsim will use the power of media to help children achieve their fullest potential. The new program is modern, vibrant, yet rooted in tradition and heritage, and informed by the latest techniques for engaging young minds in the joy of language and learning.
As a literacy program, the main goal of the new Iftah is to awaken Word Consciousness in children through age and culturally-appropriate messaging while also imparting critical thinking skills. Developmentally targeted to 3-5 year olds, the program models creativity and problem solving and encourages children to become independent, analytical thinkers and self-initiators.
Objective of the first season of the new Iftah Ya Simsim program include:
» Basic literacy
» Healthy lifestyle, habits, and choices
» Social inclusion and appreciation of diversity
» Environmental awareness
By September 2015, the program will launch 28 TV episodes, 10 public service announcements for radio and television, health education outreach materials, an Iftah Ya Simsim website and YouTube Channel, Mobile Apps, and Social Media Content.
MEET THE CHARACTERS: NO’MAN, SHAMS, MELSOON, AND GARGURLeading the way to new words and concepts are No’man and Shams. These total opposites are best friends, and together, they discover the power and magic of words. Melsoon, Iftah’s favorite parrot also joins in the fun and learning experiences always offering helpful advice and comments for No’man and Shams. They are joined by Gargur, better known to American audiences as Grover, who always tries very hard to get things right and loves to help his friends on Iftah, but is extremely bad at it! In addition to characters unique to Iftah Ya Simsim, audiences will enjoy segments promoting healthy lifestyles, social-emotional wellbeing, and academic success from Sesame Workshop’s global library.
Today, the Gulf Arab States are home to 41 million citizens, with 11 million children under the age of 14 and 4.3 million pre-schoolers.
The creation of Iftah Ya Simsim’s content is driven by the efforts of the Arab Bureau of Education for the GCC (ABEGS) and the Educational Advisory Council (EAC). The goal of the EAC is to provide advice and guidance on the educational, social, and cultural effectiveness of the
program. The panel is comprised of individuals with a passion for children’s education, including education
experts, early childhood development professionals, and practitioners.
Members of the EAC ensure that
Early Childhood Developmental priorities are included in the program and review the results of impact studies and offer feedback accordingly.
THE BOTTOM LINE“Iftah Ya Simsim” means “Open Sesame” – an invitation to open a world of treasure. Through television, radio, and digital media, children in the nations of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Omam, and beyond will have access to resources that will empower their cognitive development and ignite their love of the Arabic language while building early reading and vocabulary skills. It is hoped that Iftah’s programming will be enjoyed by children and their parents together, modelling healthy family interaction and family participation in healthy lifestyles. An emphasis on learning through play will allow children to see learning as a fun, exhilarating process that will prepare them for elementary school and beyond.
CONTACT US!For more information on how you can support Iftah Ya Simsim, please contact: Maura Regan, Vice President, International Media Business
212.875.6416 [email protected]
Or visit: www.sesameworkshop.org
is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street which reaches 156 million children across more than 150 countries. The Workshop’s mission is to use the educational power of media to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Delivered through a variety of platforms, including television programs, digital experiences, books and community engagement, its research-based programs are tailored to the needs of the communities and countries they serve. For more information, visit us at sesameworkshop.org.
©/TM 2014 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.
