The characters of Sesame Street and cartoon character SpongeBob entertained children of special needs and orphans from six charitable organizations on Thursday at Aramco premises in Jeddah.
“We have monthly activities and this is the first activity for the year 2013 to entertain disabled children and orphans with cultural and recreational programs,” said Eisa Al-Garni, Jeddah recreation supervisor at Aramco Jeddah community services.
The Aramco creation service unit of the western region and government affairs organized the event as a social responsibility program for children of special needs and orphans.
Al-Garni further said they conduct such entertaining and educational programs every month. This is the first program they organized especially for these children. Aramco plans to organize similar events frequently.
More than 300 children and families of special needs and orphans enjoyed the program.
“Saudi Aramco’s main aim is to support children of special needs and orphans, to cater to their emotional and psychological needs and to let them feel that they are part of our society,” said Al-Garni.
The program included a performance by SpongeBob, a quiz competition, a Sesame Street educational program, traditional folklore dances and face painting.
Bashair Abdul Razak Ba-Fart, co-founder of Arbtat-Jeddah, a voluntary, non-profit organization, said his organization took part in the program to bring children of special needs and orphans in contact with other children, to enjoy themselves and learn something.
“We brought more than 30 children from Arbtat-Jeddah. These children never have much opportunity to go to such a show,” said Razak Ba-Fart. “We are very thankful to Aramco for organizing this program and for inviting us and our children.”
The program became very colorful when 12 young performers of the Tunes Jeddah Folk Art band presented traditional dances, such as Khutwa, Musmar from Jazan and Bahriya, a dance from the coastal city. The youngest performer in the group was a 5-year-old boy from Jazan.
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Kids learn and have fun on the ‘Sesame Street’, with SpongeBob
Kids learn and have fun on the ‘Sesame Street’, with SpongeBob
Hello Kitty designer bows out after 40 years in charge
- Hello Kitty started life as an illustration on a vinyl coin purse
- The cute Japanese character has become a global mega brand
TOKYO: The flamboyant designer behind Hello Kitty – the cute Japanese character that became a global mega brand – is stepping down after more than four decades in charge of her look.
Yuko Yamaguchi has been responsible since 1980 for the design of Kitty, who is officially not a cat but a little girl from London, overseeing her rise to the epitome of Japan’s “kawaii” – cute – soft power.
But now Yamaguchi, who often wore Kitty-style dresses in public and piled her hair in buns – has “passed the baton to the next generation,” Sanrio, the company behind the character, said on its website Tuesday.
The company said new designer “Aya” – a pseudonym – was due to start by the end of 2026.
Yamaguchi “listened to the voices of fans, actively collaborated with artists and designers from Japan and abroad and has grown Hello Kitty into a character loved by everyone,” Sanrio said, as it thanked her for her work.
Hello Kitty started life as an illustration on a vinyl coin purse.
It has since appeared on tens of thousands of products – everything from handbags to rice cookers – and has secured lucrative tie-ups with Adidas, Balenciaga and other top brands.
The phenomenon shows no sign of slowing, with a Warner Bros movie in the pipeline and a new Hello Kitty theme park due to open next year on China’s tropical Hainan island.
Unlike other Japanese cultural exports such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball, there is minimal narrative around the character, whose full name is Kitty White.
She has a twin sister Mimmy, a boyfriend called Dear Daniel, and a pet cat of her own, Sanrio says. She loves her mother’s apple pie and dreams of becoming a pianist or poet.
Yuko Yamaguchi has been responsible since 1980 for the design of Kitty, who is officially not a cat but a little girl from London, overseeing her rise to the epitome of Japan’s “kawaii” – cute – soft power.
But now Yamaguchi, who often wore Kitty-style dresses in public and piled her hair in buns – has “passed the baton to the next generation,” Sanrio, the company behind the character, said on its website Tuesday.
The company said new designer “Aya” – a pseudonym – was due to start by the end of 2026.
Yamaguchi “listened to the voices of fans, actively collaborated with artists and designers from Japan and abroad and has grown Hello Kitty into a character loved by everyone,” Sanrio said, as it thanked her for her work.
Hello Kitty started life as an illustration on a vinyl coin purse.
It has since appeared on tens of thousands of products – everything from handbags to rice cookers – and has secured lucrative tie-ups with Adidas, Balenciaga and other top brands.
The phenomenon shows no sign of slowing, with a Warner Bros movie in the pipeline and a new Hello Kitty theme park due to open next year on China’s tropical Hainan island.
Unlike other Japanese cultural exports such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball, there is minimal narrative around the character, whose full name is Kitty White.
She has a twin sister Mimmy, a boyfriend called Dear Daniel, and a pet cat of her own, Sanrio says. She loves her mother’s apple pie and dreams of becoming a pianist or poet.
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