Coralie Wood Publicity, Curtin, ACT

Aims of the CAT Awards The aims of the CAT Awards are to: provide recognition of the enormous contribution made by non-professional groups to the artistic life of Australia and, in particular, of Canberra and the region encourage individuals in the performing arts. These aims are pursued by making public awards that recognise and reward the standout achievements during the year in performances put forward by our regional theatre companies for consideration by our judging panel. Many companies, performers and production personnel in the region have found that the CAT Awards bring the satisfaction and enjoyment of having their talent recognised, but they also: build a higher profile for their theatre company locally create advertising and public relations opportunities help funding applications. A brief history The CAT Awards were founded by Coralie Wood and Kate Peters in 1994 and are now run by Coralie Wood. Theatre groups and schools in Canberra and the region were first invited to particpate in 1995. Initially the Awards were self-funded but in recent years they have been successful in attracting some government and corporate support. We are particularly grateful for the support given by ActewAGL, our major sponsor since 2009. In 2005 the CAT Awards underwent a change in structure to reflect the size of the organisation and the importance of the awards to the local arts community, with the appointment of a Board of Directors and an Executive Steering Committee. As the scope of the Awards has increased, the Judging Panel has grown from 6 in 1995 to 17 in 2013. All board members and judges are volunteers and donate their time and skills.