Samar Yahya Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Gulf wide casting call is now open for the new Iftah Ya Simsim program. Iftah Ya Simsim, a Sesame Street program, is now in pre-production and is expected to debut on multiple GCC channels in late 2014. The first phase of auditions will take place in April. The casting call was sent out to universities, theatres, and cultural centers and through social media to attract talents from the region to demonstrate their ability at puppeteering, voice, singing, and movement. These puppeteers will bring No'man, the beloved Iftah Ya Simsim Muppet, and other Muppets to life in the new Iftah Ya Simsim program. “This is a milestone moment in the development of the Iftah Ya Simsim education initiative,” said Dr. Cairo Arafat, Managing Director of Bidaya Media. The Muppets are loved by children and reflect the playfulness, curiosity and imagination that are within children...and all of us! Finding just the right talent to bring these Muppets to life is a top priority of our work. We are eager to view the talents within the GCC and encourage talented individuals to submit their tapes and come to auditions. “This opportunity is open to all persons interested in exploring a career as a puppeteer and those who enjoy singing, dancing, improvising, and acting,” Dr. Cairo also added. The casting call will be held in Abu Dhabi where the program will be taped. Abdulla Al Sharhan, the series creative director said: “We have been in the design phase for over a year with input from child development experts, educators and cultural consultants. Now all this great work must be interpreted into a creative vision that will deliver playful learning, fun and laughter through our Muppets to our children. It is truly a thrill and an honor to be part of this great education and entertainment experiment.” Interested candidates should upload a video and follow the directions listed on website http://bidayamedia.com or check any of Bidaya Media social media pages, @bidayamedia The best talents will be selected to receive master level training by experts and professionals from New York's Sesame Workshop, the innovators behind Sesame Street. They are providing their best "Muppeteers" to select and train the new group of performers from the GCC region. Marty Robinson, a 30-year veteran artist of puppetry, who has performed in television, theater and film will be in Abu Dhabi to lead the casting and training effort. Amr Badr, Iftah Ya Simsim producer said: “We are eagerly awaiting responses to the casting call. This is a once-in-a-life time experience and career opportunity for new and old talents to become world class puppeteers who will bring joy, knowledge and fun into the lives of our children.”
