Welcome to Sylvia Young Agency!

We represent all of the students at the full time school, and we will be in touch with you shortly before the start of term to register your child, and to send you the paperwork we’ll need to represent them. We are a sole agency, which means that students can only be represented by us while they are at SYTS, and not with any other agency.

Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions:

Who are you?
We are an independent company affiliated with the Sylvia Young Theatre School, but operated completely separately. We represent all the full-time students at the school as well as other children not connected to the school in any way. The agency aims to find professional opportunities for your child while they are at the school, but please remember they have been offered a place at the school to train and perfect their skills. Any work that comes along is a bonus but it’s not the reason they’re at the school. Like any agency, it is not in our power to guarantee work or auditions, as this is the prerogative of casting directors and producers.

Will my child be called in for castings?
We receive many detailed briefs every day, and we have to limit our suggestions to only the clients who match the breakdowns we’re given. We may be asked for an actor with a certain accent, heritage, build or personality, or for a child who already has a certain amount of experience. Sometimes, a casting director will ask to meet someone who has been recommended to them, or who they have met before. By strictly following the breakdowns they give us, we gain the trust of the casting directors, and ultimately ensure more opportunities for all of our clients. The casting directors then tell us which of our suggestions they want to meet, and whilst we do our best, we cannot insist that they meet your child for any particular project, even if we believe they would be perfect for the role.
We aim to secure castings for all of the students while they are here, however it’s important to note that this is dependent on what is being produced, what roles are available, and whether a casting director responds to our suggestions. We can’t guarantee opportunities, but we will always do our best to secure them.

What commission do you take?
The agency is not funded from school fees and is a separate business to the school, so the agency’s income is solely from commission on work it secures its clients.

There is no joining fee or membership fee to be represented by the agency. However we do require that all students supply headshot photos and take an entry in Spotlight (currently £129.60 per year), in order that we can suggest them to casting directors The agency arranges for a photographer to come in and photograph students for a reduced fee (currently around £60), or you can arrange your own session privately if you prefer. 

Commission plus VAT at the current rate will be paid as follows:
15% on all monies earned in respect of theatre fees
15% on all monies earned in respect of BBC in-house production fees
22.5% on commercials, modelling, fashion shows, photographic work, ELT audio and video, animations and pop videos
20% on all other TV/Film/Acting work
10% on all recording deals and contracts

Fees are paid electronically to the child’s bank account, and we are required to report payments to HMRC

Can I arrange my own work or apply for open auditions?
We ask that parents contact us before applying for open auditions, and that they refer any enquiries they receive directly to us to deal with. The reason is that we may have already seen these breakdowns, and had concerns about the fee, or the people involved. If we don’t have any concerns, then we will be happy for your child to apply or to take part.