OK, so the arts are in for the chop – we’ve known that for a while.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (known in some governmental circles as the Fun Dept) are slashing 50% of their administration costs and there’s talk of 25% to 40% cuts in funding. We’re pretty gutted to hear about the UK Film Council being axed, even if they did fund Streetdance 3D.

But what does all this actually mean for young creatives? How does a pile of numbers translate into real-life consequences?

We’re here to help...

Private funding

Colin Tweedy, the chief executive of Arts & Business (which creates partnerships between culture and commerce) has called on arts organisations to increase their private funding. So if government-funded operations are looking for private money, we suggest you do too. Don’t wait around for help from the state, search out people like...erm...us! Charitable trusts, patrons of the arts and brand-funded competitions are all great ways to get ahead. Private investment currently contributes to 15% of total income for the arts, but this figure looks set to rise as state budgets are slashed.

Creativity on the cheap

When it comes to making it, the internet is your friend. It costs a lot to get a portfolio printed and looking good, but now you can have a super-smart portfolio online – and all you’ve got to do is send a link.

Free photo site Flickr has inspired a whole photographic movement: from our friends Fourteen-Nineteen, whose website showcases the best young photographers from across the globe, to Platform’s Best of Flickr feature. We’re also loving Booooom’s regular art projects. It’s also a good idea to sell your work online to avoid gallery/agency fees – try Etsy or Folksy.

Self Promotion

Don’t be embarrassed to shamelessly promote yourself. We live in a world where it’s perfectly acceptable to tweet "I'm gonna be a megastar" or  "I really love jelly" so no one’s going to criticize you for sending them your work, especially if it’s good.

Chat like a t**t on Twitter, email people like a stalker, blog yourself to death. Anything’s better than sitting on your arse moaning. If you do things, things happen and yes, that does still apply in a recession.

Freelancing Rules OK?

In a nutshell, loads of staff jobs are getting axed so it’s actually a good time to be freelance. If you can handle the irregularity of being your own boss, at least you know you’ll never get called into the office for “a chat”...

DIY

The organisations you want to work for are being cut in half and you can’t afford to go your own way and make the vampire slasher epic of your dreams. What you need to do is get a job – any job that pays reasonably well – and fund your own labour of love. Working a day job might actually inspire you to work harder at your dream project, because you’ll be so desperate to get out. It may also provide you with material – where do you think The Office came from?

image courtesy of ladyladykittie