PQA casting days

[JayEmAye]

Just checking if anyone's done a PQA casting day where you go and meet agents at a large hotel somewhere. There asking for over a hundred pounds registration fee for this event and I'm wondering what you get for that?

I wouldn’t bother. PQA books are huuuuge and your child is very unlikely to secure work through them if accepted

Dont do it. You won't get anything worthwhile out of it, though it will probably be fun for the child. If your child would like an agent, go on a few child mangement websites, see what jobs they are saying kids have gotten on their socials and then apply using the guidelines on their website. A good agent will guide you through the process for free.

Quirky Kidz (the PQA agency) was actually superb for my kids. They both secured professional work on several occasions and had a healthy number of auditions. Lots of their friends got nothing.

Factors going in our favour:

• half an hour into London
• I wasn’t working so last minute auditions were fine
• school was very supportive of time off
• both my kids had a very distinctive look
• we paid extra to be on Spotlight

I think they now have a tie in with Sally King who provide a lot of child extras.

The reality is though that the whole industry is hard and joining any agency is no guarantee of even auditions, let alone work.

Honestly, avoid Quirky Kidz. There are Facebook groups for parents of child performers - look up ‘children’s acting modelling casting calls, free advice to parents uk’ as they have recommended lists of agents.

you shouldn’t ever pay to audition for an agent (I had a look at this site and saw the fee is for the headshots so in theory not to audition) but I’d suggest you are better looking at headshots elsewhere.

For any child, even with a good agent, chances of getting work are slim and getting harder, the child acting industry is oversaturated. We have been in it for 3 years and had some amazing experiences and credits but there is a lot of rejection and expense!