NORTHERN IRELAND TO CREATE ITS OWN LOCAL SESAME STREET IN ASSOCIATION WITH SESAME WORKSHOP
New Children’s Series to Air on BBC Northern Ireland This Year
Belfast, NORTHERN IRELAND, and New York, NY, May 2, 2007
Two new Northern Ireland Muppets, along with Elmo, Cookie and Grover, will soon be appearing in a locally produced Northern Ireland version of Sesame Street, made in association with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street in the US and abroad. A search is currently underway for a local production company in Northern Ireland to develop 20 fifteen-minute episodes of the series targeted to 3-6 year old children. BBC Northern Ireland hopes to begin broadcasting the series by the end of the year.
“Given the positive and wide-ranging developments that have taken place over the recent years, it’s a tremendously exciting time to be working in Northern Ireland,” said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop. “It’s crucial to develop children’s self-esteem, love of learning, openness and curiosity about others to better prepare them for a brighter future. We are proud and privileged, with our production partners from Northern Ireland, to have the opportunity to contribute to these objectives.”
“BBC Northern Ireland Learning has played a key role in providing unique quality resources to support the Northern Ireland Curriculum with a particular focus on helping pupils, teachers and parents with new developments,” said Peter Johnston, Controller, BBC Northern Ireland. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Sesame Workshop in developing this exciting new initiative which will address important curriculum needs in the areas of personal development and citizenship.”
The series will present engaging stories and characters keyed to the Foundation Stage of the new Northern Ireland curriculum. Local education and child development experts will work with Sesame Workshop specialists, who have worked all over the world including South Africa, Germany, India and the Middle East to devise the series’ curriculum, which will include critical thinking and problem solving as well as respect and understanding. Original Muppet characters will be specially created for Sesame Street Northern Ireland. Children will be introduced to their peers through locally produced live action films that will be shot in urban and rural areas throughout Northern Ireland. In addition, viewers will see Elmo, Cookie Monster, and all their friends in classic Muppet segments. Sesame Workshop will be hiring and training local puppeteers and looking for local writers, musicians and animators.
For more information about producing Sesame Street Northern Ireland and requirements, please log on to http://www.niftc.co.uk/.
Funding for the series is provided by the American Ireland Fund and the Northern Ireland Fund for Reconciliation.
Contact
Jeff Magill
BBC Northern Ireland
+44 28 90 338 986
jeff.magill@bbc.co.uk
