Dr Victoria McCollum

Overview

Dr Victoria McCollum is a Senior Lecturer in Cinematic Arts and Director of Development and External Partnerships (Arts & Humanities) at Ulster University. An award-winning educator and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she is widely recognised for her leadership in inclusive, creative and socially impactful education. Her research, which includes 8 published books, explores how storytelling across film, games and TV can challenge dominant narratives around trauma, identity and conflict, particularly in post-conflict contexts.

Victoria’s leadership spans research, community engagement and innovation. She was part of the academic team that secured over £536k in funding for a cutting-edge Virtual Production Facility at Ulster University and co-leads The Witches of Islandmagee Creative and Digital Project, dedicated to recovering and honouring the legacy of persecuted women (and men) in Ireland’s past. She is deeply committed to widening participation and equity in the arts and has pioneered international field trips to Mumbai for students from underrepresented backgrounds, enabling them to learn filmmaking skills on the ground in Bollywood, an initiative that blends global creative industry experience with transformative educational access.

Victoria has previously held positions at BBC, ITV, MTV and HBO (Time Warner Inc), and has collaborated on projects with Apple, Cartoon Network, Cinemax, Facebook, New Line Cinema, Sesame Street, Sky Atlantic, Telltale Games, Time Warner, Twitter and Universal Music Group.

At the local level, Victoria co-leads a mentoring programme for teenage girls in Derry City in association with YMCA, supporting young women to build confidence, creativity and ambition in their personal and educational journeys. She recently spearheaded a landmark collaboration with the Irish Labour Party to name the University’s Derry-based film studio after Mo Mowlam, honouring the legacy of peace-building and political courage, officially launched by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Outside her professional work, Victoria is a qualified equestrian coach and is currently training in Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL), using human–animal connection to foster emotional resilience and wellbeing. She is guided by a deep belief in the transformative power of creativity, community and compassion to drive meaningful change.