Artists will express their anger in dance during protests against funding cuts to be held around the country on Friday.

The Australia Council announced it was left with a $23 million shortfall after cuts announced in the Federal Budget.

Now protests are planned in capital cities and some regional centres where artists have been called on to dance against the cuts.

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Arts Minister George Brandis has floated a plan to pull $105 million over four years in funding from the Australia Council to the Federal Arts Ministry, which some fear will mean artists will need the approval of the government to be eligible for funding.

In reaction to the government’s move the Australia Council has cancelled its June grants round and suspended its six-year funding for organisations.

In a statement the Council said it would still be $23 million short on expected funding after the Federal Budget reduced its allocation to $184 million.

The statement from Tony Grybowski, chief executive of the Australia Council, said after government directed programs which account for 66 per cent of its output are delivered the council will have $62 million to spend, which is $23 million less than expected.

VIDEO: Artists have learned the Hoofer Dance for today’s protest. 

A former chair of the Australia Council, Hilary McPhee, told Lateline the funding arrangements would give more power to the government over what gets funded.

“I think what’s happened now is something that’s been on the cards for a while where the ministry is going to become more powerful in fact than the statutory authority which we’ve had for a very long time.

“Statutory authorities, as you know, have to be able to work with both sides of politics, whereas a program within a ministry has to work to the government of the day and that’s not the way to run arts funding, I believe,” she said.

The Greens and the ALP have spoken against the cuts.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Australians “should never shy away from being critical of injustices or afraid to take on matters of significance in our national debate”.

“Arts funding shouldn’t depend on George Brandis’ obsessions – it should be independent and based on merit,” Mr Shorten said. “He thinks everyone has the ‘right to be a bigot’, but only he has the right to be a critic.”

Mr Brandis said his changes meant the Australia council would be part of a mix of funding sources.

“I do not favour the view that it (the Australia Council) ought to be a monopoly fund of the arts. I think the idea of a funding mix is a healthier and more contestable way of arts funding,” he told the ABC.

The budget must pass the Senate.