Burnout in Arts Workers: an investigation

ABSTRACT

The mental health crisis in the arts and cultural sector is alarming. A 2016 survey uncovered startling statistics: of entertainment industry workers surveyed, 15.2% experienced symptoms of moderate to severe depression, and 44% experienced symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety (Van den Eynde et al., 2016). It is no wonder, given the unstable nature of work, that professionals in this industry are burning out. The industry feels like it stands at a precipice, with some academics openly questioning the sustainability of creative labour (Hesmondhalgh and Baker, 2010), with sustained government funding cuts contributing to industry instability. With the industry already at the “mother-of-all-dead-ends” (Meyrick, 2019), the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the fragilities of creative labour. 

Based on a review of historical literature surrounding mental illness and history’s creative geniuses, as well as contemporary literature around burnout and creative labour, surveys and interviews were undertaken to gain a more holistic understanding of the effect of burnout in the creative and cultural sector. Analysis of responses, guided by an autoethnographic approach (including observations and reflective analysis), demonstrated significant drivers at the government, industry, and individual level, which may lead to burnout. The results indicate that significant changes are required at all levels to reduce the risk of burnout in the sector; furthermore, that industry can only achieve so much progress without significant high-level government policy reform. Changes proposed in this research are intended to spur further conversation and research; I have not sought to undertake serious policy review or critique, as the format of this research does not allow for such in-depth analysis. Rather, it is proposed that further research is required to inform, shape, and build policy which significantly improves the sustainability of creative work in Australia.