The leaders of Britain's most prominent cultural bodies are to appeal directly to the prime minister not to cause irreparable damage to the arts.
The chief executive of Arts Council England, Alan Davey, is expected to say cuts could force it to withdraw funding from more than 200 organisations.
The coalition government has asked all major arts funding bodies to show how they would manage cuts of 25% or 30%.
The culture minister said everybody had to take their share of cuts.
Ed Vaizey said organisations were "absolutely entitled" to make their case to government but "everybody had to share their burden of the cuts that were coming".
"Nobody should be in any doubt at all that we strongly support the work that arts organisations do in this country, but equally they have to be in no doubt at all that we face a very tough financial environment left for us by the last Labour government.
"We're going to work together to make sure that we can continue to deliver first class arts to as many people as possible but we have to work together to make this happen," he said.
The government hopes private money will help plug the gap, but it has emerged some of the country's leading philanthropists are writing to Prime Minister David Cameron warning that such an ambition is overly optimistic.
The appeal comes the day after a warning that the number of theatres at risk of demolition could grow in the next year because of funding cuts.
The Theatres Trust latest "at risk" register highlights 55 buildings facing an uncertain future, with cuts seen as a major area of concern.
from the BBC
No UK dance companies regardless of their size are unreliant on arts subsidies so this is a huge issue for anyone who places any value on the performing arts as a marker of a civilised society, never mind those of us who actively support performance with our attendance.
The wonderful New English Contemporary Ballet folded almost instantly when their ACE funding was pulled, despite having a paid-tutition dance school attached and a solid track record of community involvement - something upon which an almost bizarre emphasis is placed when assessing the value of performing arts.
No one is safe, from the big boys like the Rambert, the Royal Ballet, the English National, the Birmingham Royal down to the two-, three- and five-man companies that so enrich the wonderfully varied tapestry of dance-based performance that we enjoy in this country.
How are we to respond? Political pressure? Who has much faith in that, especially when the agenda to make cuts across the board is so central to the current government's position?
I have sat in enough half-empty auditoria to know one thing we can do: buy tickets and go and see stuff.
If you support the arts, support them with your paid-for presence. Use it or lose it.
The Guardian's Judith Mackrell on a similar theme - Judith Mackrell on Dance
Job losses, widespread closures and damage to audiences and Britain's reputation would follow, say leading figures - from The Guardian
How can we soften this blow to our arts?
Jeremy Hunt needs to think again if we're to survive the spending cuts, says Rupert Christiansen in The Telegraph.
Arts leaders warn that 25% cuts would kill 200 companies - The Stage
Jeremy Hunt needs to think again if we're to survive the spending cuts, says Rupert Christiansen in The Telegraph.
Arts leaders warn that 25% cuts would kill 200 companies - The Stage
