Historie o niewidzialnym wysiłku i o przekraczaniu własnych granic: wypalenie zawodowe producentek_ów sztuk performatywnych w perspektywie feministycznej
Stories of Invisible Labor and Violating One’s Own Boundaries: Burnout Among Performing Arts Producers from a Feminist Perspective

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the issue of occupational burnout among performing arts producers in Poland, based on qualitative research. The author – both a researcher and a member of the community under study – seeks to capture the complex mechanisms of this phenomenon, situated within the context of individual experiences as well as broader systemic conditions. The analysis is based on eleven in-depth interviews, in which the participants – ten women and one man – share personal, often painful testimonies of overload, invisibility, and the emotional cost of their work. The article presents burnout not as a sign of weakness, but as a symptom of deeply rooted tensions within the cultural field – a sector often driven by passion and dedication, yet too rarely attentive to the needs of those responsible for its functioning. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of emotional labor, which especially burdens women, and on the structural lack of support for producers within cultural institutions and organizations. The author calls for a paradigm shift: recognizing burnout as a systemic challenge that requires not only individual coping strategies but also institutional action and cultural change. This voice – both personal and political – serves as an invitation to reflect on how to care for those who care for the theatre.

• Details
• Contents