Entertainment agency empowers local talent
With their combined years of experience, they embarked on a journey of showcasing, educating, nurturing and developing performing arts students in October 2018.
Dime 24/7 Agency, a division of Dime 24/7 Studios, is a home for creatives and aims to put eager artists on a national and international level.
The talent agency is led by television actress and professional make-up artist Maureen Sesenyamotse, and her business partner senior agent Sibusiso Thabo Nhlapo-Ferguson.
Nhlapo-Ferguson is a musical theatre cum laude graduate student from Texas State University in the United States of America, with special focus on theatre, television acting, dancing and music. With their combined years of experience, they embarked on a journey of showcasing, educating, nurturing and developing performing arts students in October 2018.
The Thokoza-based company’s services are open to residents of Palm Ridge, Eden Park, Alberton and surrounding areas. To date, they have managed to put a Palm Ridge hip-hop trio on the map called IIIWORDZ and artists as far as Springs.
According to Nhlapo-Ferguson, the inception of the agency was inspired by a need to broaden creatives’ talent on a broader scale.
“We decided to be their middle man and partner up with casting, direction and production companies. We also noticed that a lot of aspiring artists in the township either aren’t equipped financially or are misinformed about formalising their artistic education,” he said.
Nhlapo-Ferguson said they provide workshops to people they think are deserving and show potential to join the agency. They are taught the ins and outs of the entertainment industry, specific to their speciality.
This includes lessons in language, direction, processes, training, characterisation and repertoire development, among others.
Sesenyamotse told the RECORD their sole purpose is to give back to the community.
“We strongly believe charity begins at home. For us, this is where it all started and now we have returned to give back by empowering, inspiring and motivating. The knowledge we impart regularly is not only theoretical but practical, expertly given and experienced,” she said.
The agency represents aspiring artists from all ages, varying from models, actors, musicians, dancers, presenters and voice-over artists.
