Ology Kids Casting is a talent agency based in North West England. Representing babies, toddlers, children and young performers to the age of 21, their clients are busy with modelling, voiceover and acting work.
Who Runs The Ology Kids Casting Agency?
Brother and sister team Andrew and Laura have worked together in Lancashire for about a decade. Laura has a significant amount of industry experience including as a TV and radio presenter and a model. As a mum, she knows what issues her clients will need to consider when putting their own children forward for industry work.
The agency aims to know its children well so they only submit them for suitable work. There are several ways they do this.
Firstly, children attend an Assessment Workshop before the agency accepts them. This means the agency meets both the child and their parent and identify children suitable to the industry. Secondly, the agency keeps its numbers low; parents new to the industry may be put off by an agency being small but experienced ones know there are real advantages to being on personal terms with your agent. Furthermore, the regular workshops held in Manchester means the agency team has regular contact with the children and their parent; this is good for communication but the real benefit is that the agent will always have a clear idea of the child’s current physical and performance development. This translates into better recommendations to Casting Directors – who know which talent agents they can trust.
Ology Kids Casting On Social Media
The Facebook and Twitter feeds are used heavily by the agency; as most information is posted on both, you can safely choose one of them and obtain all the news you need. There is information about working clients, call outs for specific urgent casting briefs, and links to completed projects clients have worked on.
Their Instagram account provides regular updates on client work and occasionally other messages too.
The Ology Kids Casting social media presence is useful to look at if you are considering applying for representation for your child. You can see which children attended auditions and obtained work.
Ology Kids Casting Gets Good Feedback On Not A Pushy Mum
Any parent who thinks their child may be suitable for the acting and modelling world should start with several hours of reading. Blundering into a professional world – one which will rarely put your child’s needs first – without doing your homework will leave you disappointed and out of pocket. The best starting point is the forum “Not a Pushy Mum” (NAPM).
Ology Kids Casting is a small agency – a strength – so it hasn’t generated significant discussion on the NAPM forum. However, everything that has been said to date is positive: see NAPM Link 1, NAPM Link 2 and NAPM Link 3.
As a result, Ology Kids Casting is included on our list of 20 UK reputable agents for child actors.
How To Apply To Ology Kids Casting For Under 3s
The application process is clearly set out on the Ology Kids Casting website. Applications from children based in England and Wales are welcome.
If your child is under the age of 3, you can try a fast track by posting some beautiful shots of your child onto Instagram. Use the hashtag #ologykidscastingwannabe. Then wait to see if Ology Kids Casting contacts you.
For other children aged under 3, and London based children, you complete and submit the pre-registration form and include two clear, recent pictures of your child on their own. They do not need to be professional shots but must give a good idea of what your child currently looks like without hats, face paints or other distractions.
How To Apply To Ology Kids Casting For Over 3s
Children aged 3 and above outside London will need to attend an Assessment Workshop in Manchester or Leeds. You can book a place via the website. The workshop dates, times and the small fee are clearly displayed, along with an outline of what your child will be doing.
The workshops last between 45 minutes and an hour depending on the child’s age. 3-5-year-olds are seen together; followed by 6-12-year-olds; then those aged 13 and above. The workshops aim to be fun for the children. It gives the agency staff a lot of information about your child’s confidence, personality, and abilities.
Parents will have a comfortable space to wait in, and will then be given lots of information about the industry so you understand what you are committing you and your child to. After all, it will be you getting your child to a different city for a casting with less than 24 hours notice, negotiating absence from school with an unhappy headteacher and filling in child licensing forms.
You must bring along key documents about your child’s identity, to prepare for the child licensing process.
Parents should hear the result of the Assessment Workshop within two weeks.
The Next Steps
If Ology Kids Casting accepts your child, you need professional photos for their profile. You book a Manchester-based agency photographer via the website. The price negotiated for agency clients is very respectable.
The agency offers a further package for audio and video showreel. Some people may be put off by the costs. But if your child has no existing showreel then this may be the material a Casting Director uses to choose your child for a casting.
The agency also asks parents for a one-off fee to place the child on their books. This isn’t a recommended practice, but many child talent agencies apply annual or even monthly charges. And since it includes the first photoshoot, you are receiving something tangible. The best shots appear on your child’s profile. You also receive ten photos for your personal use.
Monthly Workshops
The agency wants to develop its children and submit them for suitable work. Therefore, children should attend the monthly workshops, for which a charge applies. The theme each month changes. This allows an exploration of different areas of casting and performance.
Parents wait in a room nearby, where they can purchase refreshments while they wait. This is a nice way to meet other Ology families. In addition, you’ll find out all sorts of useful information about their experiences of casting and productions.
