Child Modelling

I get asked quite a bit by mums about Milla’s modelling, our experience and which agency she belongs to, so I thought I would put a little blog post together for those that are interested. (Fully aware this will be a very small percentage, so apologies to anyone reading that is not remotely interested!)

Milla was put forward for a modelling job for Mini Preen by a mum at our school when she was 4, and she loved the experience so much that she asked me if she could do more. She wasn’t with an agency at this stage.

Milla for Mini Preen

I decided to get in touch with the agency that had been recommended to me, Kids London. They took Milla on, and overall we have had a very positive experience with both the agency and the industry in general. Here are a few things that we have learned along the way.

• Look for a reputable agency. I can highly recommend Kids London, but they will only take on children that they believe they can get work for. Sometimes they might be full in your child’s age category, so if you don’t get a positive response, don’t be disheartened and it is worth sending your child’s images to more than one agency. Bruce and Brown is another very good agency to consider.
• If your child is signed on, remember that you will need to be available to take him or her to castings, often at short notice. When I was working full time, it was very difficult to get her there, and I wasn’t prepared to take time off work to attend castings (especially ones where she would end up being one of 150 children seen) so I ended up having to say no. It was just  too much of a juggle when I was working and it has been a lot easier since I gave up my job, so that is something to bear in mind.
• Almost all of the castings will be in London, so do consider your commute if you live far away.
• If your child is booked for a job, you will need to make yourself available to chaperone them, so you’ll need to consider childcare arrangements if you have other children.
• When they are booked for a job, they do need to be licensed by the borough in which you live. In order to get the licence you will need permission from your Headteacher for time off during school. (If they are school age) It might be worth having a conversation with the school to see how they feel about it. Fortunately for us, we have an extremely understanding and encouraging Headteacher and Milla hasn’t had to have much time off school.
• We did not have to pay to be with our agency, and I think if you are being asked to part with money, it may not be the right agency to go with.
• Your child HAS to love it. This is probably the most important bit of all. Had Milla not been so passionate about it, I wouldn’t have signed her up, but looking back, I am really pleased we did. It has taught her so much about life, interpersonal skills, being professional, patience and resilience. She absolutely adores clothes (like her mum!) and will happily get changed into 20 different outfits in a day. Her sister, on the other hand, couldn’t think of anything worse, so there has never been any kind of jealousy, even though they are only 2 years apart. She is very happy for her sister, but knows that it is not something she would want to do herself. Milla has been exposed to some amazing and unforgettable experiences, including a 5 day shoot in Iceland. (Sadly it coincided with our family holiday, so my mum accompanied her instead of me!)

I hope this has been helpful to anyone that has been thinking about it for their child. I am really happy to try and answer any questions you might have, based on our experience.

Love,

Chloe x