5 ways to save money, but still support the arts

Want to support creatives but don't have much cash yourself? Check out these options.
Two stacks of green cardboard tied up in a brown band made to look like money.

Yay verily, the cost of living is biting everyone; it’s hard enough to keep body and soul together let alone partake in activities that will incur more financial outlay. But artists of all stripes suffer greatly too in times of economic free fall, so how can you support them without spending too much – or any – money? Here are five ideas.

There’s no doubting live performance tickets are pricey, but if you are desperate to see the latest show everyone’s talking about, there are ways to mitigate the expense. The bigger productions usually have a longer run and offer many different time slots. Avoid popular prime nights of Friday or Saturday. Go and see a matinee if possible or attend on a Monday or Tuesday night. You’ll find tickets prices are on a sliding scale depending on which day or time you chose. Check whether there are any Halftix or similar avenues – where seats are discounted on the actual day of the performance, because the theatre companies would rather (cheaper) bums on seats than none at all.

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Thuy On is the Reviews and Literary Editor of ArtsHub and an arts journalist, critic and poet who’s written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Sydney Review of Books, The Australian, The Age/SMH and Australian Book Review. She was the Books Editor of The Big Issue for 8 years and a former Melbourne theatre critic correspondent for The Australian. Her debut, a collection of poetry called Turbulence, came out in 2020 and was released by University of Western Australia Publishing (UWAP). Her second collection, Decadence, was published in July 2022, also by UWAP. Her third book, Essence, will be published in 2025. Threads: @thuy_on123 Instagram: poemsbythuy