Judging Process | Critics Awards For T

The Judging Process and Criteria

To be a CATS judge, a critic should:

review theatre created in Scotland in print, on radio or TV, or online.
write reviews throughout the year.
see theatre across Scotland, not just in one town. (An exception may be made in the case of a critic with knowledge of an underrepresented area.)
see professional theatre of all scales and types. (An exception may be made in the case of a critic with knowledge of an underrepresented genre.)
see a high enough percentage of all professional theatre made in Scotland to make a meaningful contribution to the judging meeting.
be professional about their role as a critic whether or not they are paid for their work.
pay a small annual fee as a contribution towards CATS running costs.

Membership is by invitation from the CATS judges.
The judges appoint a membership officer whose job is to ensure that new judges are proposed to the existing judging panel in line with the criteria above. The membership officer’s recommendations are discussed at a meeting that takes place soon after the annual CATS ceremony.
It is expected that all newspapers, magazines and websites with regular, high quality, nationwide coverage of theatre made in Scotland should be represented on the CATS panel.
There is no limit on the number of judges.
Judges are invited on a non-discriminatory basis and in line with equal opportunities legislation.

There is no limit to the length of time a judge may remain a member.
If a judge’s circumstances change and they no longer meet the membership criteria above, they will be required to step down, either permanently or temporarily.