What We Do
Who are NorthOne Management?
Founded in 1986, we are a long-established and leading co-operative agency.
Our office is in central London, not far from Waterloo.
We are a friendly, professional, hard-working team, who represent actors on Spotlight working in film, TV, stage and commercials.
Inclusivity Statement
NorthOne is a member of the CPMA, the association that represents actors’ co-operative agencies in the UK. The CPMA strives to achieve diverse client lists, and works with Casting Directors to achieve the widest diversity in casting. We fully support Equity’s Manifesto for Casting
Who do NorthOne work with?
What is a co-op agency?
A dedicated group of actors who also work as agents for the agency. Actors’ co-op agencies have access to the same casting information as traditional agents. Most casting is done through Spotlight.
Just like a traditional agent, an actor’s co-op:
- Submits actors for jobs
- Negotiates contracts and fees
- Manages invoicing
- Takes commission
- Advises clients on their careers
- Sees clients (and prospective clients) in shows
But in our agency, every actor leads a double life! At NorthOne (N1), this works as follows:
(ii) As actors, we:
- Are submitted for roles by those who properly understand our skill-sets
- Belong to a strong support network of fellow actors
- Continually update our knowledge within the industry, which informs our own careers and helps us to flourish
- Have access to N1-only benefits, such as specially organised workshops (e.g. with theatre and TV/screen casting directors, or tackling career-related subjects), and the use of our office out-of-hours for self-taping, rehearsing etc.
(ii) As agents, we:
- Are trained how to represent clients professionally (including how to use the industry-standard software, understanding and negotiating contracts, building relationships within the industry, maintaining a consistent client-base of skilled actors)
- Work 2-3 days a month in the office (accommodating performance commitments, of course!)
- Attend a monthly meeting, where all aspects of running the agency are reviewed.
How do the Finances work?
A co-op is a not-for-profit organisation, where every penny goes towards the running of the business. So no-one is sitting on pots of money, and there are no salaries. (An exception is that some co-ops have Lead Agents – as they spend many more hours than the rest of the team on agent work, they are usually paid a fee.) At N1 we are actors for most of the month, and agents for 2-3 days a month.
Like any businesss, we need money for office rent, office equipment, industry software etc.
Our income is from two sources:
(i) Commission on roles undertaken by our actors (at 12%)
(ii) A monthly sub, which is paid by all. The amount varies amongst co-ops. Ours is currently £15 a month. We vary this according to work that comes in – in the past it has often been lower, and sometimes £0 when big jobs have come in. (With the pandemic, of course, there was a lot less work, but things are now building up again.)
So we are all shareholders in the agency. This means that we all co-own the assets – a good example of this is that we can use the office out of hours for self-tapes, rehearsals, printing scripts etc.
In addition, we have a one-off training fee. The training takes place over 3 days (arranged according to the new client’s availability) and £25 per day is charged as a nominal fee to cover the N1 time taken. We all know that life as an actor can sometime feel more about money going out than money coming in, and we’re happy to arrange for the training fee to be paid in instalments if that is helpful.
Why NorthOne Management?
By being part of our long-established and well-known co-op, you get exactly the same advantages of a conventional agent (breakdowns from Spotlight that aren’t available to everyone, strong connections to CDs + directors throughout the industry, experienced handling of contracts, invoices etc.) – plus a whole lot more…
You are represented by people who really ‘get’ you, who know your skills and submit you for exactly the right roles. And you get to see the industry from the other side, wearing your agent hat for 2-3 days a month and representing your fellow actors with as much care and commitment as they represent you. Our commission is low – 12% for everything (film, TV, stage, commercials).
In return for your commitment to the agency, you get attentive and careful representation. We have regular marketing 1-to-1s, going through headshots, showreels and all the other ingredients in a Spotlight profile. We invite CDs to run tailored workshops just for us. And of course actors are submitted for roles that play to their strengths, with specifically targetted comments. You’ll never be at an audition that you don’t want to be at (e.g. a vegan doing a meat commercial). Also, you’ll never hear an N1 member at a casting saying ‘my agent didn’t give me the full information’.
In short, we are considerate, understanding and professional.
Like the sound of us?
If you are the sort of person who would thrive in a collaborative environment – contributing to the success of the agency by working hard as both agent and actor – then check out our Representation page.