The Academy Agency - anyone heard of it, please?

[virginiawoolf]

Their website seems good and they have a few kids in Eastenders/National Theatre but I wonder if anyone has had any direct experience with them?

Or what your gut instinct about them is, looking at theirwebsite and Twitter?

Thanks NAPM!

[paulears]

It's very strange - the website talks about "alex" but doesn't say who he really is. The website was registered by somebody called Martin Colton, an individual who has opted to keep his address private - nothing fishy about that, but it's at least unusual for the registration to not at least mention the business name or address.

However, businesses are supposed to have their address visible on the website - here we just get an email and a mobile phone contact. No address again? Considering it's a business, then a postal address would be sensible. It's not a law of course for a sole trader or partnership, although it is for a Ltd company. This suggests it's an individual, working from home, who is not VAT registered, which also gives an idea of their turnover not being over the limit. With a large number of faces on the website, then the income generated, and paid on to their clients would be included in turnover - so an agent operating below the VAT threshold who is not registered is a little odd too. (I'm very poor, but my turnover is pretty high - so even I am VAT registered, even though most of what comes in goes out again!). Most of their clients would also be VAT registered, so even voluntary VAT registration would be something I'd have expected?

Most businesses have a land line phone number - because you have internet. Not all, but a good proportion.

I can't say for certain, but the impression I get is that it's a small business operating perhaps from a domestic address. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but the lack of transparency is a bit odd for an agent with a track record like this one?

My question would be quite simple - would you trust them with your money? As we heard on here recently, getting your money can be quite tricky - and I'm a bit picky about who I trust with my money.

So nothing bad, but too many questions - and who the heck is Alex?

[pg]

Gut reaction?

Not great to be honest.

Tricky to put my finger on why precisely. Though I echo paulears question of "who the heck is Alex"? There seem to be rather a lot of details about his performance and writing aspirations rather than his experience as an agent.

No harm in going along to a meeting though if it interests you. If they are prepared to take you on without a meeting then I would steer clear.

If you do go to a meeting, I would really seize the opportunity to ask a LOT of questions. An experienced agent will not object to questions and you can tell a lot from how someone answers them.

[Caroline A-C]

Also says you have to be part of their stage school to be considered for the agency. Sounds as though they may be using the lure of professional work to get people to join the school. Then again, I may be wrong.

[missmoneypenny]

I used to see a lot of tweets by them but haven't heard anything about them for at least a year.... Then again, my girls' agent has the worst social media going on but are a very well respected agency x

[fizzycandy123]

Hi everyone,I have heard of this agency before I am sure they have TJ junior (George Sargeant) from EastEnders.xx