The thousands of Teddington residents who regularly attend the Rose Theatre in Kingston are being asked to help secure the future of the venue in the wake of its closure following the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Amid such uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic, the Rose Theatre has today launched the #RoseEndures fundraising campaign," said a statement from the theatre.

"The campaign aims to help safeguard the future of the venue, to continue its role as a vibrant community arts hub, and to ensure the livelihoods of its dedicated staff and associated creatives.

"The Rose is calling for audiences to make a donation, share their memories of the Rose and to upload a photo of themselves and their families holding a card of their own design that says #RoseEndures," it continued.

Christopher Haydon, Artistic Director at Thee Rose said: "We are absolutely dedicated to keeping our eyes on the horizon. We are going to continue thinking, dreaming, imagining and creating so that when we can all gather together once again, we will be able to fill our stage with stories of hope, love and of resilience.

"If you are in a position to support the Rose financially, we need you now more than ever, and would be immensely grateful.

"We are a community arts hub and in these unprecedented times, we must make sure that the #RoseEndures to

inspire optimism within the community and to shine some light in these gloomy times, we have also lit up the front of our home with a rainbow for the duration of its closure."

The Rose is the largest producing theatre in South West London, generating home grown, world-class productions that resonate far beyond the borough of Kingston.

The theatre is a registered charity that receives no regular Arts Council funding, and the implications of needing to suspend their events and productions will be financially overwhelming.

Ticket sales make up the majority of the Rose's earned income, which together with contributions from stakeholders, donors and sponsors will enable the Rose to commission artists, produce new work and deliver its artistic and learning programmes for many years to come.

Continuing ticket sales are vital to the theatre's existence and the financial security of its staff.

For more details go to https://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/news/rose-theatre-launches-rose-endures-campaign