THE future of the long-running CAT Awards beyond 2023 is uncertain, with news that that the organisation has failed to secure CreateNSW funding in the latest round.

David Whitbread, the secretary of CAT Awards Ltd, (formerly the Canberra Area Theatre Awards, but now the Combined Area Theatre Awards) has told judges and organisers: “CreateNSW received 400 applications and only 81 received funding, making a success rate of 16 per cent. So, we are not alone.”

Whitbread told “CityNews” that reserves were still sufficient for a presentation ceremony to be held, possibly either early December or February, but that in the climate of dwindling sponsorship, the future beyond that was uncertain because of a complete lack of both government grants and sponsorship funding.

“The trouble is that the companies that enter the awards are community groups, often with that same lack of both government grants and sponsorship funding – and [with]reliance on in-kind support,” Whitbread said.

In preparing the application for funding to CreateNSW, he said, they had been obliged to put a monetary value on support in a situation where their assets were people.

He cited the fact that top theatre professionals such as John Wood and Amanda Muggleton had made their appearances as award presenters gratis at the  Oscars-style presentation ceremonies, while director Stephen Pike and many technical supporters worked for nothing.

It was true, he said, that the funding supported accommodation for judges as they travelled around the region, but only sometimes, making it even more difficult to monetise the organisation’s financial basis, so that it had fallen through the gaps.

While the CAT Awards never attracted ACT government support, in 2021 under the watch of former NSW Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro, John Barilaro, the NSW government allocated the CAT Awards grants of $25,000 a year over four years because of its outreach into amateur drama societies around NSW.

In 2020, an earlier CATs board had decided to wind up operations as a registered company, but the “CATs” name reverted to Wood and she quickly moved to form the new company.

The “Canberra” was dropped from the title after enthusiasm for the CATs had waned in the ACT and alternative awards, the “Ovations”, intended to be Canberra-specific and targeted to adult productions, were established by members of the theatre community.

But, led by co-founder of the awards, Coralie Wood, the CATs battled on through covid, and held toned-down presentations.

Now it’s back to the drawing board for the CATs organisers, who are disappointed not only by the rejection of their application for around $20,000, modest compared to some of the grants allocated by CreateNSW, but also because its theatre board has asserted that the CATs funds were used for awards and prize money, although there has never been prize money.