Following the announcement of MTV Shuga’s return to Nigeria, the award winning international drama series will be opening its doors to acting hopefuls as it sets out to discover new talent in Nigeria.
The show, which has had five successful seasons in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, focuses on real issues affecting young people and tells hard-hitting stories that revolve around contraception, sexual health, family planning and social issues.
Auditions for the long-running Pan-African drama series are open to Nigerian residents aged 18+ and will be held on Saturday 12 August, at Planet One, Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos.
The auditions will be open from 9am until 6pm. Participants will be required to provide one Head Shot photograph (Minimum size 4×6 inches) and a form of photo identification, such as a Passport, Driver’s License, National ID Card or Student ID Card.
Hopefuls are advised to arrive early, to guarantee their spot, as the audition will be held for one day only.
Budding actors & actresses who are unable to attend the physical audition need not worry as they can also submit a short video audition on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #MTVShugaAudition. A script will be available on www.mtvshuga.com. The online auditions will be open from Friday 28 July to Wednesday 23 August 2017.
MTV Shuga, which aims to champion and exhibit Nigerian talent, is a multi-sectorial partnership that involves the MTV Staying Alive Foundation and is supported by MTV Base Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Government and various UN agencies and NGOs.
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MTV Shuga would-be actors will be judged by a diverse range of industry experts and selected based on their acting skills and originality.
MTV Shuga, which is commissioned by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, has helped exceptional actors like Oscar winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o and Emmanuel Ikubese jumpstart their careers. Previous stars to have come through the public auditions include Samkelisiwe Makhoba, who showcased her talents in the leading role of ‘Khensani’ in MTV Shuga: Down South.
Audition winners will join returning cast members Sharon Ezeamaka, Timini Egbuson and Jemima Osunde on set for the new season.
Speaking on the auditions for the upcoming series and plans to discover new MTV Shuga stars in Nigeria, the Executive Director of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation and Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility for Viacom International, Georgia Arnold said:
“We are excited to bring back the public auditions for the brand-new season of MTV Shuga. Nigeria has one of the most vibrant movie and television industries in the world, which is a testament to the amazing acting talent available in the country and our aim is to find another star through these auditions.”
MTV Shuga has been proven to have a positive impact. A World Bank evaluation in Nigeria of MTV Shuga found that the show has the power to influence the sexual and reproductive health decisions of millennials. Double the number who watched the show got tested for HIV than those who had not.
The study also showed a 58% reduction in chlamydia among females who had watched MTV Shuga.
The sixth and seventh seasons of MTV Shuga will premiere on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) and BET (DStv channel 129), as well as MTV networks and other third party broadcasters around the world in 2018.
