Burnout in a world on fire: Navigating mental health as a freelance producer

Burnout is not just personal – it is systemic. It is the result of a world that demands constant productivity, relentless resilience and unquestioning compliance. It is not just about working too hard but about existing in an unsustainable industry that thrives on overwork, financial instability and a scarcity mindset.

As freelancers and self-employed workers, we recognise the structural inequalities shaping our profession. We see the power imbalances forcing us into precarity, where rest is a privilege, and speaking out comes at the cost of opportunities. Yet, if the wider world acknowledged these realities instead of expecting us to comply out of fear, we could shift towards sustainable creative work.

For many of us working in the arts – particularly those of us who are producers, cultural workers, facilitators and organisers – burnout is not just about workload. It is about the activism embedded in our work, the weight of advocating for artists and communities who have been pushed to the margins, the emotional labour of navigating hostile or indifferent systems.

System fuels exhaustion

Many of us fight for change while struggling to meet our own basic needs. We work in a field that celebrates radical ideas but often fails to create radical working conditions that support the people behind them. The system itself fuels exhaustion: with funding structures that demand constant justification, contracts that exploit emotional investment, and an economy that rewards overwork but punishes rest.

Yet, we continue, because we believe in the work, in the artists we support, and in the communities that rely on these cultural spaces for connection, reflection and resistance. This is why we need to redefine what care looks like in our sector. It is not just an individual responsibility; it is a collective, political act.

We speak up for those impacted by the corruption of our world, for those who cannot advocate for themselves, whether due to economic, political, or social oppression. That responsibility, combined with the insecurity of working in an industry that offers little structural support, creates the perfect conditions for burnout.

The growing crisis

The current funding landscape in the UK is making this worse. Arts Council England is undergoing a government review, creating further instability for freelancers and small organisations. The repercussions could devastate independent practitioners and weaken the entire arts ecosystem.

Producers are the lifeline of artistic work, yet funding models rarely prioritise or sustain them. Without producers securing funding, managing budgets and handling logistics, many artists would be unable to develop or tour work. But funding is artist-led. This creates a dangerous cycle of financial instability, where producers work across multiple projects without sustainable income.

And this isn’t just a bureaucratic issue – it’s an ethical failure. Producers are expected to work unpaid for months on projects that may never be funded. We are expected to front the costs of administration, contracting and project planning, all while competing in an increasingly cut-throat funding landscape. The lack of financial security is one of the biggest drivers of burnout in the industry.

The need for structural change

So how do we create an industry where producers and cultural workers are valued, protected and supported? The answer lies in long-term structural change, not just individual self-care:

• Producers need a union. Unlike directors, writers and actors, producers have no formal union or collective bargaining power. This leaves us vulnerable to exploitative pay, unpaid labour and burnout.
• Funding models must prioritise producers. Most funding is artist-led, meaning producers have to secure their own fees separately. Producers should be able to apply for direct funding, just as artists do.

We must redefine care as a collective responsibility. Care should not be an individual burden – it should be integrated into the sector through better contracts, reasonable working hours and mental health support.

Building a self-care guide for producers

Through my work as lead producer for Producer Gatherings, with support from Artsadmin and Marlborough Production, I’m working with The Uncultured to co-produce a self-care guide for independent producers. This guide will provide practical strategies for safeguarding mental health in an unstable industry.

This resource will share experiences and insights from producers who have navigated – and are still navigating – the realities of burnout. Through wider thinking about the deep-felt impact of freelancer precarity and financial instability, to sharing personal insights on practical means to safeguard ourselves – it will uncover the ways of recognising and living through and beyond work-related burnout. And it will be specifically from a producer’s perspective – something that doesn’t currently exist.

The guide will go beyond clinical approaches to mental health. Instead, it will explore:

• How to recognise burnout and its early warning signs
• The impact of financial precarity and freelancer instability on mental health
• How to set boundaries and advocate for sustainable working conditions
• Creating collective support networks to combat isolation

There is currently no dedicated resource that centres the producer’s experience of burnout. Most mental health resources in the arts focus on artists or organisations, leaving producers unsupported and invisible.

Building a future together

As this world continues to polarise, and as creative workers face increasing political and financial pressures, we cannot afford to normalise or ignore burnout as the price of doing meaningful work. We must create alternatives, together. If we do not actively redefine what sustainable creative work should look like, the system will continue to define it for us – and we already know where that road leads.

We need to fight for better pay, better working conditions, and better structural support for producers and cultural workers. This means:

• Advocating for policy change
• Pushing back against censorship
• Ensuring that funders prioritise long-term sustainability

Burnout is not just a personal struggle; it is a collective crisis. The solution cannot be left to individuals – it must be systemic, political and community-driven. Only then can we build a future where cultural workers are not just surviving but thriving.