Bert and Ernie guests at Madurodam
‘Sesame Street @ Madurodam’ exposition brings TV series to life
The Hague, 30 August 2007
In 2008 Madurodam will have a new street: Sesame Street. From 14 March up to and including 26 October 2008 the smallest city of the Netherlands, in association with non-profit educational organisation Sesame Workshop, will be organising the ‘Sesame Street @ Madurodam’ exposition. At the exposition hall children can meet the characters of the TV series ‘in person’ and personally experience everything which can be seen on television. Drawing and tinkering with Bert and Ernie, enjoying themselves at the Broccoli Forest, counting with Count von Count, listening to stories on the largest bed of the Netherlands and, not to forget: taking a picture with walkarounds Bert, Ernie and Elmo.
For Small and Big Children
Sesame Street @ Madurodam is made for children, but also for their parents or companions; actually for everybody who grew up with Sesame Street. The exposition is typically Sesame Street: educational amusement, informative adventures and games which children can get going on their own. So no static exposition, but a dynamic event. Furthermore, attention is paid to the history of Sesame Street and the background of the TV series and its founders, Sesame Workshop.
Social Objective
Two organisations with a social objective are joined in Sesame Street @ Madurodam. Madurodam was founded in 1952 as war monument for George Maduro who died in Dachau in 1945, but a charitable foundation also hid behind the miniature city. Still Madurodam provides, by means of the Stichting Madurodam Steunfonds, financial support to social-cultural institutions for young people. The American Sesame Workshop is responsible for the success of Sesame Street. As educational non-profit organisation it invests the proceeds of Sesame Street products in international projects for children whereby it departs from the local situation and possibilities. In the eyes of Sesame Workshop all children deserve a chance to learn and go to school; to get to know each other and their own world; to think, dream and discover!
Broadcast in 120 countries
The toddler and pre-schooler programme Sesame Street originally comes from the United States. It exists since 1969. The American programme makers appear to have, at that time, developed a unique, ‘universal’ formula to learn children how to count and spell without effort: in the meantime the series is broadcast in over 120 countries, in more than 30 different international versions. It is the longest running TV series in the world.
Sesame Street in the Netherlands
On 4 January 1976 the NOS (now NPS) started the transmissions. The programme is still unprecedented popular among all generations and has a name awareness of almost one hundred percent. Nowadays Sesame Street can be seen on TV three times a day. In addition to the international figures like Bert, Ernie and Elmo special figures have been developed for the Dutch Sesame Street: Pino, Tommie, Ieniemienie and since 2003 the baby piglet Purk.
Opening hours
The Sesame Street @ Madurodam exposition takes place from 14 March 2008 up to and including 26 October 2008. The expected opening times of the exhibition are from 10.00 until 17.00 (in July and August from 10.00 until 23.00). No surcharge on the entrance fee for Madurodam is charged to visit the exposition. Up to 30 June Madurodam is opened daily from 9.00 until 20.00; during the months of July and August until 23.00, thereafter until 18.00.
More information
For more information you can visit www.madurodam.nl. You can also call: +31(0)70 - 416 24 00.
The doors of Sesame Street @ Madurodam will exclusively open to the press on a further to be established date. More information about this will follow.
