The Company remained at the School until June 1994 when the School needed the land on which the rehearsal hut stood to build new classrooms. The Company re-located to an industrial unit at the Millstream Trading Estate. In May 1996, the Company was awarded a grant by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of England, which enabled a new operational base to be built. In March 1997, the Company moved to its new premises. In the summer of 1997, the Company was awarded an A4E grant to produce a Tent Tour; in 1998, the first of these took place. In 1999, the Southern Touring Theatre Consortium (Forest Forge, Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company and Trading Faces) was formed to deliver small scale/community touring provision to the region.

The consortium was expanded in 2003 to include Chalkfoot. In 2002 we became founder members of the Pride of Place Theatre Festival Company. In 2003 the company jointly produced a major Arts-in-Health conference “Lifelines” exploring the methodology of arts project evaluation in a clinical setting. In 2004 Forest Forge was chosen as one of the companies to provide the focus of a national academic research project into the social impact of theatre by the Arts Council England and ITC.

In 2005 the company created a new post in the Creative Learning department, focusing on issues of exclusion and access, and was short-listed for The Stage Awards for Achievement in Regional Theatre. The company produced its first ever international co-production in 2007/8 with Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador and produced a radio drama in association with BBC Radio Solent

Operational Background

• Core Funding is received from The Arts Council of England, South East; Hampshire County Council (Arts Office); New Forest District Council; Borough, District and Town Councils in the touring area.
• The Company is managed by a Board of Directors who meet on a quarterly basis. The Company actively seek to encourage representation of our three main funding bodies at Board Meetings, in order to maintain a close working relationship.
• The day-to-day running of the Company is in the hands of the Artistic Director (who is also CEO) and General Manager, supported by the Associate Director; Creative Learning Director, Community Theatre Worker (Inclusion) Company Stage Manager and Administrative Assistants.
• The Company’s annual touring season runs for approximately ten months of the year. During this time the company recruits up to five performers (per production), Stage Managers, Props Makers, Musical Directors, Choreographers, writers and other freelance artists.
• The Company’s programme of Creative Learning runs throughout the year, providing regular long-term residencies, projects and made to measure workshops.
• Forest Forge Theatre Company seeks to achieve genuine equality of opportunity, whether it be required by legislation or not, in all aspects of its activities. The company wishes to reflect the diversity of communities within the United Kingdom. This aim is achieved through the implementation of its Disability Discrimination and Equality Plan and its Race Equality Action Plan, as well as its Equal Opportunities Policy.
• The Company is a member of the NFDC Forest Arts Forum.
• The Company has long-term service provision relationships with Salisbury Hospice (working with patients in palliative care).
• The Company chairs the Out of Joint development forum, linking arts providers with Pupil Referral and Learning Support Units.