AN online uprising to save the axed Kube art gallery in Poole is gathering force with members planning a mass protest march through the town.

Facebook group ‘Save the Kube’ already has more than 800 members who are sharing ideas for how to save the iconic arts space from closure at the end of this month.

As well as lobbying local MPs campaigners are planning a protest march on Saturday, January 16, setting out from the Sea Music Sculpture on Poole Quay, going up the High Street before finally finishing at the Kube.

They have coined the slogan “art not offices” are planning a moving art exhibition as part of the march to drum their message home.

The landmark £2.4million gallery at Bournemouth and Poole’s North Road is set to close on January 31 after the college withdrew funding.

It has housed an array of exhibitions and events, supporting the work of local artists and acclaimed figures such as Antony Gormley, Tracey Emin, and Damien Hirst. It has also won three national awards for its education programme.

But Bournemouth and Poole College principal and chief executive Lawrence Vincent said when the closure was announced: “We can no longer justify financially supporting the gallery as a public space, and intend to use the area to the best advantage for our students as a state-of-the-art teaching zone.”

Members of the Facebook group pledging to save it include artists, staff members and others in the art world, as well as residents and visitors.

Their comments include: “This is one of the best things Poole has going for it and it's heartbreaking to think of it being used for any other purpose,” and “for the Kube to close would be an outrage.”

Kube manager Sandy Wilderspin also commented on the site urging people to contact MPs and the bodies such as the Arts Council.

“Community voice and action can be a very powerful tool,” she added.