Jigsaw Agency – What’s Involved?

Did you know that Jigsaw Arts has its very own agency?

Jigsaw Arts Management is a theatre, TV & film agency representing children and young people from Jigsaw Performing Arts Schools. The agency provides a link between the schools and the Arts industry, giving students the potential opportunity to audition for professional work. 

As our fabulous arts & entertainment industry begins to reopen, our wonderful Jigsaw Arts Management is springing back to life too. We are excited to announce that we are holding an open agency workshop on Friday the 29th of October and would love to meet any child or young person with the passion and confidence for the arts. If you are a current Jigsaw student and want to find out more about the workshop and the agency, please email Emily on agency@jigsaw-arts.co.uk

What to expect at the agency workshop?

The day will be packed full of exciting performing arts workshops. The students will be split into 2 age groups and will experience 4 different workshops – singing, dance, drama & audition technique. Students will have the chance to experience mock castings to understand what happens in real auditions. 

How old do you need to be to join the workshop and / or agency?

Our workshop in October is aimed at children aged 6 and above. But if you have a little superstar who is under 6 years old and is interested in joining the agency, send Emily an email to find out more!

What are you looking for in the children? 

We are looking for children who are passionate and enthusiastic for performing! Who are confident and enjoy playing different characters and are not afraid to try new things. Casting directors are often looking for ‘real’ kids, with big personalities, who can come across as genuine on screen or on stage. Some children may excel in drama and be ideal for TV and commercial castings, whilst others who are more advanced in singing and dancing, may be ideal for musical theatre castings. 

Who will be there?

 Emily

Emily runs Jigsaw Arts Management and is also the manager of Jigsaw Arts Balham. Emily will be leading on the singing workshops as well as ensuring everyone has a wonderful time! She graduated from SLP in 2013 and has since completed her MA at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

 Abbie

Abbie will be running the drama and audition workshops. She graduated from ALRA in 2016 and has since gone on to perform with the BBC Radio Rep Company, played ‘Missy’ in the Big Finish: Doctor Who’s spin-off Series. You can hear her in Watchdogs: Legion on PS4/5, Xbox One/ Series X & PC. Abbie also features on commercials for Maltesers, Penguin Books and Bumble. She recently went into the BBC to record Book at Bedtime and you can currently hear her narrating Careless by Kirsty Capes on BBC Sounds (coming to Radio 4 very soon). 

Lauren

Lauren will be leading the dance workshops. Since graduating from LIPA, she worked professionally as a performer in musical tours, children’s shows TV & film. Lauren has been working with Jigsaw for over 10 years and is the manager of Jigsaw Surbiton & Jigsaw Croydon.

Angel
Angel will be there to assist and help everyone out. She has attended Jigsaw from the age of 3 and now works for Jigsaw Balham! 

What does my child need for the day?

-Packed lunch 

-Plenty of water / drinks for the day

-To wear clothes & shoes that you can move easily in (if you have a Jigsaw t-shirt, that would be ideal!)

What happens after the workshop?

In the last part of the workshop, we will invite parents & carers back for a short Q&A session. We will discuss the factors to consider when joining up and give more details on how to go about sorting headshots, spotlight membership and joining Jigsaw Arts Management. Emily will be available to answer any questions. 

What do I need to consider before joining? 

The arts industry is a very competitive market for sure, and although being on the agency can provide some very rewarding experiences for your child, we should point out that, due to the very uncertain nature of the casting process, there is no guarantee of any auditions. Many of our students can go months without a single casting.  We will make every effort to find as many appropriate opportunities for your child as we can, but it is important to be realistic about the competitive and changeable nature of the industry. 

Some of the shows our students have appeared in include School of Rock, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Les Miserables, The Lion King and Waitress.