▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁by ▁the ▁Forest ry ▁Commission ▁to ▁further ▁the ▁arts ▁within ▁the ▁G riz ed ale ▁forest . ▁It ▁initially ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁theatre ▁and ▁the ▁visual ▁arts . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁it ▁established ▁the ▁S cul pt ure ▁Project , ▁which ▁was ▁noted ▁for ▁its ▁sit ing ▁of ▁environmental ▁sculpt ures ▁by ▁artists ▁including ▁David ▁Nash , ▁Robert ▁Ko enig ▁and ▁Andy ▁Gold sw orth y ▁within ▁the ▁G riz ed ale ▁Forest . ▁These ▁sculpt ures ▁are ▁now ▁maintained ▁by ▁the ▁Forest ry ▁Commission ▁and ▁are ▁accessible ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁the ▁Society ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Pr ud ential ▁Award ▁for ▁the ▁Arts . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁for ▁financial ▁reasons , ▁the ▁board ▁closed ▁its ▁theatre ▁( the ▁" The atre ▁in ▁the ▁Forest ") ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁concent rate ▁on ▁expl oring ▁new ▁approaches ▁to ▁art istic ▁production ▁and ▁exhibition . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁organisation ▁moved ▁its ▁base ▁from ▁G riz ed ale ▁Forest ▁to ▁the ▁historic ▁hill ▁farm ▁of ▁Law son ▁Park , ▁over looking ▁Con ist on ▁Water . ▁Once ▁owned ▁by ▁John ▁Rus kin ▁and ▁a ▁working ▁farm ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁architect s ▁S uther land ▁Hus sey ▁were ▁employed ▁to ▁transform ▁the ▁farm house ▁and ▁bar ns ▁into ▁an ▁artists ' ▁res iden cy ▁base , ▁opened ▁in ▁ 2 0 0