Why joy? Because lockdown has, for many, been a chance for youngsters to learn more and acquire new skills. It could be talking more, reading more books, or simply interacting more with parents or adults in the same “bubble”.

Why tears? Let’s face it – lockdown was a new experience that lost its appeal (if there was any…) after the first month. Periods of lockdowns were mind numbing to many, and children possibly suffered more than most. Take away school and social interaction, and it added up to a miserable time for the little ones.

And challenges? Just coping with lockdown was a trial. Adapting to new schedules is something a lot of people are not good at! And for children, lockdown was seen by many as a time of confusion and anxiety.

All that can be said is that if you – and your children – came out of lockdown with your mental health intact, that’s a minor accomplishment in its own right. So well done!

Hopefully there will never be another lockdown; this is just as much of a relief to parents as it’ll be to children. Summer holidays in 2021 can be seen as a post-pandemic liberation – a time where we still have to remain diligent, but without the same degree of emergency as the dreadful year earlier. Children have the chance to explore new activities, creating fond memories as any decent summer holiday should. And long may it continue! Children need to be constantly learning, enjoying life, cementing friendships and making new ones.

It’s this ideology that makes child modelling a win-win situation for both child and parent. We place a huge emphasis on safety, and this is seen more in child modelling than any other category. It’s true that a lot of our clients are looking for personable, outgoing children for a wide range of modelling jobs, and it’s equally true that their safety is paramount. After we’ve verified our client’s reputation and location, we actively encourage adult models to bring along a friend to their assignments. When it comes to children, parental or guardian accompaniment is essential; parents should expect nothing else.     

We’ve placed literally hundreds of children in exciting modelling jobs throughout the UK. We’re proud of the feedback and enjoy hearing the success stories from the parents.

Take young Callice, Henry, Holly and Georgina, who were thrilled to be working on a campaign for children’s meals with Jet2.com. They were able to express their talent for a notable airline whilst working with professional photographers in a safe environment. The fees, of course, only added to their enjoyment!

Clients don’t get much bigger than Sky, who were pleased to have Freya and Sophia on board for their Christmas advertising campaign. The two young models spoke to Father Christmas, and couldn’t stop talking about their unique experience all the way home!

We’ve placed children with McDonalds, large shopping centres and some brands stocking the latest in children’s fashions. Children are indeed the future, and our clients are only too aware.

Why not apply with us and your child could soon be a star in the making? Now, that would be something for them to talk about with their friends after the summer holidays…

We understand the world is made up of all sorts of beautiful, unique individuals and that is what makes it such a wonderful place to live.

The world of modelling is all about reflecting the world around us and, as such, you are now far more likely to see people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and ethnicities within it.

Flick through your social media at breakfast, look out of the bus window on your way to work and switch on your TV in the evening and you should see a glorious array of individuals.

But those who want to become successful models need to highlight their differences and show us what makes them stand out from the crowd.

They need to contact us and tell us what makes them special, so we in turn can promote them to all our many major clients who are looking for diverse models for their range of assignments.

Here are our top tips for those hoping to break into the business or who are already involved but hope to see greater success:

1. Send us your application and support it with some great photographs

2. Tell us what makes you different, highlight any unique features, tell us about your abilities and really sell yourself to us

3. Once you have uploaded images to your e-portfolio remember to update them regularly

4. The portfolios of children and babies must be updated every two to four months (the younger the child, the more important it is to do this)

5. Always follow our top tips on how to take great photographs

6. Keep abreast of fashion and ensure that whatever you are wearing in your shots is up-to-date or timeless (ie that it doesn’t age you)

7. Be friendly, patient and undemanding – we are highly experienced at our business and we will do our very best for you

For more information spend time browsing on our website and reading what our other models say about working with us.

We stand out from others in the industry – and we love working with models who do too!

The median age in 2020 was 40.5, rather than 35.8 in previous years, according to Statista. Do advertising and marketing reflect the ageing population? Yes!

The ONS states that in 2019, the non-UK-born population was 9.5 million and the non-British population was 6.2 million, making our country more diverse than ever. But are companies marketing these different cultures? Yes!

Why are we talking about this? 

As a UK number 1 modelling agency, Models Direct understands that with the changing population, diversity needs to be at the forefront of advertising and marketing to represent everyone collectively. Are we getting there? Definitely – with our diverse models being booked with top clients such as BBC, Sky Sports and Aviva, diverse modelling is continuing to climb the ladder fast! We want to help this movement by playing our part as a talent seeking agency. We want to continue representing all of the intricacies of society be it someone who has a disability, a 65-year-old lady or a size 20 talent. 

Major brands such as L’Oréal, River Island and Nike have implemented diverse models to connect to their target audience, and it’s worked! Their sales have rocketed and continue to reach a wider audience, capturing more interest. Their campaigns have been successful due to their choice of models where they have captivated consumers. 

We can take further interest in this division by heading over to social media platforms such as Instagram where social influencers such as Tess Holliday and Olakemi are really hotting up the place by being vocal about body positivity. Age-positive models Nicola Griffin, Jacky O’Shaughnessy and Marie-Sophie Wilson are making waves on the modelling scene as famous mature models. There’s an unbelievable amount of potential in this division and every day new faces and new talent are being added and booked with top clients. The diverse world is expanding and we’re on board to help facilitate it!

The takeaway

We’re guessing that our population is continuing to diversify and expand with more age groups, genders, sizes, cultures and disabilities. We’ll only find out the initial census findings in March next year and the final release of outputs in the following March of 2023. We’re sure it will encompass diversity and reveal how rich our population is. 

Are you a budding model or know someone who wants to be one or would make a great model? Get in touch with our professional agency to find out what the next steps are in our registration process or if you’re ready, hit the apply button and fill in our simple application form to get the ball rolling. 2021 could be your year of doing something out-of-the-box, quirky and interesting, and of course, adding ‘model’ as your profession.   

We like to chat about our pastimes, share our interests and listen to what others have been getting up to in their lives as well. There’s no doubt at all that we have all been able to do much less socialising this past year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And, despite hooking up more by phone and video chat, we are all probably still feeling a lack of face-to-face social contact.

The good news, however, is that the world around us is opening up again.

Not only can we now meet more of our friends and family members outside, but we are looking forward to meeting them indoors too.

We will soon be able to book a table inside a restaurant, have a glass of wine inside a bar and attend weddings, parties and other celebrations to catch up with those we have been missing.

Modelling is a particularly sociable business and although we at Models Direct – and our clients – have continued to work as best we can, we do realise the social aspect of the job has been affected.

We – and our clients – have taken every precaution to ensure the safety of everyone, from our models right through to our staff and the crew, who has worked on assignments for us this past year.

Social distancing and other measures have been taken, including using models who live together in social bubbles wherever possible.

But we realise it is not the same – and we look forward now to a time this summer and beyond where we can all work together in a much more natural way.

We want our new and existing models to be able to get out there and interact with those around them.

We want them to have the experience of getting to know the other models on a job, as well as the photographers, directors, stylists and other team members.

Modelling is fun and can be a great pastime or career for anyone who enjoys meeting new people and engaging in new experiences.

Filming work for a campaign, promotional modelling and lifestyle assignments can all be ideal for anyone who describes themselves as a “people person.”If that is you, why not make the most of your newfound freedom and take an exciting step towards work that is as sociable as it is fun and interesting?