… a wonderful lady named Jacki Jenkinson opened a child talent agency and called it Bubblegum Casting.
The year was 1981 and Jacki had already made a name for herself in the industry. And so when Bubblegum Casting opened its doors, it wasn’t long before Jacki’s new venture became the go-to agency for major brands and production companies looking for Australia’s brightest young talents.
Jacki’s dream was to establish an agency that was built on family values and one that always put the welfare of the children on its books first. In the many years since, we’ve worked incredibly hard to keep that dream alive while discovering some of Australia’s most famous child stars along the way!
Jacki has since retired from the business but by passing the reins to our current managing director and owner Adam Jacobs, she kept the agency within the Bubblegum family.
Adam himself is no stranger to the agency having been heavily involved with Bubblegum throughout his life. His sister Jessica was, in fact, one of Bubblegum’s brightest young stars enjoying success on stage and screen before she tragically passed away at the very young age of 17.
With an unquestionable passion for the agency, Adam was determined to help Bubblegum grow, but this meant taking the agency in a new direction. As an experienced digital marketer Adam felt it was time to update Bubblegum’s traditional business model to suit the needs of the modern client and today’s child actor and model.
We modernised our internal processes, implemented the use of cutting edge technology, and reinvented the agency. Sure, we still hold to those family values that we’re famed for, but thanks to Adam’s leadership and the dedication of our young and energetic staff, Bubblegum now has a new lease of life.
And we’re not done yet!
Originally a Melbourne based child talent agency, we now have offices serving clients and talented kids in both Sydney and Brisbane with plans to expand even further afield in the not too distant future.
We’re just getting warmed up, so watch this space!
Jacki’s hard work in those early years earned Bubblegum a reputation for providing only the best child talent that Australia has to offer. This is why our client list (which you can take a look at here) reads like a who’s who of Australia’s leading brands and most successful production companies.
From Nike to Neighbours, when the biggest names need a fresh face, Bubblegum is often their first port of call.
This reputation that we work so hard to maintain is also why we’re highly selective about the kids we sign to the agency.
We wish we could make every cute kid we meet into a star, but the truth is that some kids just aren’t suited to a life in front of the camera.
We’re not going to lie, it’s tough work and to succeed takes a lot of effort from both parents and children. And so we have a responsibility to let parents know if we think their child isn’t a good fit for child modelling or acting.
But this means that when we do sign a child, we genuinely think they have what it takes to become a star.
If your child is lucky enough to join the Bubblegum family, we’ll move heaven and earth to give them their opportunity to shine.
And if your company comes to us looking for a fresh face for your next campaign, we can guarantee that we only have the most talented and well prepared kids on our books.
We run industry-leading workshops, provide acting and modelling coaching, and we even help the kids on our books create a professional portfolio all in the comfort of the Bubblegum studio. Not only that but our portfolio service is included in our yearly membership fees which as you may be aware isn’t usually the case in this industry.
We don’t usually toot our own horn, but in this case we’ll make an exception.
When it comes to making sure that children are prepared for a career in the industry, we’re pretty good at what we do.
But even better is the fact that we love doing it!
Think your child has what it takes to be the next big thing?
Or maybe you think that Bubblegum might be the right agency to find the right talent for your shoot or production.
Either way, we’d love to talk. So give us a call on 1300 591 453.
Parents of children can also go right ahead and fill in our online application form.
At Bubblegum, we represent some of Australia’s brightest young stars, but even so, we’re always on the lookout for fresh new faces and talent.
If your child is aged anywhere from 3 months to 18 years of age, and you think they might have what it takes to shine in front of a camera or on stage, then we want to hear from you.
We’ll set up a quick informal chat where we’ll get a feel for your child’s suitability for working in the industry.
The lucky kids that make it onto our books benefit from in-house workshops and coaching sessions to help them brush up on their skills. They’ll also get great advice and tips from the Bubblegum team, some of whom have worked as child models and actors themselves! We’ll even arrange a portfolio shoot with our in-house photographer.
We want all the kids on our books to have their chance to shine and if that means working twice as hard to make it happen, then that’s what we’ll do!