A huge thank you to all who have so generously donated in such a short space of time. The messages we have received so far have been incredibly heartfelt during these challenging months. We may have reached our initial target but every day our doors remain closed is yet another day we do not receive any ticketing income to support our operational costs. As a charity, we need your help to ensure your 'little' theatre can re-open as soon as possible; please continue to donate anything you can.

The Bear Pit Theatre Limited is a not-for-profit company and a registered charity no: 1156259. As a charity we are able to claim 25p for every £1 donated if you are a UK tax payer.

Please note that JustGiving minus their fees of 2.9% +0.25p per donation before transferring the funds.

The Bear Pit Theatre is a volunteer-run community theatre based in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

As well as producing our own productions, events and social activities every year, we also make our venue available for use to a number of other societies, charities and artists.

The Bear Pit is facing uncertain times, owing to the current pandemic: we do not receive any regular grants or funding, with the majority of our income being generated from ticket sales and hires.

During our closure, we have been planning for the re-opening of The Bear Pit Theatre and had looked forward to welcoming our audiences back for socially distanced evenings in December. However, since Stratford and the rest of Warwickshire, went into Tier 4 and subsequently lockdown since January, these restrictions continue to hinder any chances for us to return and welcome back our audiences.

Under government guidelines, our professional theatre colleagues can continue to rehearse and perform during this period of lockdown but community arts venues have not been afforded the same status. This means that The Bear Pit Theatre Company cannot even consider performing in our venue to a virtual audience.

We have made significant strides to obtain grant aid but only with very limited success, as we fall below the radar of the larger, mainly professional organisations, who have received substantial recovery grants. Our efforts continue unabated with an application to the Arts Council National Lottery Fund about to be made, but even as a Registered Charity we cannot rely on our luck with grant applications alone.

Bear' with us, as we wait for a time when we can warmly welcome our audiences back to our community venue and continue to produce our community performances for years to come.

As a registered charity, every gift will make a difference and your support will help us to continue to create community theatre at its best. Please give what you can