Expert: Felicity Gain - 4/26/2009

Question
I'm 18 years old and living in the North East of England.
I'm thinking about university in York where I mean to study Theatre and I have achieved grade 8 in drama exams, but apart from that I am out of experience.

My problem is, finding a legitimate agency that caters for both modelling and acting for adults and doesn't ask for a representation fee - (I've been told to avoid agencies that do so)

Could you possibly list a few agencies that can offer this?
I am interested in agencies in London as well as my home area.
And can i ask what agency you are with?
Thank you,
Fearn

Answer
Hi Fearn,

Generally, most agencies are specific to their genre i.e., either modelling or acting with rare crossovers.

I hail from the north of England too, Manchester to be more precise, so I know the difficulty you will have in finding an agency in the North who cater for Actors and models in equal measures. Having said that, when I modelled in Manchester (I was with Model Marketing at the time) there were a few castings that held auditions for actors, e.g., Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and Coronation Street etc. So you may want to try joining an agency in Manchester as it is pretty much the second largest city in the UK re modelling.

You may have more luck with an agency in London (I was with Profile and M&P)as there is more work around for model/actors. I was booked for a Marmite Ad where they specifically wanted an actress, so it is possible to be put forward for acting jobs through a model agency but it isn't the norm.

The best thing you can do is contact the Association of Model Agencies (AMA) and ask for their list of agencies. Any agency on that list will have reached a certain threshold of standards and can be trusted. You are right to NEVER PAY to join an agency, or for a 'training course' as they should be making money from clients not you. The problem you'll have in the north, more so outside of Manchester, is that because there are less agencies they can pretty much do what they like as there is less competition and you have no other choice than to join if you really want to model but can't move.

So, bottom line, join an agency in Manchester and/or London (and potentially Birmingham) who are on the AMA's accredited list.Don't be tempted to pay to join, train or do a photographic test (the agency should advance you the money for a test if they truly rate you).

Well, hope that wasn't too exhausting- I've just realized the length of my response :) If you find an agency you're interested in, I'll be happy to give it the once over if you like.


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